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GAMERANT.COMBest Character Poems in BleachAt the very beginning of each volume of Bleach and at the closing moments of the recent Thousand-Year Blood War episodes, there is always a short poem that is said by one of the series characters. Sometimes, these are little more than small hints at what is to come next, but many are a lot more thought-provoking and also feed into the series' deeper themes.0 Comments 0 Shares 5 Views
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GAMERANT.COMNew Venom Skin For Marvel Rivals LeakedA new Marvel Rivals leak has revealed an unreleased Venom skin, possibly based on Agent Venom from the comics, that might be coming to the game in the near future. While Venom has a few skins in Marvel Rivals, this one seems to be getting a lot more attention, as it has a rather unique appearance compared to the other cosmetics.0 Comments 0 Shares 6 Views
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WWW.FASTCOMPANY.COMHow (and why) to start using an RSS reader for news againImagine having a single app to keep up with your favorite news sources, YouTube channels, newsletters, and blogs, all in an easy-to-read format with no social media algorithms deciding what you see.Thats the idea behind RSS, a 25-year-old open standard for syndicating content from around the web. Using an RSS reader app, you can create your own custom feeds for news and information, accessing them all through a clutter-free, reader-friendly view.RSS can be overwhelming, which may explain why its never gone mainstream except as an underlying technology for podcasts. But as I seek outmore enduring technologies that put users first, Ive found myself coming back to RSS and finding new ways to make the habit stick. With the right setup, its still one of the most empowering ways to control your online content consumption.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.Pick a good RSS readerIn the past, Ive bounced betweenFeedlyandInoreaderas my RSS readers of choice. Both offer robust free tiersyou can follow up to 100 sources with Feedly, and up to 150 with Inoreaderand are available on pretty much any device.FeedlyBut after examining various alternativesincluding ones you canhost yourselfIve landed on usingFeedbininstead. While Feedly and Inoreader load up their interfaces with various doodads (AI summarization, text-to-speech, automatic highlights, and so on) Feedbin focuses on a great reading experience. That means having a minimalist menu system, nice fonts, and excellent article formatting.Id previously written off Feedbin because its mobile app is iOS-only, but then I realized the web version works just as well on Android phones. If you use your browsers Add to Home Screen function, youll even get a proper icon that loads a full-screen version of the site, just like a regular app. (There are variousthird-party Feedbin appsfor Android as well.)Feedbin costs $5 per month or $50 per year after a 30-day, no-credit-card trial. To me its worth paying for as a way to feel invested in using it. But you can also look to alternatives, several of which are less expensive or entirely free. (The OpenRSS website hasa useful chart of options.)Start out slowOnce youve picked a reader app, you can start adding the websites you want to read. While this used to require hunting for specific RSS feed links, the readers I mentioned above will often locate the appropriate feed if you just add the address of whatever site you want to follow.Now I will impart my most important advice:Dont add a huge number of sources right away.You will be tempted, at the outset, to follow all your favorite sites, which is a recipe for feeling overloaded and quickly bouncing off the entire concept. RSS has no built-in algorithm to help you sift through everything, which is partly what makes it great but also means you must be judicious about which sources to include.I suggest starting with two or three of your favorite websites or news sources. Add more if you feel like the flow of information is too slow, and consider removing those that are too noisy.Also, note that many sites allow you to follow just a subset of stories instead of everything. For instance, you can follow just the tech section of FastCompany.com, or just the articles by me.Categorize like crazyWhile you should be deliberate about adding new sources to your RSS reader, feel free to categorize them with reckless abandon. Most RSS readers let you sort news feeds into folders, which you can strategically employ to avoid getting overwhelmed.My favorite new tacticone thats really helping me stick with the RSS habitis to take post frequency into account for each category.For instance, I have a Tech News Firehose category with high-volume sites such as Engadget, The Verge, and 9to5Mac. In this folder, I merely scan the headlines and cherry-pick what looks interesting.Meanwhile, I also have a Cool Indie Blogs feed with sources that post a few times per day at most. I relish these updates and tend to read them all.Dont be afraid to break things down into subcategories, either. Instead of creating a sports feed, for instance, I set one up specifically for Yankee baseball, with updates from MLB.coms Yankees page, Pinstripes Nation, and the r/nyyankees subreddit. I also made a category for streaming and cord-cutting instead of trying to pick those stories out of the broader tech section.Get creativeWhile you might associate RSS with news sites, its also a great way to follow other sources of information. Some examples:Newsletters:Major newsletter platforms such as Substack and Beehiiv allow you to follow publications via RSS without having to subscribe via email. Alternatively, some RSS readers provide an email address you can use to sign up, or you can useKill the Newsletterto convert newsletters into RSS feeds. (Feedbins email feature hasreplaced Omnivore for me.)YouTube channels:Adding YouTube channels to your RSS reader provides a calmer way to keep up with the creators you most care about.Forums:You can follow Reddit groups via RSS, and many independent forums support RSS as well. I set up an entire category in Feedbin just forthis running list of live concert bootlegs.RSS is conducive to experimentation, as its easy to add, remove, and reorganize feeds as your interests changeand theres nothing to lose by giving a try.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.0 Comments 0 Shares 6 Views
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WWW.DEZEEN.COMBucharest listening bar created in "landmark of Romanian modernism"Ambient lighting brings warmth to a pared-back interior scheme inside the Bar Ton listening bar in Bucharest, Romania, created by local designers Anda Zota and Muromuro Studio.Set on the ground floor of a communist-era apartment block in Bucharest, the space previously functioned as a music shop before being adapted into a hi-fi bar.Bar Ton's interior was intended to be a contemporary reinterpretation of the building's socialist-modernist style, blending its historical context with modern functionality.Bar Ton is a listening bar set on the ground floor of a communist-era apartment block in Bucharest"We wanted to pay homage to the building itself," said Muromuro Studio."It was the first socialist-modernist building from the communist era that originated in Bucharest and not Moscow, so when it was built it was a landmark of Romanian modernism," the studio continued."We tried to keep as much of the building as structurally intact as possible we kept the flooring and the pillars, plus you have the original facade and finishings."Rough, textured materials are contrasted with more refined finishesMateriality was a key focus of the design, with rough, textured elements such as raw concrete walls and marble mosaic floors contrasted against more refined finishes like the polished stainless steel bar and birch plywood detailing.The combination of materials culminates in a minimalist, utilitarian space, that aims to also "evoke a sense of warmth and simplicity".A folding mechanical glass facade opens Bar Ton up to the streetWhile the building's facade walls couldn't be altered, a folding, mechanical glass wall with metal framing was added.This dynamic feature was designed to increase the connection between the inside and outside, encouraging interaction with the surrounding neighbourhood."It became the 'living facade' because whenever you pass by you see people sitting on the bench and moving around it's the first layer of curiosity and makes you want to see what's inside" Zota told Dezeen.Four original structural pillars were incorporated into the designRestrictions caused by existing structural features influenced the interior layout, with four large concrete pillars extending through the centre of the space, as well as a concrete ventilation shaft for the floor below left in place.The designers coated two of the concrete pillars with polyurethane with a timber unit added between them to hold the main DJ booth.The other two were lined with oiled birch plywood and fitted with pockets to display records. Meanwhile, the concrete ventilation shaft was turned into a bench.Read: EBBA and Charlotte Taylor design London listening bar "dedicated to sound"Otherwise, Bar Ton was designed to be a largely open-plan space, with the music program placed at its centre and features such as the stainless steel bar and bathrooms located around the periphery."The point was to create a space that offers a communal listening experience," said Muromuro Studio. "This resulted in us putting the music booth right at the centre of the space so that people are around the point of interest.""The overarching concept was about putting the music at the centre both physically and conceptually," added Zota.A large stainless steel bar runs along the side wall of the spaceAccording to the designers, special attention was paid to the lighting design, which was developed in collaboration with Romanian brand Greentek Lighting.The adaptive lighting system has two different settings for day and night that can be adjusted to suit the mood. A custom-made lamp illuminates the central music program, lit in an orange hue at night.Warm adaptive lighting systems illuminate the spaceZota explained that the aim was to create an inviting atmosphere that prioritises the listening experience, with lighting tailored to illuminate the space itself rather than directly illuminating the people within it."We wanted people to be able to hide and feel out of focus to intimately experience the space without being highlighted," said Zota.Drapes discreetly conceal a "room-within-a-room" of wooden acoustic panellingLarge beige drapesdiscreetly conceal the bar's acoustic systems, with a "room-within-a-room" constructed using a wooden frame. This acoustic panelling serves to reduce the potential echo and ensure a high sound quality, with around 37 cubic metres of sound insulation incorporated in total.Built-in wooden banquette seating wraps around the perimeter of the space, complete with integrated wooden tables.Other listening bars recently featured on Dezeen include a lounge-like hi-fi bar in London by EBBA and Charlotte Taylor and a monochrome pink bar in Sydney by Akin Atelier designed to feel like being "inside a giant speaker".The photography is by Vlad Ptru and Andrei Vintil.The post Bucharest listening bar created in "landmark of Romanian modernism" appeared first on Dezeen.0 Comments 0 Shares 6 Views
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WWW.DEZEEN.COMCybex unveils Paris flagship store with "unique monochromatic design DNA"Promotion: lifestyle brand Cybex has opened a beige, monochrome flagship store in Paris as part of its continuing retail expansion strategy - nearly 20 years after the brand was founded.Located on the prestigious Rue Saint-Honor near the Louvre museum in central Paris, the store has"a unique monochromatic design DNA".Cybex has opened a flagship store in central ParisThe 359-square-metre store, which is spread across two floors, was finished in various muted beige, cream and taupe tones, with cement-finished walls.Within the space Cybex's various child-focused products are arranged on back-lit shelving and low-level plinths. The store showcases the brand's product range, encompassing strollers, car seats, baby carriers, among other related baby-related home products and accessories.The store's interior represents the brand's DNA"This flagship reflects the luxury design aesthetic of our brand values in one unified sophisticated space," said Cybex senior director of corporate architecture, Andreas Skotnik."The muted tones, soft architectural shapes and intimate ambience are designed to reduce any sense of contrast and be the most complimentary in highlighting our products."The store is the brand's first physical location in Paris and follows openings in Prague, Tokyo and Amsterdam as it continues to expand with flagship stores.The Paris store follows openings in Prague, Tokyo and Amsterdam"Paris was a natural next step," said Cybex founder Martin Pos."The French capital is one of the most elegant and dynamic cities in the world, with a target demographic and industry maturity and sophistication which are perfect for us," he continued."Parents and families in Paris are extremely cultured, elevated, and attentive to the highest quality products that can perfectly fit into their lifestyle, which is something I am proud to say we can deliver at best."The Paris store is part of the brands expansion into physical storesFounded by Pos in 2005, the German brand aims to produce comfortable and safe products for the juvenile market.With its move into retail, it is aiming to give its customers an experience aligned with more traditional luxury brands.Parenting should be the most emotionally luxurious experience in life," said Pos. "And we want to give parents the opportunity to experience this with us in a space which not only represents the brand vision, but heightens the sense of luxury and service we provide.""Our mission is to give parents a one-stop solution and be the best concierge possible for them to maintain their lifestyle without compromises," he continued."We do not want to be perceived simply as a juvenile brand and that is also why each store location and most specifically in Paris in in Rue Saint-Honor, we are part of the ecosystem of the most of the luxurious brands on earth."The photography is byIvan Mathie.Partnership contentThis article was written by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Cybex. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.The post Cybex unveils Paris flagship store with "unique monochromatic design DNA" appeared first on Dezeen.0 Comments 0 Shares 5 Views
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WWW.IGN.COMDune: Prophecy Season 1 Finale ReviewThe following review contains spoilers for the fifth episode of Dune Prophecy, The High-Handed EnemyMuch like all thats come before in Dune: Prophecy, there are a lot of good ideas in the finale of the first season, The High-Handed Enemy. From Tulas confrontation with her son Desmond and Valyas revelation of their relationship, to it all leading to the fall of Javvico, there is a good skeleton of drama there. But for every step forward, Prophecy always seems to take two steps back. As a fan of the books and movies, its almost more frustrating when they do succeed, when in the end the whole becomes less than the sum of its parts. The story being told just never finds a way to balance the pace of the series with all that needs explaining and expounding upon. And on top of that, The High-Handed Enemy leaves Prophecy with almost every plotline up in the air, looking towards its recently announced second season for any sort of resolution; that causes it to fail on the promise of the premiere, which laid out the various mysteries of the series.In a lot of ways, Prophecy does the best it can with the time its given. This whole first season has bounced back and forth, alternating between feeling too slow and too quickly paced for its own good. The High-Handed Enemy falls into the latter camp, feeling rushed to get everything out despite the extra 20-ish minutes its given on top of the regular hour-long runtime. And it manages to do some good work with Tulas confrontation of Desmond Hart, Valyas realization of their relation, and the Emperors end, but theres just an overwhelming sense that things were cut down for time. Constantine (Josh Heuston) doesnt even show up in the finale, and while there are relatively good story reasons presented for him not to be around, it feels like he was unceremoniously shoved out of the story to make room for the others. Just when he was getting interesting, too.There just wasnt enough time to fully expound on the ideas of Prophecy in six episodes. By the end, many of the younger Sisters feel underbaked, and with their worlds rocked by the revelations of Mother Dorothea, we dont really get to see how they react to the information. Were just left hanging. Even a few of the main cast, from Desmond Hart to Javvico and Natalya, dont feel as fully fleshed out as they needed to be to grasp their motivations or connect with them in any meaningful way. Its one of the many reasons why the royal storyline often feels flat and unexciting.What makes it worse is that so much of the episode is setup for the next season. Im not cliffhanger-shaming here every season finale, if the writers know theyre going to get another season or are at least confident they will, is going to tease something to come in the future to leave us wanting more. But usually there is still some meaningful resolution to the main plotlines and character arcs that have been the focus of this season (Ned Starks story in season 1 of Game of Thrones being the classic example) and The High-Handed Enemy offers very little in that regard. The return of Mother Dorotea and her influence over the young sisters as she reveals to them the literal skeletons in the closet of the Sisterhood left for next season. The fate of Tula and Desmond as the power over the Imperium shifts due to Javvicos death left for next season. And while it makes sense to leave Valyas quest to save Ynez and bring her to Arrakis open, the character arcs of Valya, Ynez, and Keiran have all been left unresolved, leaving them for next season as well. It all compounds into an episode and by extension, an entire season that feels unfinished.Dune Prophecy Episode 6 GalleryThe one area it does leave with some sense of conclusion is in maybe the most ultimate form of it: death. Javvicos fate, as well as Francescas, is handled relatively well, with some proper emotions from the two of them as well as Natalya. But like I mentioned earlier, its just hard to connect with these characters when weve been given so little insight into their motivations it just feels like there was so much more to be said that the shorter season order just couldnt allow for.The most egregious element of its habitual non-resolution, though, is these high-handed enemies themselves. The mystery of the origin and reality behind Desmond Harts abilities are built up throughout the season, only to reveal that that entire plotline leads towards an answer that raises more questions than it answers. That can be a good thing when done right, as Lost proved time and time again, but it doesnt work when its the majority of plot lines being left behind. Who implanted the fake eye and memories into Desmonds head, for instance? And why him? Rather than carefully planting those ideas in our minds over the course of the series and having a big revelation at the end to entice us into season 2, these questions are brought up and left unanswered all in one breath, taking the excitement out of the moment and leaving us unsatisfied.Its just hard to connect with these characters when weve been given so little insight into their motivations.It all comes back, again, to the too-short season, which had no room to fit another storyline to follow this mysterious new faction, whomever they might be (Tap to Reveal), and have the reveal feel more grounded in things we already knew. Now, were just left with a level of anticipation for answers thats aggravating more than it is exciting.0 Comments 0 Shares 6 Views
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9TO5MAC.COMApples upcoming AirPods Pro 3 may equip an all-new health featureIn the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloombergs Mark Gurman laid out a couple updates on Apples developments on health features for AirPods. Weve heard reports on this matter in the past, but this provides a little more insight.According to the newsletter, Apple is working on a wide variety of health features, including a heart-rate monitor, a temperature sensor, and new sensors thatll track a slew of physiological measures. Apples primarily focused on developing the heart rate sensor at the moment.In internal testing, Apple is noticing more accurate heart-rate info off of the Apple Watch, but Gurman reports that AirPods arent too far off. We dont have details on the other health features, nor a precise timeline, though Gurman says well see it roll out over the coming years. The features may debut in AirPods Pro 3.Apple is also working on cameras for AirPods. This project was previously cancelled, but got revived with Apples sudden interest in developing products for the era of AI. Gurman notes that this is a priority project for both AI teams and AirPods teams, but its still a couple years away:In fact, its now seen asa priority for theteams within ApplesAI and AirPods hardware development groups. That said, I wouldnt expect the technology to hit the market for a couple more years assuming it doesnt get canceled again.Apple released a new firmware update for AirPods Pro 2 earlier this year, enabling hearing health features and the ability to use AirPods as an FDA-certified hearing aid. With the release of these features, its obvious that Apple is moving in a more health-oriented direction, so introducing AirPods health features for users without an Apple Watch is a probable move.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel0 Comments 0 Shares 5 Views
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WWW.INFORMATIONWEEK.COMForrester Panel: Government Cybersecurity Leaders Discuss Next Steps for Zero TrustThe recent Forrester Security & Risk Summit in Baltimore featured government cybersecurity officials discussing a newly published guide on zero trust and evaluating the next steps for the security model.In fact, Forrester is known for introducing the zero-trust security model back in 2009. The motto never trust, always verify suggests a least-privilege approach. Former Forrester analyst John Kindervag, now a chief evangelist at Illumio, was an initial champion of zero trust.In a Dec. 10 panel, cybersecurity leaders discussed Navigating the Federal Zero Trust Data Security Guide, which the federal CISO and CDO Councils published on Oct. 31. The guide, developed by 70 people from more than 30 federal agencies and departments, offers a breakdown of how government agencies and organizations should think about data risks. The goal is to provide a practical guide on how to implement zero trust.A Holistic View of Data and SecurityDuring the session, Steven Hernandez, CISO in the US Department of Education and co-chair of the US federal CISO Council, discussed how the guide could teach federal and private cybersecurity professionals think from both a zero-trust and data perspective.Its interesting because we talk about how to harness data, so we use a lot of behavioral analytics and logs from our systems, etc., Hernandez told the audience. Thats one side of the coin, but the other side of the coin is how we protect data using zero trust principles, technologies, and operations, and in the data management section, we're going to have to basically straddle both of those platforms to be successful. Related:Anne Klieve, management analyst in the Office of Enterprise Integration at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, agreed that a goal of the guide was to create a document that both the data and security communities could understand.It was about creating a guide that would be readable to both the cybersecurity and data communities, and specifically looking at how separate even the jargon was for both communities, Klieve said during the session.Massachusetts CIO Jason Snyder said he appreciates how the guide can move federal agencies and organizations past understanding the architecture of zero trust and doing something with it. He also said Massachusetts was at ground zero as far as zero trust.One of the things I really liked about the guide was its primary focus is data, and when you talk about zero trust, I think that is the right area of focus, Snyder said during the panel. So, what were doing within Massachusetts is really driving forward from a data perspective and better understanding our data, better understanding different types of data we have, and then working on ways to protect that data.Related:Heidi Shey, principal analyst at Forrester and co-moderator of the panel, sees the guide as applicable to organizations beyond state and federal government. For example, the panelists plan to add a section on supply chain risk.In an interview following the session, Shey told InformationWeek that the guide can help organizations no longer operate in silos as far as data and security.Were talking about really embedding data security controls throughout that entire life cycle and thinking about how we manage data and how we protect it in a much more holistic way, so that these two functions within organizations are not operating as siloed functions anymore the way they historically have been, Shey said. I think thats one of the big takeaways from this guide that people can use to help bring these two groups together on zero-trust data security.Klieve recommended that organizations use the guide to create a zero-trust data implementation road map based on general program management principles. This would include a maturity analysis and gap assessments. After that, organizations could implement their programs as they planned, including examining finances, examining risks, and managing performance. However, she noted that C-suite leaders such as the CISO and chief data officer would need to be consulted on how the budgets would be allocated.Related:Chapter 4 of the guide has a placeholder for the topic Manage the Data. Klieve would like to see this chapter filled with a discussion of alignment of data management to data security as well as how to use data management to minimize data breaches. In addition, the chapter should cover the interaction between data engines and machine learning as it relates to data security, according to Klieve. That includes preparing data for machine learning models.This will become a key document I just keep on my desk all the time, Klieve said. I really want to see it kept up to date.Hernandez said work on the Zero Trust Data Security Guide is in a holding pattern until late January, but then his team will brief the incoming administration on the overall status of all things cybersecurity. He also said the CISO council could add a zero-trust section to the National Institute of Standards and Technologys Special Publication 800-60, which provides guidelines on how to map data to security systems.The Next Level for Zero TrustMeanwhile, in another Dec. 10 panel, Next-Level Your Zero Trust Initiative panelists from the federal government as well as GE Aerospace addressed how government agencies and the private sector can move forward with zero trust.Eric Poulin, senior director for cybersecurity technology strategy and management at GE Aerospace, told the audience that applying the same zero-trust initiatives to all teams would not work.You can design a master zero-trust plan, but at the end of the day, you just try to put one blanket zero-trust plan, youre going to end up alienating certain individual business lines, Poulin said.At the Department of Interior, its zero-trust program manager, Lou Eichenbaum, has built a zero-trust community of practice, over three years, he told the audience. The department respects the separate missions of areas such as the National Park Service, and they all have input into how the department approaches zero trust.Brandy Sanchez, director of the Zero Trust Initiative at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Department of Homeland Security, stressed the importance of incorporating zero trust in all layers.It needs to be part of every decision and every organization, Sanchez said. Any time you buy software, any time youre procuring something, any time that youre developing a system, all of that has to [incorporate] zero trust as the foundation.The challenge going forward in zero trust will not necessarily be in technology but in people and processes and getting buy-in from leadership and making sure all teams are aligned, according to Carlos Rivera, the panels moderator and a senior analyst at Forrester.Its not just an IT and security initiative; its an organizational initiative, Rivera told InformationWeek following the session. So getting those individuals involved, such as leads from HR, leads from finance, and getting a better understanding of what impacts them and whats important to them, and how do we enable their business and allow them to leverage certain technologies [but] not at the expense of security, thats really where the success will come.Because there are multiple maturity models, Sanchez and her team are working with the Department of Defense on zero-trust guidance.Words are important, and when we say one thing and another agency is interpreting that in a different way, it causes confusion, Sanchez explained during the panel. So anywhere that we can align, and that we can harmonize what we're doing, what others are doing, and get everyone on the same page across the federal government, thats where we want to head.Rivera said organizations have now achieved maturity as far as zero-trust strategy and planning, and now they are moving to implement zero trust into their operations.Sanchez sees the federal government providing more technical deep dives and how-tos around zero trust in the next year or two. Her team will be releasing publications on enterprise mobility and micro-segmentation. Going forward, Sanchez would like to see government agencies focus more on implementing zero-trust strategy based on their risk environment rather than just checking a box.You need to take an adversarial approach where you are looking at zero trust because thats what the bad guys are doing right? They want to get in; they want to get your information, Sanchez said. And so taking a strategic approach based on that view is where you can change the script, and that's really where were trying to push agencies towards, is keeping that in mind and managing at the risk level, versus just checking the box because thats not going to get us near the goal.0 Comments 0 Shares 12 Views
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WWW.BDONLINE.CO.UKRX Architects reimagines two rural houses as contemporary family homesModern materials and energy-efficient upgrades bring fresh life to two rural propertiesRX Architects has completed two rural residential projects Holmwood Farm in Wadhurst, East Sussex, and Meadowgate in Wittersham, Kent. Both schemes involved adapting existing structures into contemporary family homes, with an emphasis on sustainability, energy efficiency, and maximising connections to their surrounding landscapes.Meadowgate, Wittersham, Kent1/11show captionMeadowgate, a four-bedroom, 3,500 sq ft home, adapts a 1970s bungalow originally built as workers accommodation. The property sits within 22 acres of farmland and ancient woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.The original single-storey structure was reconfigured into an upside-down house with the addition of a new first floor. Living spaces were relocated upstairs to maximise previously underutilised views of the countryside, featuring cantilevered terraces and glazed corners on the upper level.A steel frame was inserted into the original structure to support the additional storey, while the existing walls were wrapped in insulation and finished with black render. The upper level was constructed with timber frame panels for a lightweight, highly insulated envelope. Triple glazing was installed throughout, and the roof was finished with a wildflower blanket to support biodiversity.Sustainability measures include a ground source heat loop buried in the surrounding land, providing heating and cooling. This system is supplemented by a solar array with battery storage.The new first floor features black-stained timber cladding with triangulated profiles, designed to blend with the wooded backdrop. The landscape includes gardens for food and flower production, reflecting the owners passion for gardening.Holmwood Farm, Wadhurst, East Sussex1/2show captionHolmwood Farm is a 4,000 sq ft, four-bedroom home situated within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The project involved reworking a deteriorating 1980s red brick bungalow to create a contemporary family residence. The design sought to provide open-plan, flexible spaces that connect the interiors with the surrounding countryside.The existing structure was retained to reduce cost and minimise the environmental impact of the project. The house incorporates a large solar array, heat pumps, natural ventilation, and newly installed insulation wrapped behind its re-clad exterior. These measures aim to reduce the homes long-term running costs and carbon footprint.Externally, the house is clad in charred timber, with a standing seam zinc roof. New large-scale flat-roof dormers were added to the original structure. Internally, polished concrete floors were installed for thermal mass, designed to retain and gradually release heat while remaining cool in summer.The landscape design includes a natural swimming pool and reimagined gardens.0 Comments 0 Shares 5 Views