Tag / connected
A1 Architects’ latest project satisfies a Prague family’s lofty ambitions
The concept of humble yet sophisticated luxury is essential to a recently completed three-storey apartment in Prague’s Vinohrady district. Occupying the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of an elegant 19th-century residential building, the spacious apartment showcases the crafty ingenuity of the prolific A1 Architects studio.
Based in Prague, A1 Architects was founded by partners David Maštálka and Lenka Křemenová. Both studied at Prague Academy of Arts and Design (UMPRUM) – their 2009 graduation project, a wooden tea house, was located in the garden of their house. Throughout their projects, the duo have brought a tactile sensibility and Japanese-style approach to space and structure in contemporary Czech architecture.
Inspired by their travels to Japan and their friendship with Japanese master Terunobu Fujimori, the couple use minimal and humble materials to create simple forms, enhancing the beauty of the everyday.
The open plan living area with a decorative stained glass window de..
Swede dreams: max out on minimalism at Arket’s debut store
Occupying a sought-after two-storey corner spot on London’s Regent Street, Arket is the new hotly anticipated lifestyle brand born of Scandinavian behemoth H&M. Positioning itself as the utilitarian sibling of Cos, & Other Stories and H&M, the brand describes itself as ‘a modern-day market place’ with a product offering that encompasses menswear, womenswear, childrenswear and homeware.
The doors to the first London outpost open today, to be swiftly followed by the launch of a flagship in Copenhagen next week, while a Covent Garden location is slated for September.
Two years in the making, Arket eschews trends, and instead aims to offer its customers well-made reliable staples for their homes and wardrobes. The more unusual items that pepper the shelves – such as the traditional Portuguese ceramics or ecological trainers – are supplied by an expertly edited selection of over 40 external brands.
Arket created its own scent concepts for its candles
‘We have less expertise within some..
How Senior Executives Stay Passionate About Their Work
When we talk about “learning to love your job” or “managing yourself,” it’s often in the context of junior or midlevel roles. But these things don’t stop mattering for senior executives. What aspects of their jobs are most important to them? What do they find rewarding? How do they sustain their passion for the work they do — without burning out?
Over the past few years, I’ve had in-depth, one-on-one conversations with hundreds of top business leaders, and questions like these frequently come up. I’ve identified several common themes in our talks, which I’ll share here.
Impact on society. As I was doing research and analysis for my recent book, I found that one of the best ways organizations can create a sense of purpose for their employees is to help connect their day-to-day work with the impact it has in their community and globally. People at the top also need to see the larger difference they’re making, and in some ways, because of their vantage point, that’s easier for them than..
Un été digital 2017 : 11 news à retenir
Credits Shutterstock tanuha2001
En été le digital ne dort jamais et nos amis les Gafas encore moins…
La leçon de l’été : dans un jeu à somme nulle, chacun mange dans l’assiette de son voisin...
Voici les news qu’il fallait retenir pendant l’été digital 2017 :
Amazon lance Sparks, un Pinterest-like pour ses membres Prime. Parallélement Google enrichit Google image d'options d'achat et rejoint petit à petit Pinterest dans la détection d' intention visuelle.
Le fond Benchmark Capital, investisseur d’Uber déclenche un procès contre Travis Kalanik, ex CEO pour Fraude.
Snap qui avait rejeté une offre de rachat de 30 milliards de dollars de Google perd du terrain chez les agences et s’écroule de 17% en bourse après ses résultats trimestriels . Parallèlement Google construirait sa propre version de Snapchat Discover.
Disney lance son offre OTT concurrente de Netflix
Apple teste des lunettes de réalité augmentée et met 1 milliard de dollars sur la table pour produire se..
The Portable Leader Is the New “Organization Man”
Diana Ong I met Tanya years ago, at a global corporation where she led a business unit and enjoyed a reputation as a formidable mentor. “The thing I always keep in mind,” she told me with obvious pride, explaining her approach to management as we walked through a bustling open office, “is that these people are the best talent in the business. They could be working elsewhere, if they so chose. And I am sure that many will, eventually.”
I knew that to be true. Competitors poached people in Tanya’s unit regularly. And yet there was no trace of cynicism in her tone. “Each of them is valuable and hard to replace,” she continued, “but I can’t preach them loyalty. They’d laugh at me. I can’t pay them more, either. All I can promise is that while they work here, they’ll grow more than they would anywhere else. And when they leave, they will be leaders wherever they go.”
Some version of Tanya’s promise — working here today will make you a leader elsewhere tomorrow — is at the center of many c..
Don’t be weft out in the cold: a double-faced coat gives Picky Nicky the edge
During Fashion Week, usually the day after a show, the Wallpaper* team visits showrooms to see the collections up close. I touch the fabrics, and try things on to see how they feel. I ask lots of questions, way too complicated for most PR teams to answer, which is why I prefer to talk to the designers themselves. It’s there that I start my list of must-haves for the season ahead.
Top of the Picked by Picky Nicky list right now is a double-breasted, doublefaced coat, in merino wool or cashmere, cut from two fabrics that have been woven on a loom together. The two layers are usually the same, but can be different shades and are lightly connected by a binding weft. The garment is tailored with a hand-finishing technique that separates the two layers just enough at the edges and hem, around 2cm, before the raw edges are turned back under themselves to close the seams, giving a perfect finish inside and out.
The double-faced structure means that jackets and coats can be tailored without t..
Having Work Friends Can Be Tricky, but It’s Worth It
How often have you had the following conversation at work?
How are you?
Good. You?
Fine.
It is a script we stick to even if we are dying inside.
It’s hard to build real connections with your colleagues if you never get beyond superficial chit-chat. And yet people who have a “best friend at work” are not only more likely to be happier and healthier, they are also seven times as likely to be engaged in their job. What’s more, employees who report having friends at work have higher levels of productivity, retention, and job satisfaction than those who don’t.
Many companies have tried to support office bonds through perks like ping-pong tables, free lunches, or corporate retreats, but the reality is that most of us don’t have close friends at work. In a survey by Pew and the American Life Project, just 12% of respondents’ closest ties were with people from their professional life. If we expand this to people who were significant in the respondent’s life, the results aren’t wildly di..
Do Your Customers Actually Want a “Smart” Version of Your Product?
There’s been a gold rush happening in technology these last few years, focused on the Internet of Things, or IoT. It’s even frequently been referred to as “the next Industrial Revolution.” The stampede to connect anything and everything in the home to a mobile app – a stampede that I’d argue has been driven by grossly inflated numbers and speculation – has the potential to lure companies into unfamiliar territory, with no guarantee of a safe or profitable return. I know because I’ve been there.
The company I lead, Big Ass Solutions, manufactures and sells fans, lights, and controls for commercial and residential use. Our products work with apps or without apps. And while we’ve found customers for IoT connectivity, the number of our customers who value the new technology has been much lower than industry projections led us to believe.
There are some useful lessons here for other manufacturers, especially those who haven’t yet “connected” and might be concerned they’ve missed the boat...
How New Managers Can Send the Right Leadership Signals
One of the most exciting and — sometimes anxiety-producing transitions in a career — comes when you move from being an individual contributor to becoming a manager. At this juncture, what you think, what you say, and how you show up — in effect, your leadership presence — can have a direct impact on those you are now leading and managing for the first time. So, as a new manager, how do you build an authentic and connected leadership presence that has a positive impact on your team and colleagues?
Set a leadership values-based goal. An authentic and connected presence begins from the inside-out. How you define the role and what you value will “telegraph” out to those you work with. As a new manager, spend time to consider the kind of leader you are and hope to be. Set an aspirational goal to serve as a guiding compass. As one new manager shared recently, “my professional leadership goal is to be a genuine and emotionally intelligent manager who inspires others to excellence.”
You and ..
How to Work with Someone Who’s Always Stressed Out
We all know people who seem to be constantly stressed out — who claim to be buried in work, overloaded with projects, and without a minute to spare. Colleagues like that can be difficult to work with, but you probably don’t have a choice. How do you deal with coworkers who can’t handle stress? Should you address the issue directly? Or try other tactics to help them calm down and focus? And how can you protect yourself from their toxic emotions?
What the Experts Say
Stress is part of everyday life. “We all go through periods when we are dealing with a lot of stress,” says Caroline Webb, author of How to Have a Good Day. “Those periods might last 10 minutes, 10 days, or 10 months.” But for certain people, “stress is a habitual pattern.” These folks always “feel overwhelmed, constantly stretched, and always out of their depth.” Working closely with a person like this can be a real challenge. “But you mustn’t make them the villain,” says Holly Weeks, author of Failure to Communicate. “Don..