The Everyday Revolution Collaborates with 23 of Singapore’s Up and Coming Fashion Designers

By Vanessa Ng and Marisse Reyes

Along with Parco, The Everyday Revolution will launch “Everyday Belonging” in August to commemorate Singapore’s Independence Day. The event will see a collaboration the crème of Singapore’s up and coming fashion designers and artists with special needs from The Everyday Revolution coming together to create one-of-a-kind fashion pieces for women and men. The unique fashion pieces will be based off an artwork by an artist from The Everyday Revolution.

Each of the 23 designer’s pieces (ranging from casual to evening men’s and women’s wear as well as accessories) will be sold during the launch and after. The proceeds of the sale will go towards support the mission of The Everyday Revolution and supporting local fashion design talent.  Public viewing of the art pieces that inspired the fashion designers will be shown at Parco from August 3^rd to 13^th.

Just to add more fun to the event, Tung Seng, an Everyday Revolution artist will retail a children’s storybook illustrated with his beautiful works at the event.

Win a pair of invites to “Everyday Belonging” by signing up HERE. We have 4 pairs of invites to give away!

Blending Nature into Architecture

Qi meets Zhu Xiaofeng, Design Principal at Scenic Architecture. He shares how architecture could be employed as a tool to achieve a dynamic balance among human, nature and society.

By Wang LinWater Courtyard borrowing the reflection of the 400-year –old ginkgo tree into Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities & Arts, copyright @Scenic Architecture

A Shanghai-native, Zhu Xiaofeng enjoyed painting and excelled at mathematics and physics during his high school years. When he needed to decide the subject of study for university, architecture was a natural choice for him, as it blends all three areas.

Xiaofeng received his bachelor degree in Architecture with distinction from Shenzhen University in 1994, and then practiced and taught at the university for three years. The opportunity came when he met the world renowned architect Rem Koolhaas on his visit to Shenzhen for the Pearl River Delta research with his Harvard team. With Koolhaas's encouragement and reference, Xiaofeng went to Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1997. At Harvard, Xiaofeng broadened his horizons through learning from world famous architects such as Herzog de Meroun, Rafael Moneo, Michael Hays and Peter Rowe. He came to realize where he should go in the broad and fascinating realm of architecture. After graduation in 1999, Xiaofeng practiced at the world renowned architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox, in New York City. In 2004, Xiaofeng decided to come back China and opened his own firm, Scenic Architecture, in Shanghai.

Qi: What do you want to achieve through Scenic Architecture?

Xiaofeng: Scenic Architecture roots its design practice in contemporary China, and keeps an open attitude towards design resources from all times and places. We believe the spirit of architecture exists in how people perceive nature and living. Architecture of 21st century shall not respond only to human needs, but also act as a positive media between human and environment. It is by means of architecture have we been able to explore how space and time stimulate and absorb each other. All of these can only be realized by organizing matters like materiality, technology and form. This is what we call as "Architectural Design". With continuous efforts on practice and thoughts, we are on our way to make architecture a yearning life experience, and a carrier of both material and spirit.Night view of Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities & Arts, copyright @Scenic Architecture

Qi: What is your favorite work and why?

Xiaofeng: My favorite work is Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities and Arts. Zhujiajiao, as the most integrally preserved authectic water-town in Shanghai, attracts an increasing number of visitors every year. This 2,300 sqm museum, located at the entry of the old town, houses paintings and other art works related to the town. We designed the museum in harmony with its surroundings, especially two 400-year-old ginkgo trees nearby.

As a milestone in our seven years of practice, this project represents our core architectual philosophy ---employ architecture as a tool to achieve a dynamic balance among human, nature and society and guide people to positively perceive and interact with the environment.

"We employ architecture as a tool to achieve a dynamic balance among human, nature and society and guide people to positively perceive and interact with the environment."

Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities & Arts, copyright @Scenic Architecture

Qi: What projects are you working on?

Xiaofeng: We are trying to materialize our architectural philosophy in a broader realm of projects, which includes a low-income housing project in Nanjing, a waterfront clubhouse in Ningbo, and a museum for collection of traditional structures in Shanghai.

Qi: What are your takeaways from Qi 2011?

Xiaofeng: Qi is a dynamic venue for people from different fields to share and stimulate ideas. I met Massimo Morello, a very experienced reporter from Italy, during Qi 2011. We just met again at my office in Shanghai a week ago for his periodical coverage.

About Zhu Xiaofeng
Born in Shanghai in 1972, Xiaofeng graduated from Shenzhen University in 1994. He received a Master of Architecture degree in Harvard University in 1999. In 2004, he founded Scenic Architecture Office in Shanghai, His works have been covered by architecture media worldwide, such as Taschen, Phaidon, Domus, Area, Time+ Architecture, IW Magazine and Perspective. Xiaofeng has participated in a variety of architecture exbitions worldwide, such as the exhibition of China Design Now at London Victoria and Albert Museum in 2008 and the Chinese Contemporary Architecture Exhibition in the Netherlands Architecture Institute in 2006. View his works at http://www.scenicarchitecture.com.

About Qi GLOBAL
Qi is a global network of innovators. We provide members a platform for cross-industry networking and collaboration. Innovation happens with the cross-pollination of knowledge from a range of industries. Based on this principle, Qi works to bring together corporate, community and creative sectors to generate new ideas for sustainable development in the following areas: Architecture & Urban Planning; Conservation & Wildlife; Energy & Technology; Fashion, Art & Design; Food, Health & Leisure; Leadership & Innovation; Impact Investment; Policy & Nation Development; Women’s Empowerment; and Youth Ambition & Education.

Every October, Qi hosts an annual meeting in Singapore, gathering business and community leaders from around the world. Contributors demonstrate how social innovation can impact and change lives and communities in Asia. Qi Global Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based social enterprise founded in 2009 whose vision is to create human progress in harmony with nature. Find out more at www.qi-global.com/conference

What You Can Do Right Now!

1. Read Zhu Xiaofeng's Bio
2. Watch Zhu Xiaofeng's Qi 2010 Talk
3. Become a Qi Member
4. Attend the next Qi event
5. Book a Qi Speaker
6. Support Qi with time or money

Design Processes + Sustainable Local Materials = SOLIDCORE

By Lira Low Roberts

Here's an update we just received from one of our upcoming speakers, Owen William Fritts on the latest project his company SOLIDCORE has just embarked on in recovering Haiti. 

Owen William Fritts is the Founder and President of SOLIDCORE, based in Portland, Oregan in the US. SOLIDCORE is a design and fabrication firm focused on simplicity, modernity and earth responsible practices.

SOLIDCORE organises workshops globally to inspire kids and adults alike to innovate new design thinking using locally available, sustainable materials such as branches or stones. 

Owen, who will be speaking on co-creation in communities using simple design processes and sustainable local materials, just returned from a trip to Haiti where he led 1000 kids and youth in the co-creation of a public sculpture. The HaitiHANDS project that took place in Haiti's capital city Port au Prince promoted the healing power of co-creation, HIV/AIDS awareness, sport and art through active community involvement in designing and making structures for shelter, interaction, personal expression and play. This was derived from the existing trash and rubble strewn and readily available on the ground.

His team led hundreds of Haitians in a sequence of steps involving storytelling, encouraging creative thinking, generating awareness of the environment and building community through group making of useful structures.

Some of the great results that have emerged from his team's time in Port au Prince are several built structures incorporating the co-designed solutions and over 4000 donated red Nike shoe laces, made by the people for the people. The team have also left skill sets of materials and methods to promote ongoing workshops and awareness across Haiti.

SOLIDCORE has now returned to the US with Haitian-made artifacts from the workshops to use as a travelling exhibition to promote the project. They have also created an inspirational video of the process, the people and the solutions for global presentation to draw attention to the ongoing challenges in Haiti. 

What truly meaningful work in a region that most of the world has largely forgotten about; where lives, houses and hearts are still being recovered.  

What You Can Do Right Now!

1. Become a Qi Member
2. Attend the next Qi event
3. Book a Qi Speaker
4. Support Qi with time or money

Toys for Tomorrow

By Lira Low Roberts

As the theme of our Qi Blog turned to eco-friendly education yesterday, I thought to flesh out another fun, energetic side of learning: toys. Definitely one of the better parts of childhood (or life, for those of us who never grow up)! One of our upcoming Qi 2011 speakers Professor Sudarshan Khanna is part of our Youth Ambition & Education series. 

Prof. Sudarshan Khanna is an educator and design consultant, and the founder of Toys for Tomorrow, a vision-action international forum. He has carved out a niche market for himself not only in India, where he hails from, but also in many other parts of the world. Prof. Khanna playfully merges science, technology and nature into designing toys that teach and nurture. The ensuing products are either modern in outlook, or take their inspiration from traditional Indian toys. He takes pride in asserting that these traditional toys were made by real artisans and craftsmen through the centuries, and were already based on principles of nature such as gravity or friction. Prof. Khanna, who lives in Delhi, is now reviving their popularity in a modern light by bringing fresh perspectives to their appeal.  

As his toys are easily assembled, portable, and frequently inspired by nature and history, Prof. Khanna often utilises eco-friendlly materials such as seeds, leaves, sticks and string.

Several of his inventions have taken root in workshops he conducts on his travels. For example, some of the ideas he came up with during a toy workshop in Potsdam, Germany in the early 90s have been picked up by German designers and developed into simple, educational tools. These were marketed, but not limited to insitutes, designers and therapists. Other workshops he has conducted have been in Malaysia, Greece, Switzerland, England, Japan and Chile amongst others.

His accolades are long and impressive so get ready: he was the Principal Designer-Faculty and Chairman of Education and Research activities at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, India. Prof. Khanna was also the Ravi J Matthai Chair for design and education innovations. While there he helped establish several new courses and programs, including the Post Graduate Program in Toy Design and Development at NID. He was also the member of NID’s Governing Council and policy planning-management.

Prof. Khanna was conferred the 1996 National Award for his life time work for design-science among children. He is also the past president of the International Toy Research Association (ITRA). Prof. Khanna has researched and authored three books that explain and explore the developmental prospects of these toys and the scientific learning behind them. His books have gone on to be translated into many other languages. He has also had over 15 educational tv programs made about his work. 

As Prof. Khanna continues to delight children from all walks of life around the world, our belief is that he will also delight our audience at Qi 2011. 

What You Can Do Right Now!

1. Become a Qi Member
2. Attend the next Qi event
3. Book a Qi Speaker
4. Support Qi with time or money

The Future of Print? Nike Makes Shoes From Shredded Magazines

If print is dead, it's getting a hell of a reincarnation in these killer kicks from Nike.

What do you do with all those stacked-up, unread New Yorkers on your nightstand? Recycle 'em, of course. Maybe if they're lucky, they'll end up with an afterlife as cool as the Nike Women's Premium Print Pack, a limited edition set of sneakers designed out of shredded magazines. Snag a pair of these, and you won't need to feign interest in that 10,000-word article on Balinese maskwork when you crash a publishing soiree -- you can just wear your media-elite street cred.

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