HBL Exhibitions: Meet Design, Turin

The outdoor: Dror Benshetrit (Tron Armchair for Cappellini) and Philippe Starck (Archimoon for Flos)

After a successful exhibition in the breathtaking scenery of the historic Market of Trajan in Rome (as pictured here), Meet Design is coming to Turin. From 4th November 4 until 25th January 2012, at Palazzo Bertalazone di San Fermo in Turin, the exhibition will take place - coinciding with celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.

To Make A Tree by Fabio Novembre at Qubique

Fiat and Fabio Novembre's To Make A Tree installation is currently on show at Qubique, the next-generation tradeshow taking place in Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport this week.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Qubique

Welter at Qubique 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife highlights the emerging trends from the first-ever Qubique, held at Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport and billed as a "next-generation trade show":

Show your working: Qubique's organisers have dedicated a section of the fair called Qubique Factory to exposing the manufacturing process of esteemed companies such as Thonet, which is showing a steam-bending machine. Other brands and designers show artisans at work within their stands or have installed working machines in their spaces.

Pleating: This traditional technique is applied to materials including paper and wood veneer to imbue solid materials with the flexibility usually associated with fabric and create a surprising contrast.

Imperfection: The flaws and one-off quirks that cause an object to be deemed imperfect or damaged are celebrated as desirable features. These range from the patina of aged and weathered metals to patched and darned rugs, unfinished ceramic surfaces and a timeworn wooden table encased in resin to preserve its appearance.

Subscribers, read the entire live report here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from Dutch Design Week 2011

Rachel Griffin at Design Academy Eindhoven, Dutch Design Week 2011

WGSN-homebuildlife reports on the emerging trends at Dutch Design Week 2011 in Eindhoven:

Haptic experiences: Soft surfaces and unusual textures that invite the user to touch and play are found on the most unexpected of objects. Lighting designs that are draped in fabric, unexpectedly soft surfaces and highly textured hard surfaces are all popular design features.

Design that cares: A prominent theme throughout the exhibitions is design for the sick, disabled and elderly. Designers address specific illnesses such as dementia and diabetes, while others seek to improve social conditions and create a more inclusive society through the manufacturing and making of objects.

Post digital: Many designers explored what kind of design will emerge in the post digital age. While 3D printing, social networking and urbanisation were popular themes, other designers such as Rachel Griffin are exploring how traditional craft and new industrial processes and materials can be intertwined.

Subscribers can read the live briefing here, and can access the full report from the fair early next week.

WELOVEART presents BOOM-box

Taking the concept of a boom-box to the extreme, 1024 Architecture has teamed up with arts events consultancy WELOVEART to install BOOM-box at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. It is an electronic stage that they say will "make u freak".

Paul Smith for Maggie's Centre

Paul Smith has designed the interiors of the newest of the 15 Maggie’s Centre buildings, situated in the grounds of Nottingham City Hospital. The building, which has been designed by architect Piers Gough, will offer support and care for those affected by cancer.

HBL Retail: Clements Ribeiro for John Lewis

Design duo Clements Ribeiro have launched a limited edition cushion for John Lewis. The new design draws inspiration from vintage trends mixed with dip-dye detailing to give the cushion what the pair refer to as a "confident edge". It is available in blue and chocolate brown, and is priced at £75.

HBL Book of the Week: Gaveta de Bolso

Gaveta de Bolso by Juliana Cunha and Luda Lima

Gaveta de Bolso by Juliana Cunha and Luda Lima (Ed. Prólogo, 2011) is a book with a plus: it allows the reader to be part of it. With words by 23 year old Brazilian journalist Juliana and illustrations by 27 year old Ludmila (also Brazilian), Gaveta de Bolso (something like "pocket drawer") is an interactive book, suggesting ideas and lists to be completed by the reader in a playful and quirky way.

Design Academy Eindhoven: Top five graduation projects 2011

The Synergy of Colour by Yannic Alidarso, Design Academy Eindhoven, Art Direction by Petra Janssen, Photography by Femke Rijerman

WGSN-homebuildlife is currently visiting Dutch Design Week 2011 in Eindhoven, a highlight of which is the graduation show at the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. This year the presented projects are organised under the categories of Human, Nurture, Delight, Useful, Conscious, City, Nature and Masters. As explained by Academy Chairwoman and curator of the exhibition Ilse Crawford, the themes are "deliberately ordinary because design is at its best when it addresses real needs. These are all projects that have a firm connection to life and a desire to make sense of it."

Here are our top five projects from the show. Look out for the top twenty projects, which will be published on WGSN-homebuildlife next week.

HBL Retail: The Lollipop Shoppe's new store

British retail brand The Lollipop Shoppe have sent us photos of their new Brighton shop, which opened last week after relocating to The Lanes, a thriving shopping area known for its independent and off-beat stores.

HBL News: The State of World Population 2011

Quinta Monroy housing project by Alejandro Aravena: houses which residents can complete themselves. Image via Elemental

British broadsheet The Observer reported on Sunday that the United Nations' major forthcoming report, The State of World Population 2011, will warn that "the world's population could more than double than 15 billion by the end of this century". Read the full article here.

Meanwhile, with perfect timing, design critic Justin McGuirk's latest column takes as its starting point Gary Justwit's latest documentary, Urbanized, and goes on to consider what makes a city habitable, and the rising popularity of "citizen participation" - from houses which residents complete themselves to community gardens in abandoned areas of Detroit. Read it here.

HBL Tradeshows: Live from High Point

Jonathan Adler at High Point 2011

Decorative accessories are refreshed with the revival of nested product, while black and white colour combinations see no sign of fading for the interior market. Here's our edit of the emerging trends from High Point Market's Fall 2011 edition.