This private art gallery in the Philadelphia suburbs was designed to look different from each and every angle. And to have a certain ambiance when morning sun strikes it, one that is distinct from when the sun is beaming down overhead, and different still from that on a gray day.

Each glass panel of the wall is a different shape. Each of the wood-like slats that cover one side tapers outward, changing in width.

Even the greenery of the surrounding lawn has been designed in irregular patches of flower and grasses, blooming and sprouting in different shapes as the seasons progress.

Yet the gallery also performs at its intended function, showcasing artworks without exposing them to direct sunlight. An asymmetric wire mesh drapes in artful curves over a wireframe beneath the high ceiling; the structure will allow for artworks to hang in almost any configuration.

Spend a few minutes talking to John Shields, and you get the impression he’s a dreamer. But his firm, point b, has had great success in putting inventive design ideas into practice.

Their work asks one to reconsider conventional views about the placement of objects and their relationships to environs. Nothing is static, Shields notes, not even a building. It, and all else, exists in a constantly changing state that depends on time of day, season of year, what’s inside or adjacent and who is the viewer.

point b creates for their clients “working in five dimensions: height, width, depth, time and budget,” Shields says. “point b is a studio in which the physical act of making and the digital design tools converge.”

Their workspace lacks the clean white walls and cubicles of a traditional design studio. It’s a true workshop, strewn with in-progress wood and fabric models, partly-finished pieces of art and plenty of tools, among them several computer workstations and a 12 x 20 foot digitally-controlled tabletop mill.

Products range from entire buildings, like the art gallery, to interior pieces like etched glass doors or mosaic cubes to use as art or furniture. Quite often the innovators at point b will stay with a project from start to finish; from concept to design to testing to fabrication to construction.

Parametric design and modeling, where tweaking any one dimension in a computer model of a design automatically updates all related measurements, often comes into play. The b.digi branch “facilitates the translation of information from conceptual to computable.”

Shields & co regularly output scaled physical models of projects and take them directly to the client for hands-on feedback. Any changes needed are made on the model, and then fed back in to the computer using their table-top mill, which can both read and output with its drill-head.

When the final design is ready for production, the creatives often go around intermediary suppliers and source manufacturing directly, working with fabricators and artisans worldwide. In this way their b.fab branch has been able to bring to fruition ambitious designs that would have blown out the budget if ordered from traditional builders.

In John’s own words:

point b design is a unique studio in the profession of architecture and design. we have a rare combination of insanely creative people and the most advanced tools in the profession. we are able to design intelligent and beautiful spaces that change the way you see the world.

Happy to agree; it’s true.

Previously the exclusive realm of Visa, MasterCard and American Express, in the early 1990s plastic calling cards were introduced. Unlike traditional credit cards, these cards were relatively disposable. In the late 90s, the plastic gift card began replacing gift certificates, starting at McDonald’s and spreading rapidly through retailers everywhere. In the past decade, the plastic gift card has become the most popular present.

In 2006 alone, an estimated 17 billion of these cards were produced. There are a couple of companies that have popped up to either collect and recycle the cards, or to resell and exchange them. Orr’s decor pieces are aesthetically pleasing, but also a statement on the rise of consumerism across the globe.

Amy is one of several emerging crafters who will be featured along with established artisans at the Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show, opening this weekend at the Naval Yard.

Friday evening’s Preview Reception will benefit InLiquid, a Philadelphia-based non-profit that helps artists gain exposure and promote their work. The reception will feature Orr’s work, along with others who work with “recycled materials.”

As long as industry and science continue to find and develop new materials, craftspeople will find ways to make them into art!

Crooked Neck has a circuit bent drum machine & 2 battery powered amps built-in. The speakers for the amps are behind the blue & grey circles on the body.

Or does your adventure choose you?

If you’re an artist, usually a bit of both.

Ben Simon makes wonderfully whimsical and unique handcrafted electric guitars and other instruments.

After growing up all over the East Coast, he landed for a time in the Carolinas — a region with a rich history in woodworking — and immersed himself in learning the craft at Burch Company Wood Studio.

As a musician, Simon noticed that some of the more elaborate cutting boards he was working on were reminiscent of electric guitar bodies.

Taking 2 and 2 apart, he deconstructed an electric guitar, did some research, and in 2006 crafted his first custom instrument.

He went on to twice tour Europe playing self-built guitars and basses with his band Get the People.

The instruments themselves have evolved over the years. One was made using 18 different types of wood.

The repertoire is also no longer limited to guitars; pieces have been built that incorporate synths, drums, speakers and amps.

Bass made with exotic hardwoods

A true artist, one of Ben’s goals is to teach, and spread his specialized knowledge and discoveries.

As a member of the Brooklyn artist community center 3rd Ward (which it so cool that it gives all of its members free bicycles — yes, free bikes), Simon has access to a full woodworking studio.

He’s working on an instrument building program for disadvantaged youth featuring small classes there.

(This should be very popular with kids, who will see tangible, usable results from their hard work.)

To own your own one-of-a-kind musical art piece, you can consult with Ben (bensimonmusic@gmail.com) and discuss types of wood, shapes, hardware and more.

Prices start as low as $500.

Check out more photos below after the jump, or on his Flickr stream.

The adventure’s just begun.

Busking with the Guitar2D2 - an instrument with a built-in drum machine, keyboard, effects and amps.

Guitar made from wood streaked by the ambrosia beetle as it burrows through maple trees, with a a semi-hollow body and little handpainted figures of people inlaid into the front. The word 'people' cut into the front acts like the 'f holes' on a violin.

Simon's first guitar, with 18 types of wood, has accompanied him to Europe twice.

Made for -- well -- Dave Simon.

Thunderstorm has a speaker built-in and a sound circuit that makes a thunder clap sound.

[via Thrillist]

But for those addicted to appreciative of cocktails: the Cube Jigger.

Inspired by traditional Japanese sake cups, from which the drink is sipped at the corners, Philadelphia designer Josh Owen came up with this elegant bar tool in 2007.

Made from aluminum, the jigger provides an elegant way to mete out the six most common drink measurements, compactly arranged in a single 3″ x 3″ x 3″ cube.

Owen is an educator as well as designer, teaching at both UPenn and Philadelphia University. His design philosophy describes him as “simple, practical and quietly innovative” and states that he “defines function in humanistic terms.”

His other products range from clocks to socks to furniture and more, and have earned placement in museums and garnered many awards. (Love the Stoop Bench, created for DesignPhiladelphia 2009.)

Available online for $30 at Kikkerland or in person for $25 at Portfolio, the museum store at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Cube Jigger might just make it into our home bar collection very soon.

[via mealticket -- we knew there was rationale behind our addiction to food blogs]

The beautiful new titling font by British designer Jonathan Barnbrook is named well. Priori Acute establishes it’s own rules of dimensionality.

Developed through experimentation, the font presents optical illusions of depth — using techniques similar to that of Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher — that present impossible perspectives.

Barnbrook also cites the shapes and angles of the Stealth Bomber as inspiration.

Though his graphic design, Barnbrook is active in political & social causes, and has a  stated ambition to use ‘design as a weapon for social change.’

The font is available for $50 from Emigre and comes packaged with a set of ornamental elements that can be tiled into mesmerizing patterns.

View the whole alphabet and some of the patterns after the jump.

[Via Core77]

The clean, elegant wood frame is offset by the fun colors of the nylon that creates checkered patterns for the seat and back.

Over on Apartment Therapy, Kristen points out that Tim’s beautiful, handcrafted work is not cheap ($700-$1,600), but that it looks entirely worth the price.

We caught up with Tim via email and he was kind enough to answer some questions.

Read on for Tim’s thoughts on these re-imagined lawn chairs, the Philly design scene, how we should embrace a push to “buy locally” in artisan crafts  (just like the current ”buy local” trend for food & drink) and his love of the pencil.

PDB: Were the strap chairs & stools developed for a particular client? What was the inspiration behind them? Are they comfortable as well as good-looking?

The classic aluminum webbed lawn chair was not regarded as a piece of high design; however, it is something that many of us have a nostalgic relationship with. That lawn chair has become extinct, and its replacement is the molded plastic lawn chair available for a few dollars at any mega box store. These plastic chairs lack a sense of handwork that the aluminum chair had in it’s woven seat. My Strap Series is a type of a commemoration and reinterpretation of this relic.

The frame is now constructed from wood with visible joinery and a furniture grade finish. The seat, although webbed, has an upholstery foundation, so instead of your weight putting tension on the straps and creating a stiff surface, you are supported, and the woven top becomes a soft seat.

PDB: Is your work showcased anywhere? Where can it be purchased? Is there a good atmosphere in Philadelphia for artisans like yourself?

As of now, my work is available directly through me. My contact info and examples can be found on my website at timlewisstudio.com.

After growing up in nearby Mongomery County, I attended University of the Arts here in Philadelphia, and then worked for four years for one of my teachers, Philadelphia studio furniture maker Jack Larimore. In Philly there is a general respect for well-made things — which is something you won’t find in cities that don’t have such a rich history with furniture and craft as ours.

The working atmosphere for artisans in Philly (and especially in Fishtown) is tight knit. Great sources abound, from upholstery suppliers like Quaker Jobbing and Katz Foam, to pattern makers for casting and machinists — a place around the corner from me restores machine motors. Just as we have that rich history with craft we also have a history with industry.

PDB: How could the market for individual craftspeople in Philadelphia be improved?

To make the local market better for artisans like myself, we need to have more shops and places that focus on local design. There are many artisans here like me, but it’s hard for us to find the right place to sell our work. It’s not always appropriate for a gallery and many of the showrooms here focus on international designers.

We need to make it known that you can “buy locally” in the design world, just like you can at the grocery store. The benefits resonate beyond the initial maker. The local network of suppliers and fabricators also benefits: none of us are outsourcing work to China – that’s not part of the process for us!

If you buy something from a larger design firm with furniture in mass production, that’s not going to be the case. Local commissions are also often competitive on price, since we don’t have the overhead of running an international corporation.

PDB: What’s your favorite tool — your go-to object that you couldn’t create without?

I couldn’t create without a pencil. Maybe it’s is a lame answer [Ed - We don't think so!] but I am a huge advocate of drawing. It’s the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to develop your ideas.

Also, I highly value variety. It’s hard to come up with new ideas when you keep asking the same question. I’m constantly switching up the way I work, from making highly finished furniture to pieces made with sticks and super glue, from large scale to small, and with varying degrees of hand work to machine work. This helps keep me loose, and from becoming too dependent on one skill.

PDB: Any forthcoming concepts or designs you can let us in on?

A chair version of my Plank Stool [inspired by another American relic: grade school furniture] will be done soon.

I’m working on the preliminary sketches for a shelving unit that has a shelf support system similar to some antique wooden clamps I have.

Another interesting design is the Iris Chandelier created with copper toilet floats. [Surprisingly attractive!]

Also I’m about finished with what you could sum up as an architectural proposal for a tree house that should never be built, called New Ground.

PDB: Sounds cool! Thanks for your time & insights.

Instead of neon or plastic, the metal frame of the sign surrounds hand-crafted steel sculpture.

An elegant rendering of the restaurant’s name in bronze- and silver-colored cut metal rests over a blue-burnished background.

At the top, the restaurant’s signature flower (Italian for sunflower = girasole) shines down like the sun.

The overlapping petals — appearing somehow delicate, yet strong — allow glimpses of the real sky to peep through and are different on each side of the sign.

It’s a wonderful example of the work coming out of Chora Leone Art & Design in Atlantic County, NJ.

Jose Chora and Judy Leone have been creating together for over 15 years, and last year opened a gallery in Somers Point, NJ.

I caught up with Judy via telephone and she was kind enough to send over some additional photos of their works.  He works with the metals and she does the mosaics.

Peep some of their other artworks below.

Not any more. Moving Color offers up several lines of temperature-sensitive glass tiles.

Using anywhere between 20 – 80% recycled materials, this patent-pending product is offered in a multitude of styles and base colors.

Each tile changes color with the temperature, either ambient or via the touch of a human or of water.

The tiles can be carefully customized, with colors or patterns, so design opportunities abound.  Bob Tonjes uses them to create “paintings” that change throughout the day.

From refined to organic to psychedelic, these chromatic slabs can be applied indoors or out.

At $29 per tile, they are not for everywhere, but can be well-placed as accents on fireplaces, outdoor tables, showers and more.

To really get a better idea of the changing beauty of these installations be sure to check out some of the flash animations on the company website.

[Via Gajitz by way of @phi162]

Foodplayerlinda has made a design breakthrough in hors d’oeuvre-ature.

She was inspired to ignore the leaves piling up in her yard.

Instead, she developed a new method for creating and presenting “cheese and crackers.”

Read the story here. Recipe included!

All images © Nick Hardeman

Nick Hardeman is an MFA Design & Technology student at Parsons in New York City.

He has created some surprisingly fantastic bauhaus art from data visualizations of the 1997 music video “Mo Money Mo Problems” from the Notorious B.I.G. album, Life After Death.

From Nick’s blog:

“The algorithm detects edges in the image and attempts to trace motion from frame to frame, using the initial frame as their starting point. … The bright colored track suits worn by Puff Daddy and Mase in the dark backgrounds make for good tracking and nice color combinations.”

Check the Flickr set of several of his renders for more colorful abstract enjoyment.

A recent “quick demo” created for a class is also quite attractive and interesting: he maps the newswire of the New York Times over the course of 24 hours by category.

This Flash/Papervision interactive web app shows what news is posted at each time of the day, giving some insight into the minds of the influential NYT web editors, if not the web news audience in general. Fun to play with.

The school can likely take a bit of the credit. Founded in 1896, Parsons was the first college to offer programs in Fashion Design, Interior Design and Advertising and Graphic Design.

This was thanks to Frank Alvah Parsons, a co-founder who became the school’s president. Anticipating a new wave of the Industrial Revolution, Parsons predicted that art and design would soon be inexorably linked to the engines of industry.

A recent Harvard Business blog post, entitled “MFA is the New MBA,” lends credence to this view, and shows it becoming more & more accepted.

Creativitiy -> Innovation -> Success.

[Via Visual Complexity]