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Friday 3 December 2021

Muji's Christmas gift guide features Japanese skincare products and festive candles

Dezeen promotion: Dezeen has teamed up with Japanese brand Muji to put together a Christmas gift guide, featuring festive candles, skincare sourced from Japanese mountains and winter accessories.

The guide also includes a range of stocking fillers including stationery, wooden toys, and 3D press-out puzzles that are designed "to keep the whole family entertained".

A photograph of a white diffuser by Muji with a glowing light inside it

Aroma Diffuser

The Aroma Diffuser is one of Muji's bestselling products. It produces fragrant mist using ultrasonic waves that vaporise water and essential oil.

Muji has also launched a limited-edition festive essential oil set, designed to give users the "joy of aromatherapy at home".

Muji diffusers are designed to be easy to use. The diffuser has two light settings that users can choose from. It also comes in different sizes, including a portable version.

Shop now from Muji ›

Tin Candles

One of the brand's most popular stocking fillers, Muji candles come in metal tins and in a range of festive scents including Gold and Myrrh, Mistletoe, and a "Christmas" scent.

Gold and Myrrh is intended to "create a Christmas ambiance throughout the room with a deep, wonderful aroma".

Mistletoe has a fruity fragrance combining winter berries with soft spices, jasmine and vanilla caramel.

Muji's Christmas candle has notes of orange, vanilla, cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom and is intended to create an inviting, seasonal fragrance in the home.

All candles are available in standard and large sizes.

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Tableware

Muji has developed a range of contemporary tableware that can be mixed and matched to create elegant table settings for the festive season.

The range features Acacia plates and bowls, and soft table linen.

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Skincare

The brand's skincare range is sourced from the Japanese mountains and includes light toning water and cleanser. The products are infused with soft water and intend to leave the user's skin feeling polished and hydrated.

Muji's skincare comes in three ranges: Clear Care, Sensitive and Ageing Care.

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A photograph of Muji's toys

Toys

Muji has created a selection of toys designed to "keep the whole family entertained" including bowling pins, wool felt animals, wooden toys, and 3D press-out puzzles.

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A photograph of a snowman Christmas card by Muji

Christmas cards

Muji's pop-up paper Christmas cards reveal festive Christmas scenes.

The cards come in three designs: a Santa and reindeer in red, a snowman in white and blue and a festive town in green. The cards include a blank envelope and are the same size as a postcard at 105 by 148 millimeters.

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Washi Tape

Muji's range of decorative tapes are made from rice paper and can be used for wrapping presents or crafting.

Available in red and navy, the tapes come in a range of patterned designs.

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Acrylic Storage

Muji offers clear and stackable boxes for organising objects including beauty and makeup products.

The boxes are available in a range of sizes, with the option of narrow or wide drawers.

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Pens

An excellent stocking filler, Muji's gel ink ballpoint pens can be used for studying, working from home, jotting down notes, and bullet journaling.

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Slipper socks

Muji has a wide selection of socks and slippers, which come in a range of neutral tones and patterns. The brand's cotton socks are designed to grip at the ankle and support the arches of feet "resulting in all-day comfort for those who walk a lot".

Muji's slippers are also made to be extra comfortable and have insoles, which allows body pressure to be dispersed evenly.

Shop now from Muji ›

Flannel Pyjamas

Muji's flannel pyjamas are designed to be "warm and cozy". They have no side seams for better sleep and extra comfort.

The pyjamas come in kids and adult versions so "the whole family can match this Christmas".

Shop now from Muji ›

Winter accessories

Muji also has a range of gloves, scarfs, and ear muffs to choose from, including touchscreen gloves and ribbed beanies.

Shop now from Muji ›

Partnership content

This gift guide was written by Dezeen for Muji as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architecture and design tutors join UK university walkouts over pay and pensions

Architecture and design tutors and academics are participating in strikes across the UK this week over pension cuts, falling pay and poor working conditions at their universities.

The three-day strike, which began on Wednesday, is being led by University and College Union (UCU), which represents staff at institutions across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Among those to strike is Bartlett and Central Saint Martins teacher Tom Dychhoff, who described his decision to walk out as "simple".

"If you were asked to accept worse working conditions, wouldn't you resist?" he asked on Instagram.

Walkouts result of UCU ballots

The walkouts follow two separate ballots, one on pensions and one on pay and working conditions, held by the UCU last month in which members at 58 institutions backed strike action.

UCU is demanding a £2,500 pay increase for its members, alongside an end to pension cuts, "pay injustice", zero-hours contracts and unmanageable workloads.

Among the 58 universities with architecture or design departments striking are University College London, the University of Sheffield, The University of Nottingham and Loughborough University, alongside the University of Edinburgh, Glasgow School of Art, The University of Manchester and the University of Brighton.

Dychhoff told Dezeen that the working conditions of those in higher education have been worsening "slowly but persistently" for the past decade.

"Sometimes change creeps slowly but persistently, until the next thing you know, everything has altered all around you," he said.

"Pay has been cut by almost 20 per cent in real terms since 2009. Short-term employment contracts are becoming the norm, offering no security," he continued.

"The pay gap between white staff and BIPOC staff is 17 per cent, between able staff and those with disabilities nine per cent and the gender pay gap is more than 15 per cent. This has to stop."

The strikes over pensions respond to a recent valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) – the pension fund used by university staff – which the UCU said was "flawed" and would lower members' guaranteed retirement income by 35 per cent.

According to the UCU, 76 per cent of members backed strike action in the pension ballot, while the ballot on the pay and working conditions saw 70 per cent of members back strike action.

The overall turnout for the pay and working conditions ballot was "the highest ever in a nationwide dispute over the issues".

Issues "not isolated to higher education"

For Dychhoff, the hope is that the strikes may also inspire improvements in the working conditions for those in the design and architecture sector too.

"These issues are not isolated to higher education; low pay, overwork, short-term contracts, pay gaps are rife within the design and architecture sector too, habits learnt in part when studying in higher education," he said.

"Change the culture in one and perhaps you'll do the same in the other."

Other academic staff that have joined this week's walkouts include Toby Blackman, the BA Architecture programme director at Newcastle University, who said "pay and pensions are two of four issues the UCU strike challenges".

"Pay (17.6 per cent fall against inflation since 2009, £8.71 lowest rate); casualisation (precarity & zero hour contracts); workload (4/5 struggling); inequality (15.1 per cent gender, 17 per cent black/white, 9 per cent disability pay gaps)," he wrote on Twitter.

"Academics are already leaving in droves"

Alice Moncaster, an Open University academic specialising in sustainable buildings and construction, declared that "the strike is about the future of Higher Education in the UK, about our children's education, and ultimately the future of our country".

"Academics are already leaving in droves for other countries, or for jobs in industry, where they have better pay and treatment," she said.

Tom Wilkinson, an art historian at Birkbeck, University of London, has also joined the strikes.

"I'm on strike for the next 3 days because if UK academia makes me any more bitter I'll turn into a lime with googly eyes stuck on it," he jested.

The main photo is of UCU strikes at UCL in 2020, courtesy of Tom Dychhoff.

The post Architecture and design tutors join UK university walkouts over pay and pensions appeared first on Dezeen.

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Ikon tiles by Ceramiche Keope

Exterior image of a home clad in Ikon tiles

Dezeen Showroom: wall and floor tile brand Ceramiche Keope has designed a collection of tiles that have a concrete effect and draw inspiration from urban contexts.

Titled Ikon, the porcelain stoneware tiles are designed for use across floors and walls in homes and commercial spaces.

Image of Ikon tiles used in a kitchen — The tiles were designed to have a concrete effect

The tiles have a concrete effect that Ceramiche Keope said draws inspiration from urban contexts.

"Drawing inspiration from urban style, this line reinterprets the raw reference material as porcelain stoneware, the versatile material with an excellent technical and aesthetic performance," said Ceramiche Keope.

The Ikon tiles used in a living space — The tiles can be used across floors and walls

The Ikon collection is available in a number of sizes, thicknesses and colours including grey, beige, silver and white to cater to and suit the needs of a range of architecture and interior projects.

Trim pieces are also available as part of the collection that allows designers to incorporate smaller tiled details within projects.

Product: Ikon
Brand: Ceramiche Keope
Contact: info@keope.com

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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ODDO Architects builds TH House on tiny infill plot in Hanoi

Vietnamese studio ODDO Architects has found enough room for a five-storey family home on a backland plot measuring just four metres wide and six metres deep.

ODDO Architects, which was named emerging architecture studio of the year at Dezeen Awards 2021, designed TH House for a small Hanoi site that is hemmed in on all sides.

Glazed facade and balcony of TH House by ODDO Architects — TH House is a five-storey family house in Hanoi

Other buildings flank the sides and rear of the plot, while a narrow 1.2-metre-wide alley is all that separates it from the buildings opposite.

Despite the cramped urban conditions, TH House is designed to feel light, airy and connected to nature.

Aerial drone view of neighbourhood in Hanoi — The house is located in a dense neighbourhood

Planting areas are a key element of the architecture, while perforated walls and lightwells help to create a feeling of openness throughout the interior.

"The concept of this narrow five-storey house is to maximise access to daylight and natural ventilation, planting greenery and spatial interconnection, so that members of the family can communicate visually between floors," said ODDO Architects.

Ground floor kitchen and dining room in TH House by ODDO Architects — The ground floor can be opened up to the narrow street in front

The house has a glazed outer facade that sits slightly forward of the interior spaces, which helps to create a little more distance and privacy from the neighbours.

The 124-square-metre internal layout is kept simple, with one main room per floor and no corridors. Instead, the staircase is the main route between spaces.

The house widens from the second floor upwards, where it rises up above some of the surrounding buildings to find more space and daylight.

Staircase in TH House by ODDO Architects — The staircase creates a buffer between living spaces and the building's walls

Designed as a social entrance space, the ground floor is the family's kitchen and dining room. It can be opened or closed to the street with the use of sliding shutters.

Bedrooms are located on the first and third floors, where it was easier to create seclusion. Both have their own en-suite bathrooms.

Living room and tree in TH House by ODDO Architects — The second-floor living room is one of several spaces to feature an indoor tree

A break in the staircase makes it possible for a living room to take up the entire second floor, which benefits from natural light thanks to a lightwell at the front of the space.

The uppermost floor contains an altar room, where the family can pay tribute to their ancestors, along with a small utility room and a balcony for surveying the surroundings.

Children's bedroom in TH House by ODDO Architects — Sliding shutters allow the children's bedroom to be either opened or closed

"Traditional family ties are extremely important in Hanoi, and in Vietnam in general, and this aspect is reflected in the design of the house," said the architects.

"Open living spaces and a glass facade – with the possibility of shielding in order to create privacy – simplify socialisation among the family members as well as with the neighbours."

Altar room in TH House by ODDO Architects — White-painted bricks offer a change in mood for the altar room

Plants are located around TH House's perimeter, to create the impression of being surrounded by nature.

There are trees on almost every floor, slotted in the stairwell and lightwells so they have room to grow up. Other planting areas include the exterior of the first-floor en-suite, and the gap between the ground-floor WC and the staircase above.

Trees in TH House by ODDO Architects — Gaps in the floorplates create enough space for tree branches

"Greenery within the interiors and outdoor overhanging gardens improve the quality of life in the buildings," said ODDO Architects.

"The arrangement and type of plants are chosen according to lighting conditions and spatial possibilities. Large planting pots are connected to automatic irrigation, which helps for the maintenance."

ODDO Architects has offices Hanoi and in the Czech Republic city of Havirov. It is led by three partners: Nguyễn Đức Trung, Mai Lan Chi Obtulovičová and Marek Obtulovič.

Dezeen Awards 2021 judges named the practice emerging architecture studio of the year after being impressed by the way its projects forge connections between people and nature.

"The selection of materials and spaces they make in this early work shows a promise of values that speak to the current challenges faced by society, including how to stretch modest budgets yet achieve excellence in design," said the master jury.

Facade of TH House by ODDO Architects — A top-floor balcony allows residents to survey their surroundings

The studio is developing a specialism for building human-focused buildings in Hanoi's dense cityscape. Other projects include CH House, a five-storey family residence on a narrow infill plot elsewhere in the city.

"Our intention is the connection between man and a piece of nature within a compact living in a densely built-up area," added the architects.

The photography is by Hoang Le and ODDO Architects.

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Dezeen's top 10 architectural photography projects of 2021

Next in our review of 2021 is a roundup of 10 architectural photography projects featured on Dezeen this year, from those capturing the brutalist buildings of Madrid to snaps of American cell phone towers disguised as palm trees.

Castelgrande series, Switzerland, by Simone Bossi

Architectural photographer Simone Bossi captured the raw forms of Castelgrande, a medieval castle in Switzerland perched on a rocky peak that features a bunker-like gateway.

Designed by architect Aurelio Galfetti, Castelgrande's brutalist entrance is framed by linear concrete slabs that contrast with the natural hillside it is embedded within.

Find out more about the Castelgrande photography series ›

Madrid's brutalist architecture, Spain, by Roberto Conte

Renowned apartment building Torres Blancas and a Le Corbusier-informed church feature in this photography series of brutalist architecture in Madrid by Roberto Conte.

"I focussed on brutalism both because it's a 'concrete line' that has driven my personal research for many years and because it's a term that is not usually associated with Madrid," Conte said.

Find out more about the Madrid brutalist architecture photography series ›

Structure Photography by Nikola Olic

Structure Photography by Nikola Olic is a collection of 88 images taken in various cities across America, Europe and Asia.

From New York's Chrysler Building to towering apartment blocks in Hong Kong, Dallas-based photographer Olic creates architectural vignettes that layer the built environment against nature in unique compositions.

Find out more about Structure Photography ›

Streets of Santiago, Chile, by Cristobal Palma

Architectural photographer Cristobal Palma captured somber scenes of boarded-up streets in wealthy parts of Santiago during a period of protest in Chile that began in 2019 and raised issues such as the national cost of living.

Palma's photography series documents buildings with their entrances clad in metal hoardings. Devoid of people and showing the structures untouched, the images were shot to offer an alternative view of events often portrayed as violent clashes in the global media.

Find out more about the Streets of Santiago photography series ›

Fauxliage, USA, by Annette LeMay Burke

Church crosses in Arizona and fake palm trees in Palm Springs feature in Fauxliage, a book by photographer Annette LeMay Burke that presents the ways in which cell phone towers have been playfully camouflaged across America.

Designed to store antennas and electronic equipment for mobile phones, many of the artificial towers attempt to mimic natural landmarks with painstaking detail, such as a group of three saguaro cacti in Phoenix that look real from a distance.

Find out more about Fauxliage ›

I Never Met a Straight Line I Didn't Like, New Zealand, by Mary Gaudin and Matthew Arnold

Another photography book featured on Dezeen this year was I Never Met a Straight Line I Didn't Like by Mary Gaudin and Matthew Arnold.

The book presents 12 examples of modernist houses built in the Christchurch Style, an architectural trend that originated in the 1960s in New Zealand, by capturing their gabled roofs and slanting shadows.

Find out more about I Never Met a Straight Line I Didn't Like ›

Flughafen Tegel, Germany, by Robert Rieger and Felix Brüggemann

Flughafen Tegel is a photography series by Robert Rieger and Felix Brüggenmann that celebrates the remaining brutalist architecture of former Berlin airport Tegel.

Also presented as a book, the selection of images pairs photographs taken during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020 alongside images from when the airport originally opened in the 1970s and includes shots of Tegel's distinctive hexagonal terminal.

Find out more about Flughafen Tegel ›

Daylight Robbery, UK, by Andy Billman

Photographer Andy Billman scoured the residential streets of London to capture Daylight Robbery, a series of images that depict the many bricked-up windows found on houses across the city.

Created to emphasise the importance of air and natural light in architecture and wellbeing, the photography project also highlights the legacy of the Window Tax – a levy introduced in 1969 that charged homeowners based on the number of windows on their property.

Find out more about Daylight Robbery ›

Soviet architecture, central Asia, by Roberto Conte and Stefano Perego

Ornate mosaics and bulbous colourful shapes permeate this photography series, another taken by Roberto Conte alongside fellow Italian photographer Stefano Perego.

The images reveal the rich selection of buildings that sprung up across countries in central Asia which were under Soviet rule between the 1950s and 1990s, intending to highlight the architectural results of this intriguing clash of cultures.

Find out more about the Soviet architecture photography series ›

The Mother Road, USA, by Hayley Eichenbaum

Informed by over eight road trips across the US, Hayley Eichenbaum continues to capture the roadside architecture of famous highway Route 66 in her ongoing series The Mother Road.

The neon lights and retro signage in Eichenbaum's colour-saturated shots echo the romanticism of film stills, with late American director Stanley Kubrick cited by the photographer as a key reference.

Find out more about The Mother Road ›

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