Altura's "sleek yet sturdy design" features two stepped tiers that can be used to hold up everything from books to lamps and an entire person, allowing users to reach high-up places in their home.
The stool comes in a natural oak (top image) and black-stained finish (above)
"A lot of step stools have a similar look as their function often dictates their shape, which can constrict the design," Perez explained. "I wanted to make a step stool that was different from that."
"I enjoy finding products on the market that are not fully developed because it gives me the opportunity to design something different from what already exists," the designer continued.
The stool features two steps
The Altura stool is clad in oak veneer and comes in a natural and black-stained finish.
Both versions also feature a clear polyurethane lacquer on top to protect the wood.
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Danish studio Norm Architects has designed a flagship bookstore for distributor New Mags that features stone plinths and pivoting wooden walls.
Norm Architects looked to classic libraries for inspiration for the project, which was commissioned by a Scandinavian distributor of coffee table books.
Wooden shelves and stone plinths are used to display books in the New Mags store
"As inspiration for the project, we looked thoroughly at spaces that are a book-lover's paradise – the library," Norm Architects co-founder Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen told Dezeen.
"We looked at old libraries with large wooden shelving, long study tables and library lamps in old buildings, where beautiful and large volumes were packed in shelves alongside prominent sculptures and ornamental moldings."
The bookshop is located in central Copenhagen
The local architecture studio wanted to transform the "silo-like" interior of the 100 square-metre space, which is set in a newbuild in inner-city Copenhagen, into a more easily manageable space that would also function as an office for New Mags' marketing department.
"The space was relatively small and with its high ceilings, it had an almost silo-like feeling," Bjerre-Poulsen said.
"The space had an irregularity and was quite narrow and deep but had large windows facing the street."
It features concrete floors and walls
"The only thing we had to work with from the existing architecture, was therefore the light golden sandstone used on the facade of the building and the somewhat irregular and fixed layout of the loadbearing concrete walls," he added.
To connect the interior and exterior of the store, Norm Architects designed a cast-concrete floor in the same colour and on the same level as the pavement outside the shop.
The studio also chose marble paint from St Leo to give the walls of the store a warm and tactile "stony" character that references the sandstone facade.
Oak panels give the space an organic feel
Wooden panels in natural oak were used for both the 2.8-metre-high display walls and to divide the store.
"The wooden panels that fold from one end of the space and continue along all the walls do not only make the vertical division that was needed, but it also divides the store space in the depth of the space," Bjerre-Poulsen said.
Sculptures are showcased throughout the store
In one place the panels pivot, opening up to a room that holds two workplaces as well as the store's stock.
This space can be either opened or closed to the public.
"The idea is to connect the retail element with the core of the company and make room for occasional drop-down workplaces for New Mags’ employees, for meetings or for customers to sit in peace and flip through a book," Bjerre-Poulsen said.
As well as plenty of wood, Norm Architects also used stone – including a large sculpture by Josephine Winding – to give the space an organic feel.
Pivoting panels open up to a hidden room
"First, it was our contemporary take on some of the reference images we looked at in the design phase from old libraries where you could see sculptures on plinths among the study tables and rows of shelves," Bjerre-Poulsen said of the sculptures.
"Secondly, it was a way to create a welcoming gesture to the space, create a bit of division and variance in heights as well as adding a soft and organic contrast to the straight-lined and architectural elements of the wall shelving, the stone plinths and the beam tables."
The studio looked to old libraries when designing the space
Large stone plinths underneath the wooden shelves are used for additional displays.
Norm Architects also added a long oak study table as a place for customers to read and for displaying books, as well as a brushed aluminium table and a lounge setting with a chair.
A long oak table displays books
"We set out to design a contemporary and more minimalist version [of a library], where all the books could be displayed in different ways in a warm, cosy, and interesting atmosphere," Bjerre-Poulsen explained.
"We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong," the ad states.
"We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates currently underrepresented in UCL’s academic, research and teaching workforce."
"These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQ+ people; and women."
Sheil's move planned before discrimination claims emerged
Sheil has been director of the Bartlett, which is part of University College London (UCL), since 2014. His second term in the role comes to an end in 2022, when he will return to his former position as a professor at the school.
Sheil's move predates the recent controversy over alleged discrimination at the school, which is regularly cited as one of the best architecture schools in the world.
"Heads of department at UCL are appointed for three to five-year terms," said a UCL spokesperson. "The current director was first appointed in 2014 and reappointed for a further four years in 2018."
"As their term is coming to an end, the process to replace them from September 2022 has been underway since February this year. The current post holder will then return to their professorial role."
External agency to "conduct an independent investigation"
The initial allegations from 22 former students and staff were first revealed in the Guardian in May this year. Since then a further 50 students have come forward with similar allegations of discrimination.
UCL confirmed that an investigation into the allegations is ongoing and stated that it is set to announce an independent investigation carried out by an external agency.
"Complaints against named individuals who work at UCL, whether current or from the recent past, are and will be investigated thoroughly using our normal processes."
"In addition, we will be making an announcement shortly on the appointment of an external agency to conduct an independent investigation into the culture of the Bartlett School of Architecture."
"Bob Sheil must not be given a new contract"
Bartlett United, a group representing the former students and staff, called on the London architecture school not to give the outgoing director a professorship when his term ends.
"Bob Sheil must not be given a new contract to remain a professor at the Bartlett when he stands down next year," the group told Dezeen.
"Four months after the first of now more than 70 allegations came to light, the Bartlett has yet to appoint an external investigator and has sought to silence complaints when any responsible director or institution would be doing the opposite and appealing for witnesses or victims to come forward," Bartlett United said.
However, an attempt by the group to raise £5,000 via crowdfunding site Crowd Justice closed on 14 October having failed to raise any money.
Emails seen by Dezeen showed that UCL denied a series of requests seeking details of grades and dropout rates sorted by gender as it considered these to be "vexatious" and had "little obvious value".
The university said the requests placed "a significant burden on UCL" and caused "undue distress to staff".
French studio Malka Architecture has revealed plans to renovate the interior of the French embassy in Vienna and top it with a collection of nature-informed art nouveau-style "light cannons".
The embassy occupies two art nouveau-structures from the early 20th century in Vienna's city centre. Malka Architecture plans to renovate the interior of both government buildings and add a vertical extension to one of them.
Studio Malka Architecture will renovate the interior of the embassy building
The extension will consist of a cluster of alcoves, which will be added to the smaller of the two buildings that make up the embassy.
The studio calls these "circular light cannons," as they will bring light into the interior, and says they are an ancient invention.
"Created in ancient Egypt, this system enables to collect, amplify, and diffuse natural light in the whole building, while creating natural ventilation," it stated.
The design of the extensions takes its cues from 20th-century art nouveau architecture, as well as historical references from surrounding buildings.
The design of the roof extension is informed by nearby buildings and art nouveau styles
"The architectural heightening of one of the buildings was logically thought in the spirit of art nouveau, materializing the union between France and Austria, both very active in this movement," said the studio.
"In this 21st-century art nouveau project, rhythms and curved shapes inspired by nature are no longer used as an ornamentation but in the daily use of its architecture."
Each of the extensions has an organic, petal-shaped form that curves and arches to create an alcove-like volume.
Two rows will cover the roof of the building and face outward to the street. The first row will line the edge of the roof, above the structure's three elevations, and the second will be placed directly behind.
The alcoves will sit in two rows
The volumes will be prefabricated offsite, in an effort to reduce construction time, and wrapped in a pale green colour to reference the patinated copper roofs and roof detailing of nearby buildings.
The interior of the alcoves will mimic the stone exterior of the existing building and have a stacked brick-like pattern.
Projects by Mold Architects, Kingston Lafferty Design and 10 other studios have been chosen by Dezeen readers as winners of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the interiors categories.
A total of 53,400 votes were cast and verified across all categories. The results of the public votes for the Dezeen Awards 2021 architecture categories are listed below.
Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote winners in the architecture categories were announced yesterday. The design winners will be announced on Wednesday, the sustainability and media winners on Thursday, and finally the studio winners on Friday.
Dezeen Awards winners announced in November
The public vote is separate from the main Dezeen Awards 2021 judging process, in which entries are assessed by our star-studded panel of judges. We'll be announcing the Dezeen Awards 2021 winners online in late November.
To receive regular updates about Dezeen Awards, including details of how to enter next year, subscribe to our newsletter.
Below are the public vote results for the interiors categories:
NCaved by Mold Architects is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the house interior category
House interior
NCaved by Mold Architects has been voted house interior of the year by our readers. The cave-like interior that hides within the rocky hillside of Serifos, Greece, has secured 43 per cent of votes within the category.
Next in line is The Island by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard Architecture, with 25 per cent. Canyon House by Studio Hagen Hall, and SRG House by Fox Johnston both received 13 per cent, and Softie by OPA is in final place with six per cent.
Still Life House by Untitled (Design Agency) is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the apartment interior category
Apartment interior
The pairing of traditional materials and clean lines in this beachside apartment in Vancouver caught the attention of our readers, winning apartment interior of the year with 30 per cent of the vote. Still Life House by Untitled (design agency) incorporates limestone and fir woods into a minimal renovation design, welcoming the ageing of the materials over time.
Virgin Izakaya Bar by Yodezeen is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the restaurant and bar interior category
Restaurant and bar interior
A contemporary bar in a former arsenal has received 37 per cent of the public's votes in the restaurant and bar interior category. Yodezeen's Virgin Izakaya Bar is a warm-hued renovation of an existing 18th-century brick building, using materials such as wood, natural leather and copper.
Cloud of Hometown Resort Hotel by Line + is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the hotel and short-stay interior category
Hotel and short-stay interior
The Cloud of Hometown Resort Hotel by Line + has won 34 per cent of votes in the hotel and short-stay interior category. The interior design draws inspiration from the building's rural context, and responds to local history through the reuse of rubble stone, framing surrounding views, and celebrating existing elements of the building.
The runners up are Valo Hotel & Work by SSA Hotels/Valo Hotel and Work with 27 per cent, The Hotel Britomart by Cheshire Architects with 16 per cent, Hishiya by Fumihiko Sano Studio with 15 per cent, and the Toggle Hotel by Klein Dytham Architecture with nine per cent.
HKPI Headquarters by Design Systems is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the large workspace interior category
Large workspace interior
HKPI Headquarters by Hong Kong-based studio Design Systems aims to promote wellbeing through providing a working environment that largely consists of open outdoor space. The 1,500-square-metre workspace received 56 per cent of votes.
Siersema by Beyond Space is the winner in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the small workspace interior category
Small workspace interior
The Siersema office in Amsterdam by Beyond Space, which features one kilometre of laser-cut fabric suspended from the ceiling, won the small workspace interior public vote with 36 per cent of votes.
Close behind is Sher Maker Studio by Sher Maker with 34 per cent, followed by Thomas Randall-Page's Art Barn with 18 per cent, and Maruhiro Office by DDAA and DJA Studio by D'Arcy Jones Architects which both received six per cent of votes.
Sculptform Showroom by Woods Bagot is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the large retail interior category
Large retail interior
The clever manipulation of timber in Woods Bagot's showroom for Sculptform won 51 per cent of the votes to win the large retail interior category.
Fitzgerald Private Clinic by Kingston Lafferty Design is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the leisure and wellness interior category
Leisure and wellness interior
Fitzgerald Private Clinic by Kingston Lafferty Design has been crowned leisure and wellness interior of the year in the public vote, receiving 32 per cent of votes.
The design aims to simplify the increasingly complicated notion of self-care, taking reference from the elements, and combining materials of differing textures for an immersive tactile experience.
The Floating Church by Denizen Works is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the civic and cultural interior category
Civic and cultural interior
Genesis is a narrowboat with a pop-up roof inspired by organ bellows that is temporarily moored on the River Lea. The interior space serves primarily as a church, but is also used for a wide variety of community activities.
This fun and innovative project by Denizen Works received 41 per cent of our reader's votes in the civic and cultural interior category.
Maidla Nature Villa B210 is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the small interior category
Small interior
Situated on the edge of a bog, Maidla Nature Villa is inspired by a treehouse. Large angled windows allow expansive views of birch trees to be seen from within the secluded retreat.
This project by B210 is the winner of small interior of the year in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote, securing 35 per cent of votes.
Runners up include Ginlee Studio store by Wynk Collaborative with 25 per cent, The Arena-Papi by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office and SMS ADU by Bunch Design both with 15 per cent, and Canyon House by Studio Hagen Hall with 11 per cent.
Furniture Pavilion S by Rooi Design and Research is the winner of the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote in the sustainable interior category
Sustainable interior
Furniture Pavilion S was a trade show pavilion before being recycled into tables and chairs for the local community. The project by Rooi Design and Research secured 40 per cent of the public's votes.
