10 things to get you ready for the 4th of july

10 things to get you ready for the 4th of july

to celebrate the 4th of july, designboom has compiled a list of 10 things that might get you extra ready for a day celebrating all things american–whether it be paper BBQ’s or a hot tub boat for watching the fireworks, we’ve got you covered. take a look below at some of the design, art and architectural projects we’ve published in the past, all related to the excitment leading up to independence day

1. a la plage, a la piscine: aerial beach photographs by gray malin
image © gray malin

shooting from doorless helicopters, west hollywood-based photographer gray malin has taken bird’s eye view images that capture the spirit of summer from the USA to brazil, australia to south africa in his series ‘à la plage, à la piscine. from above, colorful shots of beaches in rio de janeiro, dubai and even lisbon showcase people as patterns, as they bask in the sun beside crowd-packed pools or oasis-like waterfronts.

a birds eye view overlooking ocean beach, USA
image © gray malin

2.BBQ grill crafted entirely out of paper by zim & zou
image courtesy zim & zou

rather than composing images on a computer, lucie thomas and thibault zimmermann of french creative studio zim&zou, have the visual of a barbeque grill filled with meat out of paper. the project entitled ‘BBQ’ is originally derived from intricate illustrations, which are then translated into a three-dimensional installation. just in time for summer, these images capture a selection of 1:1 scale delicious card-stock steaks, chicken drum sticks, skewers and good ol’ fashioned hotdogs.

hot dogs anyone?
image courtesy zim & zou

conceived as part the beck’s record label project, 19th century technology meets 21st century in beck’s music playing beer bottle.  working together with creative agency shine, the glass bottle draws reference from thomas edison’s original phonograph, with inscribed grooves on the surface which can be played on a specially-built device. conceived in collaboration with auckland’s gyro constructivist crew, the concept was developed using a record-cutting lathe, driven by a hard drive recording head and special software. at a technical level, edison’s original cylinder player is ultimately reinvented using modern materials and electronic components at very fine tolerances.

the beck’s edison bottle
video courtesy shine

4. fire painted and tattooed surfboards by walker
image © grant hancock

crafted in southern australia by walker in collaboration with artists stephen bowers and quentin gore, the surfboards are constructed using solid paulownia laminated to a marine ply skeletal frame. they are functioning works of art, sealed internally and waterproofed external through a fiberglass coating. an air vent in the deck allows the board to breath, regulating the internal air pressure.

take your surfboard for a grill

warmer weather brings the perfect climate for riding bikes and enjoying nature by having a picnic in the park. dutch designer jeriël bobbe of bloon design brings the joys of these activities together with ‘springtime’, a concept for a picnic basket system which has been conceived in such a way that it can easily be attached to a bike rack for easy transportation. including the typical objects such as plates, cups and cutlery along with ample space to store your food, it also boasts extra amenities in the form of a table for two and chairs, offering more comfort to picnickers.

the picnic basket system offers the comforts of finer dining with an integrated table for two and chairs

fusing millimeter-thick slices of genuine slate with premium birch wood, portland-based shwood eyewear have developed their hand crafted limited edition hand-crafted ‘stone collection’. hand-poured pewter inlays complete the look, creating the perfect balance between rugged and refined, continuing to reflect on the companies experimental manufacturing approach with nature. the frames incorporate 100% UVA/UVB protection with carl zeiss lenses imported from italy, and comes packaged with a custom felt pouch with an embroidered leather patch.

look stone cold with these slate-based glasses

7. hot tub boats controlled by joystick

engineered and built in seattle, by a marine carpenter ‘the hot tub boat’ utilizes a vinyl-ester hull topped with a slatted deck handcrafted from african teak. positioned on the vessel’s center of buoyancy, the vessel provides exceptional stability –  drafting only 20 inches, even when filled with its maximum load of 2,100 lbs of water and six adult bathers. an integrated diesel-powered boiler with an adjustable thermostat heats the tub’s water to a maximum 104° F – also powering the built-in waterproof MP3 stereo system plays through its two flush-mounted 50-watt speakers that pop-up from the deck. a 24-volt electric motor propels the boat up to 8 km/h on calm water, steered via a joystick. a rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of power from an overnight charge using its built-in ‘smart plug shore power connection’ and on-board chargers.

gander at the fireworks in style with your own private hot tub boat

8. lomography konstruktor DIY 35mm SLR camera kit
image courtesy lomography

erfect for those interested in learning, understanding and experiencing how analogue photography works, lomography has created the world’s first fully functional DIY 35mm SLR camera kit. known as the ‘konstruktor’, the un-assembled photography device is designed to be easily built at the comfort of ones home;  it can usually be completed in 1-2 hours. the ‘konstruktor’ is equipped with a detachable 50mm F/10 lens and ‘N’ and ‘B’ modes for regular and long exposures. in addition, the camera also features a tripod thread for stability and an uncoupled shutter release and advance, so users can easily produce multiple exposure photos with shutter speeds of 1/80s.

build your own camera and document the day
video courtesy lomography

9. dust: tucson mountain retreat, arizona
image © jeff goldberg / esto

the sonoran desert is mystical landscape replete with warm hues and expanses of arid-appropriate greenery. among the eroded sculptures of rocky outcroppings and complex reliefs of nearby arroyos, a rammed earth home designed by local firm dust lightly touches the landscape. the tucson-based architecture, construction and fabrication team comprised of jesus robles and cade hayes, has imbued their first project with the sacred weight of the landscape. the home values its approach through a winding desert path of lush desert plants until the architecture emerges from the harsh scenery dotted with cacti and palo verde, a native desert shrub. the entryway is series of concrete volumes that dissolve into the desert floor, yet playfully lead to the quiet aperture of the glazed front space. the rammed earth construction creates meandering lateral lines across the planes of the house, serving to refer to both a topographic horizon and the richly layered skin of the earth within and throughout that structure. 

sit by the campfire and roast some marshmallows surrounded by nature

10. dmvA: swimming pool k, belgium

during the renovation of a 17th century gentleman’s house in the flemish region of belgium, the adjoining property, then an abandoned school, went up for sale and was promptly purchased. since the building bordered the client’s garden, the idea of a panoramic swimming pool became the optimal program for the schoolhouse roof. the dmvA design required a system of columns and beams created the skeleton inserted into the brick structure to support the pristine white-walled basin. the pool’s building systems also opened the remaining space of the building to become a livable relaxation space with a ground floor open kitchen and a mixed use first level. the immaculate planes
white-out the rustic brick of the surrounding structures, save for the warm hues of the roof. the norbertine masonry of the grimbergen abbey tower cuts into the otherwise uninterrupted sky above the pool wall edge.

or, cool off from the summer heat by the pool