The Toyota Prius Projects: Concept Bike Week 10

Ten weeks ago, I first introduced you to the Toyota Prius Projects concept bike. We first took a look at the design sketches and began to establish an intent, or direction for the project. Then we looked at the company who would be designing and fabricating the bike, Parlee Cycles. Later, DeepLocal's involvement was revealed, alluding to some form of new technology being implemented into the bicycle's design. Finally, last week we took a look at the neuron helmet and discussed how DeepLocal plans to use this readily-accessible technology to actually shift the bike. So here we are, the final week of the Toyota Prius Projects concept bike.

There's a lot to look at so check out more below!

While the earlier prototype was a matte carbon finish, the team wanted to embody the branding of the Prius with a white finish. It's eerie how similar the final product is to the initial design sketches. Parlee's execution is flawless.

But that's only half of the bike. What about the neuro helmet? Well, Patrick from DeepLocal flew into Boston to ensure everything was working as planned. After a few minutes of setting up, the electronic shifting was moving up and down the cassette with ease. Seeing this in person is pretty amazing. Just think, one day, the cycling industry might embrace this technology!

As the bike was being built, we all waited with anticipation.

As each bolt and quick-release was tightened, it meant we were that closer to testing the bike out.

The second the bike hit the ground, it begged to be ridden.

One of the Parlee team riders had been training with the neuron helmet and the day had come where he would be the first person on Earth to actually shift a bike with his mind.

Patrick fitted him with the helmet and ran through some preliminary exercises.

As he mounted the bike and began to spin on the trainer, he concentrated on moving the rear derailleur.

We all watched in amazement as the bike began to shift. With each pedal stroke, the rider became more comfortable controlling his cadence and moving through the cassette.

DeepLocal had designed a smartphone app that would monitor heart rate, speed and cadence. This really opens up doors to even further integration. For example, implementing GPS could allow the rider to record data at specific moments, future programming the bike to shift on its own: the definition of intelligence. Of course the rider would be able to override these commands but just addressing these possibilities open new doors to technology and cycling.

It's really exciting to think that everything on this bike is open at the consumer level. Nothing DeepLocal or Parlee created is unobtainable: it's conceptual without being cryptic.

Simple ideas brought along complexity. The team asked "what if?" and were able to produce something that hadn't been done before. Isn't that what innovation is all about?

Sure, the end-product is elegant and futuristic looking.

But nothing is theoretical. You can see here, it's still a bike: two wheels and a crankshaft. It relies on a human being to move, in more ways than one.

For decades, the bicycle has remained very much the same but through the experimentation of the Toyota Prius Projects, the team has prosed some very important questions. How the world addresses these innovations will only influence the future of the bicycle and while the form will always be same, you can't stop where the mind will take us. Is this the future of cycling? Who knows, but it didn't hurt to have a little fun along the way.

While this is by no means the end of the Toyota Prius Project concept bike, it is a point of departure. The bike is now being prepped to be sent around the world and as with any innovation, the public will determine how these technologies trickle down into the market.

It's been an incredible journey for me to document this project from the humble beginnings to the successful end and I can't wait to see what the future holds. It's kinda cool to think that this entire project was inspired by and influenced by the design of the Toyota Prius. There's more to come, so just sit tight, hold on and keep pushing forward!

Last but not least, I'd like to thank the Toyota Prius Projects for sponsoring these posts and the opportunity to exclusively cover this project. 

via prollyisnotprobably 

via inhabitat

skypump electric charging station

concept rendering of the 'sanya skypump' wind-powered charging station for electric vehicles, developed by urban green energy and GE


developed by urban green energy in collaboration with general electric, the 'sanya skypump' is a wind-powered charging station for electric vehicles.

the device combines a GE 'wattstation' with an urban green wind turbine, capturing up to 4kW of wind energy. standing 13 meters (42 feet) tall, the 'skypump' can be easily installed in parking lots, rest stops, and other areas. it is equipped with an LED light (raised 7 meters or 23 feet from the ground), and even when a vehicle is not plugged in, the turbine continues to operate, feeding energy back into the grid.

the companies will also produce a model of 'skypump'  for home use, that utilizes GE's wall-mounted 'wattstation'. GE estimates that the 'wattstation' recharges most electric vehicles to completion within four to eight hours, although there is not yet information on whether the 'sanya skypump' will offer similar efficiency.



the 'sanya skypump'



closer view of wind turbine



closer view of 'wattstation' base



placement renders


via inhabitat
via engadget
via designboom

the biennale logo developed by WX-design, graphically interprets the theme by stringing two sentences together in the form of a mobius strip

the curatorial proposal for the 2011 edition of the shenzhen & hong kong bi-city biennale of urbanism \ architecture has been announced by terence riley, this year's chief curator. mr. riley is the former director of miami art museum and the philip johnson chief curator of architecture and design at the museum of modern art, new york where he played a key role in overseeing moma’s 2004 expansion project. he is also an architect and the first non-chinese individual that the biennale has invited for the role.

'architecture creates cities, cities create architect' is the theme for 2011, with hopes of portraying the endless interaction between architecture and cities, provoking an in-depth discussion on sustainability and urban vitality. it will look into chinese and shenzhen's examples in comparison with the 'global experience'. mr. riley's curatorial proposal outlines more than ten exhibitions that will be featured during the biennale. he has nominated a number of international scholars, architects and artists as the members of his team including:
rochelle steiner (dean & professor, roski school of fine arts, university of southern california), jeffery johnson (director of china lab, columbia university), dr. tang keyang (curator of china pavilion, 12th venice architectural biennale), jonathan solomon (acting head of the department of architecture, hong kong university), and dr. mary ann o’donnell (research associate, college of arts, shenzhen university), to name a few. he also regularly consults
with experts from world-renowned universities and research institutes.

'the curatorial proposal for 2011 biennale is consistent with the previous three editions, but more international, contemporary and profound.
this year’s biennale will continue to lead discussions on the essence of ‘urbanism \ architecture’ and to enquire the motif', said feng yueqiang, an architect from the biennale academic committee.

variations of the biennale's logo which features two sentences intertwined 

the featured exhibitions in the 2011 proposal include the aim of a ‘global experience’. for example, 'cities < 60' is a research project that retrospectively investigates the successes and failures of six new cities, including shenzhen, china; las vegas, usa; almere, the netherlands, gaborone, botswana; brasilia, brazil; and chandigarh, india. the exhibition will offer new videography tracing their ongoing evolution from master plans to actual cities. additional programs such as '8 urban plans for china, 8 regional plans for china, urban china timeline' and shenzhen timeline are set to provide in-depth studies on urbanization at the regional and city level in china. furthermore, shenzhen builds will exhibit 5 major urban projects designed by leading architects from china and abroad currently or soon to be under construction within the city. it will reveal their design processes and the projects’ impact on the surrounding environment, architecture and urban development.
counterpart cities will select 6 groups from shenzhen and hong kong respectively, to interrogate their common ecological and environmental issues and propose solutions. the biennale will set a stage for young architects, artists and designers to participate. the ‘street’ will invite an international roster of 12 architects in their 30’s and 40’s to design 12 facades in their own architectural language, as well as an installation of their work.
together, the twelve facades will create a 'street', literally reflecting the theme of the shenzhen biennale. the exhibition 'in my perfect world…' will encourage architects to self-nominate visionary projects that fundamentally challenge our preconceptions about cities and about architecture.
an online submission process will offer an opportunity for young architects, artists and designers to showcase their work at the shenzhen biennale.

this year, the event will further explore the potential of the civic square which was addressed in the 2009 edition, continuing its reconnection with urban life and activities through experimental interventions. new york architects john bennett and gustavo bonevardi will reactivate the space through a series of installations. another project - 'ultralight village' - will consist of six structures to be designed by leading contemporary architects from around the world and erected along the axis that connects the main plaza and the lianhua mountain park to the north, passing through the government centre. these projects will bring a different scale to the biennale and help invigorate the area both during the day and at night.
the 2011 biennale will also exhibit an award-wining project from the venice biennale of architecture. ‘reclaim’- the bahrain pavilion, which was awarded best national participation will be featured. this exhibit consists of three fishing platforms – the informal waterfront structures that used to line the sea and served as lively social spaces before the real estate boom of recent decades reconfigured the city’s waterfront.
it echoes shenzhen’s experience being developed from a small fishing village to an international modern city. in an effort to not only internationalize the shenzhen biennale, but to also expand the number of voices heard, various nations and/or prominent national institutes were invited to participate.
at this time, representations from austria, chile, egypt, finland, the netherlands, and switzerland are in various stages of planning.
the idea of ‘international pavilions’ was initiatively proposed by mr. antonius lambertus maria van zeeland, the consulate-general of the netherlands consulate in guangzhou.



shenzhen civic square, main venue for the shenzhen & hong kong biennale

shenzhen, as a city just celebrated its 30 years anniversary, and will begin to plan its future for the next 30 years.
rather than ‘shenzhen speed’, ‘shenzhen quality’ will take the lead in urban developments.
the 2011 shenzhen & hong kong bi-city biennale of urbanism\architecture stands at this very historical moment of turning a new page.
in addition to the promotion of an international and professional event, there will be an ‘exhibition of universiade stories’ that showcases the newly constructed stadiums, and investigates the impact that the large public event has on the city of shenzhen. 
this will reinforce the city municipal government’s ambition to transform shenzhen into a world-class international city.
 

shenzhen civic square


about the biennalethe shenzhen & hong kong bi-city biennale of urbanism \ architecture began in 2005 as a response to the fast progress of urbanization and architectural activities in china, particularly shenzhen and hong kong. the biennale is the first to focus on urbanism as an ongoing theme to explore issues of the city as an active agent in contemporary culture.

the shenzhen & hong kong bi-city biennale is the only architecture biennale that broadens its focus beyond the realm of architecture to consider urbanism and various aspects of growing cities as significant factors for international progress.
shenzhen (a city that was developed as the first special economic zone for the people’s republic of china in 1980) and hong kong are seen as international crossroads and serve as an ideal location for the focus on the dynamics between cities and architecture.



terence riley, chief curator of the 2011 shenzhen & hong kong bi-city biennale of urbanism \ architecture


terence riley 
is a founding partner of k/r (keenen/ riley), an architecture studio known for its design for art museums and galleries, including the master planning of the 100 acre-site of the museum of art, design and the environment (murcia, spain) and a complex of four new museums in hangzhou, china.  most recently, riley was the director of the miami art museum where he led the institution through the design phase of a major expansion; an innovative waterfront design by herzog & de meuron. 
before, he was the philip johnson chief curator of architecture and design at the museum of modern art, new york. 
there he organized exhibitions of well-known figures including rem koolhaas and bernard tschumi, and scholarly retrospectives on ludwig mies van der rohe and frank lloyd wright. 


via designboom

house in hikarimachi by rhythmdesign

'house in hikarimachi' by rhythmdesign in kasuga, fukuoka prefecture, japan
all images courtesy rhythmdesign
image © koichi torimura


'house in hikarimachi' by japanese architecture practice rhythmdesign (kenichiro ide) is a multi-storey private dwelling for a single family in a residential neighbourhood of kasuga, japan. inviting the outdoor elements indoors, the rectangular volume features a large corner void that serves as an atrium-like balcony that spans the height of two levels.



view of balcony
image © koichi torimura


situated within a dense part of the neighbourhood, the design reserves the ground level for car parking and private programs while the upper levels accommodate the communal spaces. the large excised volume from the corner is easily read from the exterior, particularly during the night when the artificial light from within provides a lantern-effect. long curtains on tracks allow the inhabitants to control the level of sunlight as well as maximize privacy when needed. 



exterior and interior views of staircase
images © koichi torimura


placed directly next to the balcony, the living space can be easily extended to the outdoors and gains abundant natural light through the double-height glazed surface. the third storey, conceived in a loft-like fashion, overlooks the living area below and achieves a heightened view of the neighbourhood through an elevated strip of window that wraps around the opposing corner. in order to maintain an unobstructed layout, the main staircase is housed next to the balcony in a lightwell-like void space.
the circulatory activity is made transparent by the glass finish.



interior view
image © koichi torimura



view of the balcony from the living room
image © koichi torimura



image © koichi torimura



(left) from kitchen
(right) entry
images © koichi torimura



staircase
image © koichi torimura


third storey
image © koichi torimura


view down to the living space
image © koichi torimura


from balcony
image © koichi torimura


at night
image © koichi torimura


project info:

principal use: single family house
structure: steel
site area: 125.70 m2
building area: 65.62 m2
gross internal floor area: 166.11 m2

project architect: kenichiro ide
design team: kenichiro ide, fukutomi
lighting consultant: USHIO SPAX FUKUOKA
structural engineers: noguchi toyotaka 
electrical facilities planning: taiko setsubi sekkei corporation
machine facilities planning: ishikawa setsubi corporation
main contractor: iguchi construction company

via designboom

house at hanegi park by shigeru ban architects

'house at hanegi park' by shigeru ban architects in tokyo, japan
image © hiroyuki hirai


japanese practice shigeru ban architects has completed 'house at hanegi park', a single family residence located in tokyo, japan.
the distinctive appearance allows a majority of the openings to be graciously unfolded to the exterior elements transforming the interior into an airy and fresh space. the intricate program arrangement shelters personal rooms from the highly experiential communal areas.



exterior from streetimage © hiroyuki hirai


at the street entrance, a screen consisting of steel cables is covered with climbing vegetation generating a contrasting texture to the surrounding urban hardscape. this simultaneously provides increased privacy by blocking the views for lower level interior rooms. from the ground level, dwellers are encouraged to climb the open zigzag stairs to the mezzanine and are presented with a corridor leading to the kitchen.
upon leaving the compressed hallway, a double height room bounded by two large openings viewing outward is encountered.



exterior stair leading to first floorimage © hiroyuki hirai


the street facing window is bounded by the intersection of a vertical and curving wall producing the prominent quartered roof form.
dividing the configuration is a horizontal rectangular fenestration containing sliding panes which can be overlapped and concealed to completely ventilate the elevated dining space. the essential kitchen functions are stored within steel panels which become expressed on the home's facade.
the opposite opening is enclosed by a vertical wall and pitched roof. the ceiling spanning this volume gradients from a curved to a linear shape, uniformly decreasing its radius to allow the structural framework to be composed of four main elements with horizontal connecting members.



living room with sliding glass doors closedimage © hiroyuki hirai



(left) living space and stairs to first floor mezzanine
(right) overlook of living space from mezzanine
images © hiroyuki hirai



(left) view of living room from first floor corridor
(right) view of stairs to the second floor from first floor corridorimages © hiroyuki hirai



portal to dining areaimage © hiroyuki hirai



kitchen + dining area near east facing window
image © hiroyuki hirai


curved wall encompasses dining areaimage © hiroyuki hirai



view to the west from dining area
image © hiroyuki hirai



large window open at nightimage © hiroyuki hirai



at night
image © hiroyuki hirai



site plan
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



floor plan / level 0
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



floor plan / level 1
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



floor plan / level -1
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



section
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



exploded axonometric
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



experiential process sketches
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



process floor plans
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects



sketch of roof structure
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects

via designboom