Next up in our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series, we spotlight architect Dibdo Francis Kr's Gando Primary School in Burkina Faso the "perfect learning environment".Kr's first project, the primary school was constructed from local materials and aimed to incorporate local climate strategies.The architect started his career strong, with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture describing the building as the "perfect learning environment".It combined local and modern architecture with a bottom-up approach capable of promoting social and environmental justice that would set the tone for his later work, which ultimately led to him winning the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022.Dibdo Francis Kr's Gando Primary School was completed in 2001While still a student at the Technical University in Berlin, Kr returned to his hometown in Gando, Burkina Faso, with a mission to create a well-lit and ventilated school to replace one that had fallen into disrepair.Arranged across three rectilinear volumes, the 520-square-metre school features a dry-stacked brick ceiling and an overhanging metal roof raised by a network of steel bars.Kr used local materials and resources for the school's construction. Photo by Enrico CanoWindows adorned with colourful shutters decorate the school's exterior and draw cool air into the space. Simultaneously, hot air is released through the building's clay roof to passively cool the classrooms and eliminate the need for air conditioning.Working to a set of parameters set by cost, climate, resource availability and construction possibilities, Kr's approach is somewhat stripped-back comprising only the essential qualities.A raised metal roof helps to ventilate the classroomsDetermined to deliver a project that utilised the area's abundant clay resources, Kr advocated for the use of locally-made clay bricks an approach that was first met with "big rejection" from the local community.Clay was initially considered by the community to be a primitive material unable to withstand the region's heavy rainfall, while also requiring regular maintenance.He has continuously pursued this task in ways at once highly respectful of place and tradition and yet transformational in what can be offered Pritzker Architecture Prize juryKr's innovative use of cement to create strong earth blocks that require little to no maintenance, however, quickly gained respect from locals for its resilience. The social influence of the project would see it become a precedent for other contemporary earthen buildings across the region.Following its completion in 2001, the Gando Primary School gained recognition for its revolutionary, sustainable approach. In 2004 the school won a prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its "utterly appropriate" design launching Kr's career just as he completed his degree.The school was described by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as the "perfect learning environment". Photo by Enrico CanoThe Gando Primary School set a framework for Kr's later works, including the Dano Secondary School completed in 2007 and the Gando Primary School Extension. This extension completed in 2008, following an overwhelming increase in enrolment.In keeping with the original school building, the similarly rectilinear extension provides four additional classrooms connected by a sunken seating area.Read: Herzog & de Meuron's Tate Modern was the most significant building of 2000Built from the same materials as the original building, it uses similar construction techniques, although with the addition of updated elements including a vaulted roof that improves ventilation and spatial quality within the space.Later projects by the architect include the Centre for Earth Architecture completed in Mopti, Mali, in 2010, which was designed to showcase clay construction techniques, and the Lo Surgical Clinic and Health Center completed in Burkina Faso in 2014, which comprises 10 modular medical units built from raw clay and sheltered by overhanging roofs.The school informed Kr's later worksUpon being awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022, Kr was praised by the jurors for his ability "to integrate the traditional with the contemporary" and "remind us of the necessary struggle to change unsustainable patterns of production and consumption"."He has continuously pursued this task in ways at once highly respectful of place and tradition and yet transformational in what can be offered, as in the primary school in Gando which served as an example to so many even beyond the borders of Burkina Faso," the jurors said."Francis Kr's entire body of work shows us the power of materiality rooted in place," the jurors said. "His buildings, for and with communities, are directly of those communities in their making, their materials, their programs and their unique characters.""They are tied to the ground on which they sit and to the people who sit within them," they added. "They have presence without pretence and an impact shaped by grace".Over 20 years since its completion, Kr's Gando Primary School still stands as an exemplar of sustainable architecture claiming its place as one of the century's most significant buildings thus far.Did we get it right? Was Dibdo Francis Kr's Gando Primary School the most significant building completed in 2001? Let us know in the comments. We will be running a poll once all 25 buildings are revealed to determine the most significant building of the 21st century so far.This article is part of Dezeen's 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series, which looks at the most significant architecture of the 21st century so far. For the series, we have selected the most influential building from each of the first 25 years of the century.The illustration is by Jack Bedford and photography is by Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk unless otherwise stated.21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings2000: Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron2001: Gando Primary School by Dibdo Francis KrThis list will be updated as the series progresses.The post Dibdo Francis Kr's Gando Primary School was the most significant building of 2001 appeared first on Dezeen.

Hormone levels can be easily tested and monitored at home using the Hormometer, an instant testing kit created by Canadian start-up Eli Health and launched this week at tech fair CES.The Hormometer is a monitoring system that combines a thermometer-like single-use testing cartridge with an AI-powered mobile app that can analyse the results in real-time.Eli Health claims it is the first to develop a portable and instant saliva-based testing product that gives precise readings across multiple hormones.The Hormometer testing kit is designed to be used like a thermometerAt launch, the company is offering testing kits for cortisol, often dubbed the "stress hormone", and progesterone, a hormone that is sometimes tracked in relation to fertility, menopause and menstrual health.While these hormones can already be tested for at home using saliva, urine or finger-prick tests, the samples generally have to be sent to a lab for analysis with results taking a few days or a couple of weeks.Eli Health envisages that its Hormometer system will do for hormone-related health conditions what the glucose meter did for diabetes care, enabling users to manage their wellbeing on a much more informed and personalised basis.The results are analysed by an accompanying app"We are creating unprecedented access to hormone health insights, providing individuals with the tools they need to better understand and support their wellness every day and across life," said Eli Health co-founder and CEO Marina Pavlovic Rivas."We are making hormone monitoring as simple and accessible as checking your heart rate, helping people proactively manage their health."Testing with the Hormometer cartridge, topped with a pastel-hued circular tab that is colour-coded to the hormone being tested.The system allows people to monitor their hormone levels at homeAt the other end of the cartridge is the collection pad, which the user holds in their mouth to gather a saliva sample as if measuring their temperature with a thermometer.After a minute, they can remove the tester from their mouth, pull on the circular tab to retract the collection pad into the base of the cartridge and wait for the sample to mix with reagents.The results are presented as a series of lines, similar to a pregnancy or covid test, which users can interpret with the help of the accompanying app.Read: Yihan Dong designs at-home HPV test to be "as easy to use as toilet paper"Using the phone's camera and a custom AI algorithm, the app analyses elements such as the test's colour intensity and pattern to provide an instant reading of the hormone level, according to Eli Health.The app also offers trend reports and recommendations for how to manage hormones and their related health conditions.The Hormometer debuted this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it won a 2025 Best of Innovation award in Digital Health at the CES Innovation Awards.The app also offers recommendations for how to manage hormonesWhile it is launching with tests for cortisol and progesterone, Eli Health is also developing versions for testosterone and estradiol a type of oestrogen that declines during menopause.Hormone levels have been a trending topic in online wellness communities in the past year.This is especially true of cortisol, which is linked to energy, metabolism, inflammation and sleep, and has been pinpointed by content creators as a possible culprit for fatigue, weight gain and puffy "cortisol face". However, medical experts advise that significant issues with cortisol imbalance are rare.The Hormometer is portable and can be used anywhereEli Health says beta access to the Hormometer will begin in the US and Canada this month.Other recent innovations in the health tech space include the Athena helmet that prevents chemo-related hair loss and an at-home HPV test designed to be as easy to use as toilet paper.CES 2025 takes place at various locations in Las Vegas from 7 to 10 January 2025. SeeDezeen Events Guidefor an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.The post Hormometer provides instant at-home hormone level readings appeared first on Dezeen.

CES 2025 is an absolute labyrinth of products and companies, which is why smaller events like Pepcom are pefect for getting a brief preview of what stuff to expect on the show floor. Held on the 6th of January, Pepcom pre-empted CES by a day, giving the media a chance to look at new products before CES officially began. The show floor of the ballroom at Caesars Palace was filled with hundreds of exhibitors, featuring a lot of regulars and industry veterans like HP, IBM, Sandisk, Anker, etc. But among these companies sat a few unusual newbies that had the most bizarrely unique products one could see.This roundup is merely to highlight the products that stood at the intersection between crazy and cool. Youre used to seeing new phones with better processors and bigger batteries thats the innovation youve come to expect but what Im about to show you is stuff that usually doesnt come about too often from robot vacuums with robotic arms that pick up laundry, to self-rocking cradles, to an AI translator that can clone your voice and make you speak 72 languages. Heres the crazy + cool stuff we saw at Pepcom today.Roborock Saros Z70 A Vacuum with a Robotic ArmCleaning up isnt really complete if all youre doing is removing dust. Cleaning also means picking up items, rearranging them, and keeping areas rubbish-free something that Roborocks latest vacuum does thanks to a built-in robotic arm. The Roborock Saros Z70 feels like a gadget pulled straight from a sci-fi flick, thanks to its OmniGrip robotic arm. This nifty five-axis appendage can grab stray socks, tissues, and other obstacles weighing up to 300 grams, saving your vacuum from a battlefield of household clutter. It uses sensors and an RGB camera to identify and scoop up items, placing them in preset locationsall controlled through the Roborock app. Use it with socks, dirty laundry, or even toys that your kids or pets keep strewn around the place. Never step on a bare LEGO brick again!The rest of the Saros Z70 is equally impressive. It packs 22,000Pa of suction power, dual spinning mops that detach when not in use, and the brains of StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 for spot-on navigation. Paired with Roborocks Multifunctional Dock 4.0, it takes care of auto-emptying, charging, and mop washing like a pro. Plus, with support for Matter 1.4 coming in hot, its ready to play nice with your smart home setup. Roborock plans to roll this out in June 2025, and really the only thing missing is a cup holder so that this bot can go get me my coffee!MW75 Neuro Brain Sensing HeadphonesImagine headphones that not only play your favorite tunes but also keep tabs on your brains well-being. Enter the MW75 Neuro, a collaboration between Neurable Inc. and Master & Dynamic. These arent your average cans; theyre equipped with Neurables brain-computer interface (BCI) tech, featuring electroencephalography (EEG) sensors tucked into the ear pads. This setup lets you monitor your focus levels and cognitive health, all through a user-friendly app. Feeling the midday slump? The MW75 Neuro can nudge you to take a break, aiming to stave off burnout.Beyond the brainy bits, these headphones dont skimp on audio quality, staying true to Master & Dynamics premium sound reputation. The MW75 Neuro represents a leap toward integrating neurotechnology into everyday gadgets, making it easier to keep an eye on mental well-being. As of September 2024, theyre available for purchase through Neurables and Master & Dynamics websites.Vasco Q1 Translator with AI Voice Cloning featureWeve seen a lot of AI translators, but this is the first time Ive actually had my voice cloned by an AI. The Q1 by Vasco boasts this feature, and as someone who actually tested out this feature, let me mention that its scary how impressive it is. This feature allows users to create a synthesized version of their own voice, making translations sound like you in any of the 72 supported languages. Its the only device on the market with this capability, offering a more natural way to communicate across cultures. Combined with touchless mode and phone call translation, its designed to make conversations seamless, whether youre dialing internationally or chatting in person.Beyond its star feature, the Q1 is packed with versatile tools like photo translation for signs and books, and text-to-speech capabilities powered by 11 translation engines. A built-in SIM provides connectivity in over 200 countries, with translation happening in under a second when conditions are optimal. The device is set to launch this spring, with pricing expected around $500, making it an intriguing option for frequent travelers or global business pros.Fight Camp Punch Trackers and Punching BagFightCamp is more than just a punching bag; its a comprehensive fitness system that helps you train like a fighter. The platform offers over 3,000 workouts, ranging from boxing and kickboxing routines to strength training, conditioning, and core exercises. You can tailor your experience with options for 4, 6, 8, or 10-round boxing sessions, ensuring workouts fit your schedule and fitness level. And its not all about throwing punchesdynamic warm-ups and core exercises are part of the program to help you build the rotational strength needed for powerful strikes.At the heart of FightCamps system are its punch trackers, which monitor the speed and power of your strikes, giving you real-time feedback. These trackers also provide output scores, offering insight into your progress. While the trackers dont directly build your core strength, they reveal where improvement is needed, encouraging you to integrate core and conditioning exercises for better rotation and stronger punches. The rechargeable trackers dock easily and hold their charge through intense sessions, making them seamless companions for consistent training. Whether youre a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, FightCamp turns your living room into a full-on fight gym.Elvie Rise A Baby Bassinet that Rocks Back and ForthElvies latest innovation, the Rise, is a two-in-one smart baby bouncer that effortlessly transforms into a bassinet, aiming to simplify the lives of new parents. Controlled via an intuitive app, the Rise features SootheLoop technology, allowing caregivers to record and automate personalized bouncing patterns to comfort their little ones. This seamless transition from bouncer to bassinet ensures that babies can drift into sleep without disturbance, adhering to the American Academy of Pediatrics sleep safety guidelines with its firm, flat mattress, and breathable fabrics.Designed for newborns up to six months or 20 pounds, the Rise offers both manual and automatic bouncing modes, catering to the varying needs of infants. While the $799 price tag positions it at the premium end of the market, its multifunctionality and focus on safety may appeal to parents seeking convenience and some well-deserved peace of mind.The post Behold The Weirdest Coolest Gadgets at Pepcom during CES 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Experts see the bright side of the new year.

Laubwerk's large plant model library is now available for Cinema 4D, but there's the catch.

The lack of cheap EVs and the reliance on combustion engines is putting Europes plan to ban new petrol cars by 2035 at risk.

Abstaining from alcohol can have immediate benefits. But lasting gains require lasting change.

More of the wild ideas and clever innovations were seeing this week at techs big show in Las Vegas.

MacworldAt the Consumer Electronics Show thats currently going on in Las Vegas, Dell made a major announcement about its laptops. [I know what youre thinking: Whoa whoa whoa, WTF? This is Macworld! Why is this Loyola guy writing about Dell? Wheres his latest screed about how the Mac rulez? Stick with me for a minute. Please.] Dell is undergoing a major rebranding effort, dropping the XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude brands that customers have come to love. (Okay, maybe not love, more like recognize.)The new names for its laptops? Hold on to your hats. They are (drumroll, please):Dell.Dell Pro.Dell Pro Max.[Hold ondid you catch that last one, Dell Pro Max? I want to make sure, because if youre like me and hate Macworlds page design, then you know that we place an ad insert after the fourth paragraph in each and every news article, much to the editors chagrin. So single-word paragraphs like Dell Pro Max can get lost in our layout.]Now, those namesespecially the Dell Pro and Dell Pro Maxsound familiar, dont they? If only social media (and by social media, I mean BlueSky) can clue me in11/10 headline. no notes.*DELL UNVEILS NEW APPLE-LIKE NAMES FOR ITS PERSONAL COMPUTERS George Pearkes (@peark.es) 2025-01-06T19:57:10.896ZCan't believe Dell is killing off the XPS brand and replacing it with Apple's silly words instead! https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24325799/dell-pro-max-premium-plus-ces-laptop-pc-rebrand-announcement Sean Hollister (@seanhollister.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:48:40.787029ZThis is the dumbest naming strategy Ive ever seen in my life. Way to take the worst things from Apple and somehow make them even more confusing. This is not an improvement, Dell! via https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/24325799/dell-pro-max-premium-plus-ces-laptop-pc-rebrand-announcement Christina Warren (@filmgirl.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T20:51:24.548939ZHey now, hold on George, Sean, and Christina! According to PCWorld, Dells new names have nothing to do with Apple. When asked about copying Apples names, Dell executives dismissed the concern, indicating that these are universal terms that consumers are already familiar with. Umm, why are they familiar terms? Maybe because Apple uses them? Perhaps?But wait! The Dell naming goes one step further, providing that Dell isnt copying Apple! Says PCWorld:Under each tier, computers will also be split up into three more sub-categories.Baseis, well, the base modelPlusis a step above thatPremiumis the top-end model in each tierSo that means Dells top-of-the-line laptop will be referred to as the Dell Pro Max (Premium), which is a step above the Dell Pro Max (Plus), which is a step above the Dell Pro Max (Base), which is a step above the Dell Pro (Premium), which isbetter than XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude?Anyway, for as long as Ive been covering Apple and tech in general, there are many things you can count on, and one of those things is that companies copy each other and deny that they are doing so. And another thing you can count on is that PC fanboys will deny that Dell is copying Apple even though it clearly is. Those are sure bets and if I could put money on them, I would.

MacworldToday the Macalope comes not to bury AI but to praise it.Okay, just a little, but still.Faithful readers of the horny ones ribald rants might get the sense from them that the Macalope thinks AI should be hurled into the dustbin of history and taken to the garbage dump of the ages to later be burned in the incinerator of perdition. He is here to assure you that his view on AI is far more nuanced than that.Well, more nuanced. Somewhat. A little more nuanced.Theres definitely a measurable quantity of nuance to be found. Depending on the precision of the instruments used to do the measuring. The Macalope has not read the standards memos published by the National Board of Nuance and hes currently unfamiliar with the tools being used in the nuance measuring industry.They probably have AI in them.Lets describe the Macalopes philosophy on AI as something that works great in certain instances and has great potential thats being aggressively misused and over-applied.Despite the potential, there continue to be problems. Like when Apple Intelligence is making up headlines of fake news and passing them around as real notifications.Look, its no big deal, all it did was say that a boxer that lost a bout won and that a former professional tennis player came out as gay when uh, they had not at all come out as gay in any way.As if the disinformation age could get any worse, we now have machines churning out random, entirely wrong information on events that it had a 50/50 chance of getting right.The boxing one. The sexuality one, thats complicated. Well, maybe there are draws in boxing. There definitely are in sexuality.[wink]IDG(The Macalope doesnt know what that means, either.)Whatever the case, we dont need to worry. Apple is on it! According to the BBC, Apple is working on a software change to further clarify when the notifications are summaries that have been generated by the Apple Intelligence system.This person won a boxing match. (Disclaimer: Apple Intelligence has no idea who won this match, honestly. Its so tired.) Fantastic. Problem solved.Tim Cook loves summaries, by the way. Or so he keeps saying. Not sure which ones hes reading. Probably not these.The thing is, while AI does not seem good at these tasks, there are still things it really is good at. They just happen to be defined tasks performed on defined data sets. And hows someone supposed to get rich off of that?AI is quite good at providing suggested solutions for technical problems. Ask it for code snippets or how to fix computer problems and it will usually come back with something helpful. Probably still best not to just cut and paste if youre working on nuclear reactor software, but its definitely good enough for web work. Heck, AI has already helped at least one member of the Macalopes family fix a computer problem without his intervention. If he can get out of the business of being free technical support for certain family member, so much the better.So, is AI without merit? Quite the contrary. Its incredibly useful in certain, defined instances. But it should be being implemented more judiciously and not being summarily shoved into everything. Your faucet, for example, does not need AI.To let you know how crazy that is, the Macalope just typed ai faucet into DuckDuckGo and was 100 percent sure hed get a hit without having looked previously.Also, just gonna throw it out there based on the second search he did: can someone hack these AI-powered caddies sometime soon? The Macalope really needs to see the video of golfers being chased across the fairway by them. Preferably set to Yakety Sax. TIA.To highlight one of the problems with AI, these are billed as AI-powered golf carts, but thats not what they are. You ride in golf carts. Because these just carry your clubs, theyre replacements for caddies, not carts. If caddies were unionized, AI-powered scabs would be more correct than AI-powered golf carts. So much of AI revolves around how to put someone out of a job.Its also just easy to make fun of AI. When the fruit is so low and so wonderfully ripe, whats a mythical beast to do?Okay, okay. The Macalope was going to say nice things about AI today. He does see great potential in AI long-term. The problem is less AI than it is the people trying to ram it into everything to make a buck. When it becomes clear what is going to work and what isntbasically when the technology becomes as boring as touch screens and tapping to pay for somethingmaybe we can enjoy it more.