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Many of the best ideas arise from a hearty debate across the kitchen table, and thats exactly where design community members devised their latest concept for Non-Pavilion,a showcase installation at last months London Design Festival.

Non-Pavilion stands out because it barely exists. It comprises four aluminium corner poles resembling Swiss baugespanne, structures erected to define what the profile of new buildings will be in order to illustrate their impact. It is essentially an empty space created within the poles, which serves as a platform for a series of explorative augmented reality films highlighting the need to challenge growth-driven economics.

Endless economic growth is proving environmentally unsustainable. With the global population hurtling towards 11 billion by the end of the century, the consumerist culture we are accustomed to cannot continue.

The London-based collective behind Non-Pavilion is a group of architects, designers and curators: Studio MiCat, There Project and Proud Studio, all of which are in agreement that as creators of new and desirable things, the design community is complicit in the current crisis.

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The series of AR films asks pertinent questions: can design facilitate a change in mindset away from consumerism? Can design help advance a sustainable, prosperous and fulfilling existence? How can designers and architects use their skills to provide vision and inspiration for this progressive and much-needed movement?

I was pleased to learn that there are plans for the work to have a life now that the festival has closed. The idea now is to take Non-Pavilion to other design events and each time approach a community of designers and architects to create new, thought-provoking experiences that represent the fundamental questions were asking, says Michael Garnett of Studio Micat.

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Weve done a lot of work that is political so it felt perfect for us to get involved, says Lucienne Roberts of graphic design studio, LucienneRoberts+. I know from a graphic design perspective, most people go into the profession wanting to make the world a better place.

Garnett concurs: Ultimately we want to rally the whole worldwide design community to design ourselves out of a crisis. The global economic model can be unpicked, challenged, rethought and redesigned. This is of course what economists do, but we need creative minds to help think around these problems, too. (non-pavilion.org)

Memory Palace

Es Devlins 18 metre-wide immersive sculpture Memory Palace, at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in Ealing, maps historical moments that shifted human perspective, from African caves where the earliest human drawings were found to the conception of the world wide web in Switzerland. It includes mirrored planes that help create a greater impact by multiplying the works dimensions. Devlin also provides a Memory Library, a personal collection of books that informed the decisions to put the exhibition together. It is the second exhibit at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery after its three-year refurbishment.

Until 12 Jan (pitzhanger.org.uk)

Achille Salvagni

Since founding Achille Salvagni Architetti, Rome-born architect and designer Salvagni has become world-renowned for his elegant interiors and luxurious yacht designs. His new self-titled book, Achille Salvagni, is his first-ever monograph celebrating his modernist style. Arranged thematically, emphasising harmony, colour and craftsmanship, Salvagnis book highlights his limited-edition works and contemporary taste for sophistication. (achillesalvagni.com)

The Stratford

The Stratford, a recent project by Harry Handelsmans Manhattan Loft Corporation, is part of the ongoing redevelopment of Stratford since the 2012 Olympics. Designed by SOM the architect behind the Burj Khalifa and One World Trade Center The Stratfords double cantilevered and distinctive profile has been described as architectural hedonism. This new social and cultural hub boasts 145 hotel rooms and 248 apartments, along with three bars and two restaurants designed by Space Copenhagen. The headliner restaurant, Allegra, opened last month and is fronted by the much-lauded former head chef of Chiltern Firehouse, Patrick Powell.

Echo ear buds

Amazon enters the wearables market, having recently unveiled a range of new devices at its Seattle HQ. Its wireless earbuds, called Echo Buds, have customisable ear tips to provide a universal fit. With noise-cancelling technology from Bose the earbuds, which adjust to three sizes, allow for immersive sound as well as hands-free assistance provided by Alexa. 119.99 (amazon.co.uk)

Excerpt from:

Tony Chambers on the designs that can help solve a climate crisis - Evening Standard