The unit forms part of Bene's PORTS line, which also contains a storage table and lounge chair designed for contemporary workplaces.
PORTS Storage by Pearson Lloyd is intended to be multifunctional
"The market for executive offices and furniture has not changed for over a century," said Pearson Lloyd co-founder Tom Lloyd.
"It is still defined in terms of hierarchy and old concepts of status, without considering the users' needs. PORTS offers a new way to define what a private workspace looks like and how it functions."
In response to this changing office landscape, PORTS Storage is designed to double up as a room divider or a cloakroom with shelves and can even house a mini-fridge, pinboards and whiteboards within its frame.
In addition to shelving, it acts as a frame for dividers or pinboards
"The private office is slowly disappearing," added co-founder Luke Pearson.
"And managers are becoming more open, collaborative, democratic – and younger. So they need as much time and space as possible to plan how they will fulfil their responsibilities and to think creatively."
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Hungarian architect Tamás Bene has designed a houseboat, which was informed by local fishing boats, as a holiday home on Lake Tisza for a young couple from Budapest.
Called Sneci, the floating summer home was designed specifically for its home on Lake Tisza – a 7,000-hectare artificial reservoir and nature reserve that is home to a menagerie of wildlife including more than 100 different bird species.
Drawing on the vernacular of local fishing boats, the vessel's entire structure and cladding is made of aluminium, save for the roof, decking and rear wall, which are finished in heat-treated thermowood.
Above: Sneci's exterior wall is clad in thermowood. Top image: The houseboat features a double bed and kitchen
"Fishing boats have no particular designer – each owner develops their boat according to their own ideas and needs," Bene told Dezeen.
"Even though there is no underlying artistic concept, these objects have a rather scenic, bucolic character. I tried to relate to this by articulating only small, understated gestures in the boat's styling," he continued.
"In feedback from local fishermen and -women, there is no reflection about the object's design, they only express that it has a 'good ambience'. This is a good sign, I think, showing that we managed to create an unimposing object that fits in with the natural environment and is in harmony with its surroundings."
Two solar panels on the roof supply all the necessary electricity
In order to allow as much nature to spill into the interior as possible, a large panoramic window graces the bow of the vessel while sliding doors create a seamless transition onto the rear deck.
The interior, which is panneled almost entirely in a mixture of redwood and thermowood, has a small kitchen and dining setup with two benches and a table.
At night, the tabletop can be lowered to the height of the benches and unfolded to create a double bed, with the cushions doubling up as a mattress.
Sliding doors lead out onto the rear deck
Bene's hope was create a humble, purposeful space that doesn't distract from what lies outside of the porthole windows.
"Each and every object on the boat has its own dedicated place, minimising the chance of clutter and crowdedness," he said.
Two solar panels on the roof power the boat's electrical equipment, including the front and rear headlights, interior lighting and a small fridge, with enough energy spare to be stored in a 180 amp hour battery.
"Drinking water comes from a 20-litre bottle and can be delivered to the tap with a foot-operated pump, so no electricity is required," added Bene.
The interior is clad in redwood while the boat's shell is made from aluminium
The boat itself is propelled forward by a relatively small, 9.9 horsepower internal combustion engine, which allows the owners to navigate Lake Tisza's shallow, winding channels.
As part of our review of 2020 we recall 10 of the most inventive and unusual fashion and costume designs from the past year, including fleshy bodysuits and a pair of inflatable latex trousers.
Overlapping layers of skin-like rolls that have been hand-stitched from jersey and cotton and filled with wadding, beanbag beans and sand make up these playful bodysuits by textile artist Daisy May Collingridge.
The squishy flesh suits were designed as a celebration of the human body in all its forms, and aim to deny the idea that there is an "ideal body" type.
Spanish artist SiiGii used latex to create this wearable, inflatable lilo that enables people with sun allergy to float on the surface of the water in the summer without having a reaction.
The all-in-one, blow-up bathing suit called Floating Above Limits wraps around the wearer's head like a swimming cap, and features two inflatable areas behind the head and around the body in the shape of a pool float.
Another designer who chose to work in latex was Harikrishnan, who used the material to create billowing, blow-up trousers that he paired with cropped, tailored jackets.
The trousers fit snugly at the waist before ballooning out to double the width of the wearer around the thighs, tapering in again towards the ankles. Air is pumped into the trousers via a seven-millimetre-wide valve at the bottom.
South Korean fashion designer Sun Woo Chang created 13 different garments made from material stretched across poles bent into a circle, similar to the design of a pop-up tent.
Each piece can be collapsed into a flat form when not in use. The collection, called In Between, explores the idea of clothes as "portable homes" that can offer the wearer a refuge from reality.
Japanese designer Rie Sakamoto knitted rubber bands together like yarn for her elastic garment collection, which aims to bring attention to a simple, everyday object that is often overlooked.
According to the designer, the rubber bands' stretchy quality lends itself to clothing, as it enables the material to morph to different body-shapes and sizes.
Israeli designer Netha Goldberg created a collection of knitted shoes that have tampons, matches and charging ports attached via integrated openings their surfaces.
The shoes are designed to encourage positive social interaction by the wearer being able to offer items that are regularly lent to and shared with other people, such as when a smoker asks someone for a lighter.
This glass-like dress by Central Saint Martins graduate Scarlett Yang was grown in a lab using algae extract and silk cocoon protein.
Due to its biomaterial composition, the dress changes shape in response to different humidity and temperature levels and would decompose in water within 24 hours.
Fellow Central Saint Martins graduate Dahee Kim designed a collection of uniform-style garments with bulbous beanbags attached to them, enabling them to double as impromptu chairs.
Kim took design cues for the clothing from school uniforms. She wanted her playful work to act as a rejection of the strict rules and standards that "well-behaved" students have to abide by, particularly in South Korea where she grew up.
London-based designer Richard Quinn reinterpreted Moncler's down jacket in a retro-futuristic, 1960s-inspired style for the brand's extensive 2020 Genius collection at Milan Fashion Week.
One of his looks saw an all-in-one bodysuit worn under a short dress with a floor-length puffer coat worn over the top. Each garment was emblazoned with bold daisies, psychedelic patterns and bejewelled details, accessorised with a pair of oversized sunglasses.
Swedish artist and designer Beate Karlsson used silicone to make shoes in the form of giant human hands, positioned in the gesture of a claw, and padded shorts that imitate reality star Kim Kardashian's bum.
The designer describes her work as "fictional fashion", with her aim being to create pieces that "belong in a future imaginary world where there are less norm-driven preconceptions".
Furniture including seating, tables and lighting have been added to Dezeen Showroom, which is an affordable space for brands to launch products and showcase their designers and projects.
The chair comprises a rounded seat and backrest made from wood that can be upholstered in varying fabrics and leathers, while the slim metal framework is available in white, grey or black.
Office furniture brand Bene showcased PORTS Table designed by London design studio Pearson Lloyd.
The table features an electronic height-adjustment mechanism that allows the table to be used as a desk or workstation, as well as an ad-hoc meeting table.
Japanese brand Time & Style created a handmade washi paper lamp called Bombori for furniture makers Boffi De Padova.
The lamp, which is available as a floor lamp or pendant light, is made from translucent Mino washi paper that is stretched over its frame of Akita cedar wood.
The modular sofa can be arranged in varying formations, including an L-shaped system or with additional corner elements that can expand the sofa further.
Boffi De Padova and Time & Style worked together to create Sunset, a wood-framed and leather chair.
The seat and backrest are made from leather that has been wrapped around the solid-oak frame, which is available in a charcoal-stained version or snow-white oak version.
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Hospital patients could be treated in prefabricated drive-through clinics without leaving their cars, according to a concept by architect NBBJ.
The clinics could also be used to administer coronavirus vaccinations, according to the architects.
The prefabricated units "could be especially effective for accelerated vaccine roll-out, as it enables simultaneous distribution to every passenger in the car," said NBBJ partner Ryan Hullinger.
NBBJ has designed a concept for drive-through clinics at hospitals
The proposal, drawn up in response to the coronavirus pandemic, would see patients drive into special bays outside hospitals or in hospital parking garages.
There, they would interface with healthcare staff through an open car window or door.
"Covid has pushed us to think about breaking out of the boundaries of a traditional healthcare space and actually providing primary care in a totally unorthodox space like a car," said Hullinger.
The concept would allow people to receive treatment without leaving their cars
The In Car Care concept involves placing rows of drive-in service bays between columns in existing parking facilities.
Patients with non-urgent conditions could be treated by medical staff in the bays without leaving their vehicles.
Patients would be treated in bays similar to pits used in motor racing
NBBJ developed the concept earlier this year after noticing that the Covid-19 pandemic was changing the way patients visited hospitals, often waiting outside in their cars rather than entering the building and using waiting rooms.
"It was driven by demand for convenience and demand for safety," said Hullinger, who is based at international architecture firm NBBJ's office in Columbus, Ohio.
"Both of these things have been around for a long time. Healthcare has been happening in the space of a car for quite a while now in pharmacy drive-throughs but [the need for] safety has acutely curved up in the last nine months."
"There's a sweet spot here," he added. "In-car care needs to be explored."
The prefabricated units could be erected between columns in existing parking garages
Unlike a traditional drive-through facility such as a restaurant or pharmacy, where cars queue up and orders are taken through a window, the In Car Care concept would be akin to a motor-racing pitstop, with services brought to the car once it is stationary.
"The beauty of the service bay [approach] is that it's nonlinear," said Hullinger. "So instead of the drive-through, where you have serial processing, you get parallel processing."
"And you get better human interface because you're not reaching through an architectural window to interact with the patient. You're standing right next to the patient through a roll-down window or an open door."
Each bay measures 600 square feet (56 square metres)
The prefabricated bays would feature sliding screens for privacy and large monitors on wheels so that patients can see test results and health data.
Set at an angle to the service road to allow easier access, the diamond-shaped bays fit within the 60-foot (18-metre) grid of a standard parking lot. Each is 600 square feet (56 square metres) in volume.
However, the bays would be designed to reassure patients that they are entering a safe and friendly environment.
"The look and feel of that space is also extremely important to us," Hullinger explained. "We want to make sure that people who are pulling into this space don't have any confusion with pulling into anything that feels automotive or unclean."
The clinics would be prefabricated off site and delivered on trucks
The units would have psychological benefits too since people feel safe in their cars, whereas entering a hospital can make people feel anxious.
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a huge increase in the use of telehealth services, potentially leading to a long-term decline in visits to hospitals.
This in turn could free up space in hospital parking garages, making NBBJ's drive-in bays a viable alternative for people who don't have access to telehealth services or who prefer a physical meeting with caregivers.
Drive-in healthcare facilities could be set up anywhere they are needed, Hullinger said.
"We're beginning to think about this idea of potentially putting them in underutilised malls in cities where you have arterial freeway access," he said.
Broadcast live last week, Dezeen's Wellbeing and Healthcare talk also featured interior designer Tony Chi and Kohler's vice president of industrial design Lun Cheak Tan.
Another proposal for rapid coronavirus vaccinations was unveiled by UK architect Waugh Thistleton earlier this year.
