Cas Sestadors / MIEL ArquitectosSave this picture!© Jose HeviaHouses•Algaida, Spain Architects: MIEL Arquitectos Area Area of this architecture project Area:  450 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Jose Hevia Lead Architects: Elodie Grammont, Miguel Angel Borras More SpecsLess Specs this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Halfway between the Puig de Randa and the town of Montuiri, Cas Sestadors was born in the shade of two agricultural sheds that have been there for thirty years.this picture!this picture!Like a soft body, the house conquers the space under the roofs, flowing between the Cartesian sea of concrete pillars. The house absorbs them in its center and sets them back on the perimeter, it generates eaves, terraces, and porches; it enhances its constructive beauty and preserves the insulating continuity of the new ventilated sandstone skin. A new coating for this way of living among sheep, all "made in Mallorca".this picture!this picture!The terrace to the South extends beyond its porch to find a pool that, dressed as a garden pond, assimilates the ethnological rhythms of the qanawat of Son Trobat, the hydraulic system that feeds the agricultural development and dates back to the Middle Ages.this picture!this picture!A bridge between these two cabins gives rise to the cloister, the entry patio to the house. An entrance that is also a kitchen; it is the machine that makes living a habit ... three times a day ... a vital tuning fork that gathers, connects, nourishes, and occasionally fulfills.this picture!this picture!Each deck houses its own living room, introspective to the Northand extroverted to the South. And finally, located at the poles furthest from the entry, are the bedrooms; for friends, children, and the master bedroom, all absorbed by the deep views of the surrounding landscape framed by the carob tree forest that surrounds Cas Sestadors.this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeMIEL ArquitectosOffice••• Published on May 21, 2025Cite: "Cas Sestadors / MIEL Arquitectos" 21 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream #cas #sestadors #miel #arquitectos

The Vessel Glass Balustrade in NY | © Benny Rotlevy via Unsplash Designing a modern home depends heavily on choosing the correct details. Architects, designers, and homeowners have shown a dramatic increase in their interest in glass balustrades. Glass balustrades are safe, stylish, and sleek, and they modernize any part of your home, whether inside or outside. If you aim to modernize your home’s appearance during renovations, the features and benefits of glass balustrades make them your prime consideration. Unmatched Visual Elegance Glass balustrades are the epitome of minimalist design. The transparency of the construction of glass balustrades allows for unrestricted views and, together with the feeling of freedom, outlines rooms as open and airy. In contrast to historic materials, including wood or metal, glass railings keep views clear and harmonize with the rest of the design scheme. If you have a staircase, balcony, or terrace, using a glass balustrade will update the room with a modern look. Maximized Natural Light High-quality, bright, natural light is highly prized in modern spaces, and glass balustrades are designed to allow it. Penetration of sunlight into the region helps reduce daytime artificial light and provides a pleasant, airy ambiance. Such a feature is handy in multi-level houses, as the enclosed balconies or staircases look very narrow and dim. Low Maintenance One of glass balustrades’ significant advantages is the simplicity of care they demand. Unlike wood or wrought iron, glass does not need sealing and staining to retain its looks. Taking care of glass is easy: Just use glass cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe it off. Because glass is not scratched or tinted, these balustrades will remain as pristine as possible after several years. Increased Property Value Glass Balustrade | © Quentin Basnier via Unsplash Details | © Gregoire Jeanneau via Unsplash A home that looks contemporary, offers plenty of space, and is brightly lit is sure to draw buyers’ attention and increase in worth. Using glass balustrades as a design feature is a luxury, as they can quickly give a home a contemporary feel. For homeowners, sellers, and renters alike, a glass balustrade is a worthwhile investment to increase curb appeal and marketability. Personalized Designs  Glass balustrades offer a wide range of configurations and styles. Choose either a frameless or semi-frameless style or framed alternatives to match your home’s style and privacy needs. Tinted or frosted glass also offers an extra touch of style and privacy considerations, along with the ability to use hardware finishes that will fit nicely with your home’s overall look. Ideal for Indoor and Outdoor Use Glass balustrades are adaptable and can fit in a range of spaces. Indoors, they work best on staircases, landings, and mezzanine levels. Externally, they also grace balconies, patios, decks, and pools. For homes Sydney residents looking to renovate, the use of glass complements contemporary and coastal aesthetics common in the region. If you’re going to spruce up your home, installing a glass balustrade can serve as both decoration and functionality. It fulfills all demands, such as a great look, guaranteed safety, versatility, and simple maintenance. Whether you want to make small changes or larger overhauls, the use of glass balustrades can add a dramatic impact to any environment. From luxury penthouses to coastal retreats, glass balustrades are redefining modern living one clear panel at a time. Glass by ArchEyes Team Leave a comment #why #glass #balustrades #are #ultimate

Much like the gaming industry, entertainment has long been at war with piracy. But while gamers often turn to piracy to preserve titles lost to digital delistings or scarce physical copies, anime and manga fans, especially in earlier eras, relied on illicit means simply to access the content. Before widespread licensing, piracy played a crucial role in spreading anime and manga’s popularity, ultimately attracting major players like Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu, HIDIVE, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus to invest. Legal options exist today, but licensing agreements and regional restrictions still keep much of anime and manga locked away from international fans. Now that corporations have staked their claim, piracy is under heavy fire. High-profile shutdowns have hit sites like AnimeSuge, AnimeWave, 123Anime, and just this week, the major manga scans hub, Manga Dex. As anime’s global popularity soars, video piracy is also an issue, prompting Japan to crack down with a strategy of overwhelming platforms with copyright infringement claims, investing in groundbreaking new anti-piracy AI programs, and having anime and manga leakers arrested by the Kumamoto prefectural police’s cybercrime division. Two people, including a Tokyo company owner, were arrested by Kumamoto in 2024 for allegedly violating copyright law by posting leaked manga magazine images online ahead of the official release — reportedly obtained by bribing bookstore staff, according to Weekly Shonen Jump owner Shueisha. According to Japan Times, Japan plans to deploy AI to combat anime and manga piracy, targeting over 1,000 sites that publishers say cost the industry billions annually. A 300 million yenpilot program uses image and text detection to track infringing content. Although it is unknown when this program is to be deployed or how effective it would be, the model is part of the “Cool Japan” initiative to further strengthen the ties between other countries. The initiative mirrors South Korea’s investment in technology to detect piracy. According to Korean outlet Money Today, via Comic Book Resources, a new Ministry of Science and ICT report outlines plans to replace manual piracy detection with AI systems, aiming to automatically track illegal streaming sites as part of a broader strategy to boost the global competitiveness of Korea’s online video industry. While it’s clear that anime and manga piracy hurts both the industry and its creators, the issue isn’t simply about people avoiding payment — accessibility remains a major barrier. Publishers need to meet global demand through wider international access, because enhancing legal services is a key step toward addressing the root causes of piracy and the demand it fulfills. #whats #going #with #manga #anime

When CRISPR was first introduced as a gene-editing tool in 2012, the world was in awe of all the possibilities it held — eventually earning its discoverers the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. Now, after years of refining the technology and running clinical trials, gene-editing has taken a major leap toward personalized medicine.As Kiran Musunuru, professor of Translational Research in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, put it in a press statement, “The promise of gene therapy that we’ve heard about for decades is coming to fruition, and it’s going to utterly transform the way we approach medicine.”Musunuru and a team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine have successfully treated a baby boy with a rare metabolic disorder using personalized CRISPR therapy. Their case study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrates the powerful potential of precision gene editing for rare diseases.A Child Living With a Rare DiseaseIronically, rare genetic diseases aren’t as uncommon as they sound. In the U.S., about 1 in 10 people live with a rare disorder. What makes them “rare” is that each individual condition typically affects fewer than 2,000 people, making research and treatment development incredibly challenging.One of those affected is KJ. He was born with CPS1 deficiency, a urea cycle disorder caused by the absence of a key enzyme the body needs to eliminate ammonia — a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism. Since liver transplants aren’t viable until patients are older, this condition carries a 50 percent mortality rate in early infancy.Fortunately, Musunuru and Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, director of the Gene Therapy for Inherited Metabolic Disorders Frontier Program, had been studying this class of disorders for years and reached out to KJ’s family shortly after his diagnosis.“We thought it was our responsibility to help our child, so when the doctors came to us with their idea, we put our trust in them in the hopes that it could help not just KJ but other families in our position,” said his mother, Nicole Muldoon in the press release.CRISPR — Scissors for Your DNA In just six months, the researchers developed a personalized treatment. In February 2025, KJ received his first infusion — a dose of CRISPR components delivered to his liver using lipid nanoparticles.CRISPRacts like a smart pair of molecular scissors. In KJ’s case, it was custom-designed to find the faulty gene and fix the error — like correcting a typo in his DNA.After receiving multiple doses, KJ has shown significant improvement. He’s now able to eat more protein and recover from everyday childhood illnesses without the dangerous ammonia buildup that once threatened his life. Even better, he’s had no serious side effects from the treatment.“While KJ will need to be monitored carefully for the rest of his life, our initial findings are quite promising,” added Ahrens-Nicklas.Expanding Success to More PatientsThis breakthrough builds on years of foundational research and collaboration. For KJ and his family, the little boy's seemingly endless hospital stay now comes to end.“We’re so excited to be able to finally be together at home so that KJ can be with his siblings, and we can finally take a deep breath,” said his father, Kyle Muldoon, in the statement.“Years and years of progress in gene editing and collaboration between researchers and clinicians made this moment possible, and while KJ is just one patient, we hope he is the first of many to benefit from a methodology that can be scaled to fit an individual patient’s needs,” added Ahrens-Nicklas.This case offers a hopeful path forward — one where gene-editing may now fulfill its bright promise to save patients with no other treatment options.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Read More: CRISPR Eliminates Targeted Tumors by 50 PercentArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Jackson Laboratory: What Is CRISPR?Karolinska Institutet: More and more people with unusual diseases are diagnosedNew England Journal of Medicine: Patient-Specific In Vivo Gene Editing to Treat a Rare Genetic DiseaseHaving worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard. #crispr #fulfills #its #promise #with

After farmers filed suit, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to restore climate information to webpages it took down soon after President Donald Trump took office this year.The US Department of Justice filed a letter late last night on behalf of the USDA that says the agency “will restore the climate-change-related web content that was removed post-inauguration, including all USDA webpages and interactive tools” that were named in the plaintiffs’ complaint. It says the work is already “underway” and should be mostly done in about two weeks. If the Trump administration fulfills that commitment, it’ll be a significant victory for farmers and other Americans who rely on scientific data that has disappeared from federal websites since January.“We’re ecstatic.”“I’ll be real frank, it feels good to win one, right? Farmers have been so put upon by the actions of this administration that, you know, it feels good to be able to say, we have something for you. This is back. You can rely on these resources,” says Marcie Craig, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. “We’re ecstatic.”The group filed suit in February alongside two environmental organizations, alleging that the USDA threatened organic farmers’ livelihoods by removing information they relied on to help them make decisions about planting crops and managing their land — key resources as climate change leads to more unpredictable and extreme weather. One of the resources removed by the USDA is an online tool called the “Climate Risk Viewer” that showed the impacts of climate change on rivers and water sheds, and how that might affect water supplies in the future.“We’re really glad that USDA recognized that this blatantly unlawful purge is harming farmers and researchers and advocates all across the country, and we’re ready to ensure that USDA follows through on this promise,” Jeffrey Stein, an associate attorney with the nonprofit legal organization Earthjustice that represented the plaintiffs, tells The Verge. The initial complaint accused the USDA of violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that gives the public the right to access key records from any federal agency, the Paperwork Reduction Act that stipulates adequate notice before changing access to information, and the Administrative Procedure Act that governs the way federal agencies develop regulations. President Trump’s backing of the fossil fuel industry has also stripped farmers of federal funding through climate-related programs. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York has lost nearly half of its budget this year due to funding freezes, which it has been trying to make up for through donations, according to Craig. “This has been one of so many cuts. You know, pain by a thousand cuts,” Craig says. “This [legal victory] was good … then, of course, after the initial feeling, you sit back, you take a breath, and you say, ‘and we still have a whole lot of work to do.’”See More: Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/666150/farmers-organic-lawsuit-trump-usda-website-climate-change-data #farmers #win #legal #fight #bring #climate #resources #back #federal #websites

In this guest post, Sakura Rabbit (@Sakura_Rabbiter) shares how she approaches art production and provides tips for creating a realistic character in Unity.I finally got some free time as of late and it got me thinking… How about I write something about character creation? I’ve just finished creating several characters in a row, and I’m quite familiar with the entire creation process. I’m not referring to things like the art design of worldviews, character backgrounds, or character implementation techniques. There are already plenty of articles that elaborate on those topics, so I won’t touch on them here.What else, then? After giving it some thought, I’ve decided to prepare an article about producing realistic characters in the Unity Editor.You might be thinking, “What brings Sakura Rabbit to this topic?” Alas, it’s all because I’ve gone through an uphill journey learning the skill from scratch. I’m writing this so you can learn from my mistakes and reduce errors in your work.Now, let’s get started!Generally speaking, the implementation process of a character model involves the following steps:1. Three-view drawing → 2. Prototype model → 3. High-precision model → 4. Low-polygon topology → 5. UV splitting → 6. Baking normal map → 7. Mapping → 8. Skin rigging → 9. Skeletal and vertex animation → 10,. Shader in the engine → 11. Rendering in the engine → 12. Real-time physics in the engine → 13. Animation application and animator → 14. Character controller/AI implementation → 15. Special effects, voice, sound effects, etc.There are 15 steps in total. The process might seem complicated, but from a character design standpoint, all these factors and details will influence how your character will ultimately be displayed in your game engine. Therefore, these numerous steps are necessary for the final product to achieve the desired effect. The entire process takes a long time, and all the steps must be done in a specific sequence – every step is crucial. If one isn’t done properly or if you try to cut corners, the final product will be directly affected.Let’s start by looking at the preliminary preparation work of art production. The 15 steps previously mentioned can be summarized into four main phases:Original drawing → modeling → animation → renderingIsn’t this much simpler? Now, let’s get straight to the point. Through my hands-on experience, I’ve learned some things – hopefully you find them useful in your own project!First of all, you should set up some checkpoints before you start. I’m going to skip the usual ones, such as the vertex counts, the size of the map, the number of bones, etc. Instead, I’m going to focus on the following:I’d like this character to have a human skeleton, since this will affect the subsequent AI implementation. The human skeleton is advantageous because it enables you to use the motion capture device or interval animation library to quickly create a set of high-quality animations that can be used on the controller or AI.In addition, you also need to plan ahead on the material effects you want for your character. To produce the desired effects, preliminary steps such as the UV, edge distribution, and mapping are indispensable. If you only think about them after completing the model and animation, you will most likely end up reworking your design. It’s best to think about effects ahead of time to avoid doing more work later.For some physics effects of the character, physical processing is required for certain components and must be done independently. This is another criterion you need to consider beforehand.With these checkpoints in place, the next step is implementation. Here’s how to get started.To ensure your character creation process runs smoothly, it’s important that the first step, namely the original drawing, is done carefully. Failure to do this properly beforehand may affect the structure or effects in the subsequent steps. Keep the following in mind when drawing to facilitate what you need to do next.Model: You need to make the drawing suitable for modeling. For example, will the structure of what you draw be difficult to implement during modeling? Will it be challenging to distribute the edges for certain structures when making low-polygon topology?Animation: Likewise, you need to make the drawing suitable for animation. For example, will rigging be difficult for certain parts of the animation? Which structure does not conform to the human skeleton?Shader: Next, you need to take into account shader implementation. Ask yourself: Will the shader of the material effect I draw be difficult to implement? How about the performance? How about the classification of materials? Does it come with special effects? Can it be implemented using one pass or multiple passes?Physics: Which structure requires simulated computation? How is the motion executed?By keeping all these in mind when drawing, you can streamline your work in the subsequent steps.Tip: When drawing a human body, you can use a 3D modeling software to assist you with the process. Not only will this improve your efficiency, but also ensure structural and perspectival relationships are correct.For modeling, the same rules apply – that is, take into consideration the steps that follow. Modeling must be done properly, and factors such as UV mapping, edge distribution, and material classifications must also be planned in advance. Modeling is the most critical part of the process since it needs to go through the animation process before it gets to rendering. If there is an issue in rendering, then the modeling and animation processes must be reworked.Mapping: You need to make the model suitable for mapping as well. Which structures can share the UV? Can you maximize the use of pixels of the map? Which components require Alpha?Animation: You need to consider how facial expressions are created in blend shape and how the model should be divided for UV. Also, you need to identify the body structures that require animation and determine how the edges should be distributed to make the rigging of the model more natural.Shader: Now it’s time to think about how the UV should be arranged so that it can deliver special effects for the implementation of shaders, as well as identifying which materials need to be separated when classifying modeling materials.Physics: Similarly, you need to distribute the edges properly to make the simulated effects appear more natural.When creating a model, the best way to avoid reworking is to take into account the subsequent steps and make plans in advance.Tip: When drawing high-polygon models in ZBrush or other software, it isn’t necessary to include minor detailed textures. Due to the resolution limit, the effect of the details will be very poor after being made into a map through direct baking. These details should be separated using Mask ID in the shader and added through Detail Map. Remember not to include them in the main map!Adding details in the shader directly is the way to go.During model rigging, it’s good practice to export files one by one in .obj format and then import them into the animation software to preserve your model’s authenticity. Then, check the normal orientations of the model, the layers of the file, and the allocation of the shader to see if there are any issues. If everything is good, you can proceed with model rigging.Bone positions play a key role in model rigging since they will decide whether the movement at the joints is natural. Let me say this again: it is extremely important! You will find yourself in trouble if the skin weight was fine, but the bone positions were wrong.Tip: Let’s use the hip bone, which is located in the middle of the rear, as an example. If you want the movement to look natural, the positioning of the bone must be accurate. Otherwise, the animation will be deformed when using the motion capture device or when applying it to other animations.At this stage, you’re very close to the final step of your work. Still, you can’t afford to take things lightly. There are several issues you should consider during the creation process:Model: Check the model again to make sure the orientation of the normals are aligned properly, the soft and hard edges are fine, the classification of the model components and materials is done correctly, the components that require blend shape are combined, and the materials and naming are handled.Animation: Determine whether the current bone structure meets the humanoid requirement in the engine.Shader: Check again whether the structures that require the effect are split.Physics: Identify the parts of the simulation that use bones and the ones that use vertices.Now, you have completed all the preliminary work before using the engine. Next, we need to import the entire set of the model map into Unity and merge all our preliminary work.Tip: When working on the skin weight, you can switch between the skinning software and the engine to test the effect. When the character is animated, it’s easier to identify problems. See the image below as an example. When the character is moving, you can see there’s a glitch when her scapula reaches a certain angle. This is due to the vertex weight not being smooth enough.Thanks to the checkpoints you set previously, the implementation process should be a walk in the park.For the shader, all you need to do is set or create the material for the separated components independently, as you will have already classified the materials during the model-making process. For animation adaptation, you can use the humanoid of Unity directly since you will have set the human skeleton standard beforehand. This way, you can save a lot of time on the animation work.In addition, you can also apply motion capture to further reduce our workload. If the blend shape you have made fulfills ARKit naming conventions, you can directly perform a facial motion capture to produce the animation of the facial blend shape.Tip: If you use Advanced Skeleton to do your rigging, the alignment of the character's scapula and shoulder nodes will most likely be incorrect when imported into Unity. To solve this, adjust it manually on the humanoid interface.Well, that’s it! In summary, throughout the character creation process, from original drawing to modeling, animation to rendering, I recommend a results-oriented approach and determining the steps that you should take to achieve the result you want. Furthermore, you should also have a thorough understanding of the entire production process so that you always know what to do next and what to take note of in the current step.Please share my post if you found it helpful!/ / / (^_^) Sakura Rabbit 樱花兔Sakura Rabbit’s character art was featured on the cover of our e-book, The definitive guide to creating advanced visual effects in Unity, which you can access for free here. See more from Sakura Rabbit on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and her FanBox page, where this article was originally published. Check out more blogs from Made with Unity developers here. المصدر: https://unity.com/blog/games/advanced-tips-for-character-art-production-in-unity #Advanced #tips #for #character #art #production #Unity