Discarded textiles crocheted into brittle skeletal sculptures

Halloween may be well behind us but we’ll always make time for a bit of delightfully spooky art, especially if it involves recycled materials. Philadelphia-based artist Caitlin McCormack brings to life fantastic skeletal beasts in Lazarus Taxa, her new show of crocheted skeletons made of discarded textile materials coated in enamel paint. These beautifully intricate artworks are typically pinned against black velvet, like specimens.

McCormack began crocheting skeletons as early as 2010 and uses a tiny hook to crochet each individual bone. While some skeletal creatures are created from her imagination, she’ll also often reference science books and make sketches to help flesh out an idea. To give the works their skeletal appearance, McCormack repeatedly dredges the crocheted form in a mixture of glue; the final hardened material is similar to brittle bone tissue.

Related: Fragile Skeletons: Dynamic Animal Sculptures Made from Salvaged Driftwood

Her new show, Lazarus Taxa, is titled after the term describing species that disappear and reappear from the fossil record. “In this body of work, McCormack explores how repressed memories come back as monstrous and warped versions of original events,” writes Paradigm Gallery + Studio, which will exhibit Lazarus Taxa from October 27 to December 9. “The series suggests the monstrosity that is produced when one attempts to forget and the festering of trauma that eventually returns.” Over 50 fiber sculptures will be represented, many entwined in a macabre tapestry of skeletal shapes.

+ Caitlin McCormack

Via Colossal

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Colorful Peoples Pavilion in Eindhoven is made from 100% borrowed materials

All the materials needed to build this temporary pavilion in the Netherlands are borrowed. bureau SLA and Overtreders W built the People’s Pavilion – a centerpiece of the Dutch Design Week (DDW) taking place in Eindhoven – using materials from suppliers and Eindhoven residents which will be returned after the event closes. The only exception is the faceted upper façade, which is made of plastic household waste materials collected by Eindhoven residents.

The People’s Pavilion will function as the main pavilion of the World Design Event in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, which provides a platform for future makers from all over the world. It will also be used as a meeting place and hang-out for visitors and serves as a venue for music and theater.

Related: Spectacular origami pavilion made of recycled plastic pops up in Columbus, Indiana

The 269-square-foot (25-square-meter) building can accommodate 200 seated or 600 standing people. Its structure is based on 12 concrete foundation piles and 19 wooden frames, designed in collaboration with Arup. Steel straps hold together wooden beams, while concrete piles and frames are connected with 350 tensioning straps. The glass roof resembles those used in the greenhouse industry.

Related: The Folkets House is an inclusive space where refugees can learn skills and find jobs

Colorful plastic tiles cover the upper façade of the building and are made from recycled plastic household waste. Leftovers from a refurbishment of BOL.com’s headquarters were used for the glass portion of the façade on the ground floor and will be reused for a new office space after the Dutch Design Week concludes. All the materials, including concrete slabs used for the podium, lighting, heating and bar are borrowed.

+ bureau SLA

+ Overtreders W

+ Dutch Design Week 

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Architects design incredible cat shelters to raise money for LA's strays

Did you know that Los Angeles is home to the country’s largest populations of stray cats? There’s an estimated one to three million homeless felines in the city – but local architects are helping to support these strays by designing incredible cat shelters. Every year Architects for Animals hosts the “Giving Shelter” event to raise funds for FixNation, a non-profit organization that provides free spaying and neutering services for homeless cats. Take a look at some of this year’s shelter designs after the jump!

Every year, LA’s top architects and designers are invited to design unique architecturally-minded outdoor dwellings for cats. The shelters are then displayed at a public event where they are put on auction to raise funds.

According to FixNation’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Karn Myers, the designs get better each year, “This year’s cat shelters were extraordinarily creative, and the designers put a great deal of time and thought into how cats would actually interact with the shelters. They are truly works of art with a practical application, and all the shelters are showcased in our online auction as well.”

Related: Architects for Animals Design Shelters for Stray Cats Out of Recycled Materials

This year, there were 13 cat shelters on display – and each one took a totally different approach. Abramson Teiger Architects gave a nod to a classic feline favorite with their ball of twine hut. The team from HOX grouped various cotton-lined pipes into one shiftable shelter.

LA-based d3architecture created an industrial-inspired cat house made of ventilation tubing that is sure to spark cats’ adventurous side. And HKS Architects took on the long-standing rivalry between cats and birds, topping their creation with various bird houses.

+ FixNation

Via Archdaily

Images via FixNation

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Five bridges topped with urban farms could revitalize war-torn Mosul

Architect Vincent Callebaut recently unveiled plans to rebuild war-torn Mosul as a sustainable, self-sufficient city. Callebaut’s proposal includes five bridges built with stalactite-inspired housing amid self-sustaining urban farms that run on solar power and advanced hydroponic systems.

After months of intense fighting, the Islamic State was finally pushed out of the Mosul in summer of 2017. The city had been occupied since 2014, and much of the urban areas have been destroyed over the years, including the beloved five bridges that span the Tigris River. Callebaut believes the bridges could be rebuilt as inhabited spaces covered in self-sustaining urban farms.

Related: Visionary eco-resort design for the Philippines features rotating seashell towers

The architect submitted his design, 5 Farming Bridges, to a competition that sought potential designs and ideas to rebuild the war-torn city: “Rebuilding Iraq’s Liberated Areas: Mosul’s Housing“. The proposal features mountainous 3D-printed buildings covered with urban farms that would guarantee food independence while providing excellent thermal insulation.

The buildings on the bridges are inspired by the Islamic Muqarnas – ornamental vaults – and the homes are stacked in a vertically efficient manner. Wind chimneys would be installed in the new urban areas to provide cool natural air circulation using the thermal energy of the rivers. Solar water heaters would provide hot water thanks to hundreds of photovoltaic-clad pergolas.

The bridges’ many farms and orchards would be irrigated with water from the river. Gray water from the communities would be recycled and filtered by plants in lagoon waterfalls that cascade off the bridges into the river below. Biomass composters would be used to fertilize the various suspended vegetable gardens, creating an amazing, self-sufficient urban oasis.

+ Vincent Callebaut

Images by Vincent Callebaut

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10 adorable DIY Halloween costumes for pets

Halloween is here, which means it’s the best excuse of the year to play dress-up with your pets. In fact, seeing our furry friends in costume have become one of our favorite parts of the spooky holiday—who can say no to a superhero-costumed dog? Of course, while our photogenic pets might not be as excited about their new outfits as we are, it’s important that their adorable ensembles are safe and comfortable for them to wear. If you need help figuring out how to dress up your pet this year, or just want to gush over adorable costumed animals, keep reading for our round up of eight fantastic DIY costumes you (and hopefully your pet) will love.

Little Shop of Horrors

Every year the Halloween wonder dogs Gryphon and Phoenix pose as elaborate renditions of their owner’s favorite characters and films. Their spot on ode to Little Shop of Horrors is a hilarious depiction of Seymour and his man eating plant Audrey II. This fantastic illusion is picture perfect ready.

RELATED: Announcing Inhabitots’ 2016 Halloween Costume Contest! ENTER NOW!

Bat Pup Dog

Is there anything cuter than a puppy wearing tiny costume wings? Maybe if that pup was dressed up in a Batman-inspired ensemble with eco-friendly sparkle felt batwings! Simon Seguss dressed up his little dog Leo in a Bat Pup costume complete with a recycled Batman t-shirt.

Star Wars AT-AT

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious this year, try your Je-DIY hand at this stunning Star Wars AT-AT dog costume. Artist and Star Wars enthusiast Katie Mello created this hilarious and impressively detailed costume for her dog.

Zombie Dog

This zombie dog costume is easily created with a bit of creative grooming. Use Pet Paint for blood accents, BarkArt Blow Pens for brains, Dog Crayons around the eyes, fried rice as maggots, and candy blood as blood. Some hand-cut stencils create the illusion of leg and paw bones, and latex and some shedding hair make for pretty realistic zombie flesh. Now that’s a good dog gone bad.

Chia Pet

Turn your pup into a real live Chia Pet with his adorable green getup. All you’ll need to do is glue plants (freshly picked clovers or plastic aquarium plants) onto a dog sweater and then finish the costume by creating ‘plant pot’ legs from orange felt and muslin.

Zero the Dog from the Nightmare Before Christmas

When Anyel Torres and her family decided to dress up as characters from the Nightmare Before Christmas, they couldn’t resist getting the family dog involved. She transformed their pet poodle into Zero the Dog with an easy DIY costume made from socks, a pillowcase, and a toy pumpkin nose.

The Min Pin Rooster

Instead of transforming your pooch into a pop culture icon, why not try the path less traveled by dressing her up as a different species? That’s what Corey Drew of Pet Lounge Studios did with his miniature pinscher in this hilarious rooster getup made by sewing layers of feathers onto pantyhose.

Echo the Patriotic Skydiver

This cute Boston Terrier is repping the U.S.A. in style with her red-white-and-blue costume. Kristin Kittle dressed her dog, Echo, as a Patriotic Skydiver complete with white doggie goggles. The jumpsuit is made from two shades of taffeta with white binding trim, while the parachute pack is made from a deconstructed adult backpack.

Doggie Bag

Get on the pun train with this doggie bag costume. Bindie, the ever-hungry dog, was transformed into a doggie bag made from recycled foam padding covered in fabric. The costume is attached using a velcro enclosure.

75-Pound Roast Turkey

Can’t wait for Thanksgiving? You can channel your anticipation into costume making by turning your dog into a 75-pound roast turkey.

+ Enter the 2016 Green Halloween Costume Contest

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