L8te was established by multifaceted British lifestyle brand LN-CC as a versatile, event-ready venue for music and performance. In 2025, the London hot spot played host to the company’s We Love Music era program as part of its 15th anniversary celebration. To mark the occasion, LN-CC teamed up with respected Swedish audio gear producer Transparent to develop the Transparent Speaker x LN-CC, a limited edition of 15 speakers emulating the 1970s style interior design of the ever-popular club but that also holds true to the tech company’s guiding ethos of circularity.

The speaker’s main feature: a semi-translucent rippled glass shell directly pulled from L8te but that also reflects Transparent’s philosophy of honest assembly and the sustainable proposition of unencumbered adaptation – the ability to easily change out and upgrade various components. It’s not often that a distinctive architectural feature can become an integral part of music equipment without turning into a digestible gimmick. The marriage of these impetus – both explicitly referential and functional – works well. At L8te, the striated material covers various walls and illuminates in a wide spectrum of colors to create various moods.

With 120W output, the Bluetooth 5.0 ready speaker is no less powerful than other models with Transparent range. All of the pared-back electronics essential to the device’s superior performance are evident – unconcealed and demystified. There’s very little superfluous apparatus and no fused-together material as is more common in other tech products. These elements are often intentionally engineered to be hard to dismantle so that consumers constantly buy new rather than retrofit older devices. Transparent’s approach, in this regard, is not just aesthetic but also substantive.

The experience of listening to music, especially in an ethereal, dimly lit club, can seem fleeting. Holding onto a tangible fragment of that moment is not always feasible. By carefully extracting a physical element – one that is also structurally sound and appropriate in this application – of the space in which that occasion took place is a clever solution. This memento of sorts is refined and efficient, as much as sentimental and even nostalgic.

To learn more or to purchase one of the 15 Transparent Speaker x LN-CC speakers, visit ln-cc.com.

Photography courtesy of LN-CC.

In the coastal terrain of eastern Japan, where salt air drifts through bamboo groves and mandarin orchards slope toward the Pacific, Cubo Design Architect conceived 10M, a residence that makes water its organizing principle. The home features 56,000 square feet of gently inclined land, creating the stage for an architectural project structured entirely around its 65-foot swimming pool, which functions less as recreational amenity than as generator of light, rhythm, and atmospheric presence.

The pool establishes the compositional spine, aligned deliberately with the citrus grove to the south. The architecture unfolds from this axis, all while keeping water as the home’s focus. The surface of the water catches fragmenting sunlight, creating a sparkle perceptible from every interior space. The manipulation of spatial sequence draws directly from Sukiya-zukuri architecture, the restrained aesthetic tradition formed from Japanese tea ceremony spaces. The entry unfolds through compression and release – a cave-like approach tunnel opens to a dim gallery, then through wide doors into the pool-facing expanse. The design forces adjustment of the eyes, amplifying perceived luminosity through controlled contrast.

The embedded tea room pushes this material and atmospheric precision through the function of the residence’s terminus. It borrows views into neighboring bamboo while deploying traditional elements – bark-wrapped columns, natural plaster walls, compositional gestures sourced from the 16th-century tea master Sen no Rikyū – with the architects creating their own reinterpretation.

The pared palette and minimal detailing function as perceptual training, heightening awareness of environmental shifts that richer surfaces might obscure. Wind in bamboo, water ripples, bird calls, and distant surf are framed as primary content rather than backdrop. Supporting this domestic life are functional insertions handled with equal economy – wine storage, guest quarters, fitness space, all subordinate to the larger atmospheric project.

To learn more about 10M and Cubo Design Architect, please visit cubod.com.

Photography by Koji Fujii / TOREAL.

At dMFK Architects’ London headquarters, the team designs for a range of clients, creating interiors for both work and play functions. When leadership decided to convert a former post-production studio, they envisioned a multipurpose hub to help foster connections in an increasingly digital world. “Our new space is a living sample library, opening dialogue internally and outward within our industry,” says Julian de Metz, director at dMFK Architects. “We’ve invited suppliers to bring in materials in development, with interesting sustainable narratives, or ones that haven’t been pushed out into the world yet, so we can test, discuss, and sometimes co-evolve an idea.”

Located at 76 Charlotte Street, the 2,000-square-foot basement-level space, dubbed Downstairs at dMFK, is accessed via a lushly planted mirrored lightwell, which creates the illusion that the space extends under the street. There are 16 workstations, meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a host of other sections that support focused tasks and group work. Vendors were invited to experiment in this ideal setting for their test products, as long as the items complemented the existing aesthetic.

In the materials library, for example, there is a curated selection of samples anchored by a terrazzo bar by Avantgarde Tiling, a company interested in exploring a new technology. Made from Thames flint, a stone that normally doesn’t bond with cement, the table uses a custom calcium sulfoaluminate binder, which securely holds the aggregates and incorporates aluminum by-products. Durable, repairable, and fully recyclable, the installation showcases innovation with material.

Finishes highlight dMFK’s commitment to sustainability. Sphere8’s seamless resin flooring made from castor beans and recycled plastic chippings enlivens the corridor. An absorbent SonaSpray Eco+ ceiling by Oscar Acoustics is made from recycled newspapers – the product’s first installation in London. These surfaces add to the sense of calm in the environment.

The perimeter walls layer texture and acoustic performance. The Collective’s fluted panels line booths, while at the shopfront, Daybreak curtains by Kvadrat’s diffuse sunlight, while the brand’s Divina fabric frames the rear wall and focus area, which forms a soft and cohesive envelope. A reused d&b Audiotechnik system, recovered from Spiritland’s Royal Festival Hall, delivers rich sound for talks, screenings, and other events.

The Living Room is a rotating furniture display curated by retailer twentytwentyone. The inaugural vignette includes William Plunkett’s lounge chair and daybed, upholstered in a textile derived from Anni Albers’ 1925 Wall Hanging. The pieces will be rotated quarterly, each a prime example of craft and form.

For the staff, this is a center of activity that came from a forgotten zone that will now evolve just as their work does. “Downstairs at dMFK was previously a windowless suite and storeroom,” notes de Metz. “The constraints became opportunities, and we knew we could transform it into something special. The space is flexible, and the continual exchange keeps the practice sharp and alive.”

For more information about Downstairs at dMFK by dMFK Architects, please visit dmfk.co.uk.

Photography by Ed Reeve.

Bench seating has its bright moments: it brings people together, creates space for conversation, and offers a casual place to rest. But it’s typically fixed in place, designed to stay put while the world moves around it. Rarely does it move in public spaces – until Dutch design brand Weltevree and the Kröller-Müller Museum decided it should. Their latest collaboration, the Wheelbench Kröller-Müller Edition, takes an iconic design and quite literally puts it in motion.

Designed by Rogier Martens, the Wheelbench was originally rendered in oak as an easily movable seat. “The Wheelbench is an invitation to be active, to explore your world the way you want, time and time again,” shares Martens. A built-in wheel allows a single person to move the bench with ease, eliminating the need for extra hands. No longer a static object, the bench lets users choose their place of rest, wherever that may be.

For this new edition, aluminum was selected for its durability, lightness, and weather-resistant qualities. Installed at the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Wheelbench stands out against its natural surroundings in a cheerful sunshine-yellow hue – even the wheel hub, traditionally red, has been color-matched. Adding a playful layer, stickers illustrated by Sue Doeksen featuring artworks from the museum’s sculpture garden allow users to personalize the bench, turning it into a moving souvenir that carries memories of art and place.

“The Kröller-Müller Museum is a beloved place in nature. Here, almost in our backyard, you are left with the basics (nature and yourself). This makes the artworks even more powerful,” says Bülent Yokus, owner of Weltevree. “With the new metal version of the Wheelbench, we have an indestructible product that invites you to stroll to the most beautiful spots in the sculpture garden.”

Whether in a sunny spot in your backyard or beside a favorite artwork in a famous sculpture garden, where you rest is up to you – the Wheelbench just gets you there.

To learn more about the Wheelbench Kröller-Müller Edition by Weltevree in collaboration with the Kröller-Müller Museum, please visit weltevree.eu.

Photography courtesy of Weltevree.

There are more and more products that bridge the critical gap between familiar, even nostalgic, charm and future-forward innovation. In mobility, the latter means electrification. Though there are numerous brands retrofitting classic cars with EV motors, few have ventured into the oft-romanticised world of motorcycles. Cue Canadian brand Beachman and it’s just released ’64 Street Spec Café Racer.

Replete with sleek, vintage-vibe features including a swept back concave windshield, meticulously hand-stitched sheet for two, emblematic street tires, and an exposed suspension frame only just keeping the electric engine in place.

The removable 2.8 kWh (40 Ah) lithium battery, delivering up to 55 miles of range, can be replaced with a 3.6 kWh (50 Ah) pack to reach 70 miles. Both feature regenerative braking and built-in charge ports. With a charge of 80% taking just three hours or 90 minutes with the optional fast-charge upgrade, riders can spend less time waiting and more time riding.

The main selling factor: the lack of too many distracting bells and whistle screens and flashy tech-enabled doo-dads. All of that superfluous detail has been omitted to allow riders to focus on the essentials: aesthetic and of course sturdy, sustained speed.

It’s both rugged and classy. And yet its dome-shaped front light gives it a near neotenic look as well. It’s all very 1960s. It’s a balancing act of restraint, if identifiable, style and optimized performance, suited for both the city and open road.

“I grew up idolizing the beautiful swept-cowl bikes of the 1960’s London Café racer scene, so getting to finally release one of our own is a dream,” says Ben Taylor, Beachman CEO and co-founder. “Our Scrambler Spec, released last year, which harkens back to the iconic 1970s scramblers of California’s desert culture, has been our all-time most popular release.”

“The new Street Spec introduces a setup that complements the Scrambler perfectly, offering the exact opposite visual and functional direction, optimized for urban riding instead of trails,” Taylor continues. “An all-new body and tire setup that totally changes the look of the bike, leveling up the class and style to the maximum for our most discerning customers.”

Having secured Canadian Federal and international SAE manufacturing licenses as an OEM, Beachman is able to produce this bike in e-bike, moped, and motorcycle trim variants; accounting for slight differences in composition but essentially reflecting the same base structure and visual appeal.

The Beachman ’64 Street Spec starts at $5,750 with additional options to upgrade performance, storage, and terrain. For more information, please visit beachmanbikes.com.

Photography courtesy of Beachman.

Tucked into a quiet cul-de-sac near São Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park, Casa MA, designed by RUA 141 arquitetura, proves that constraint can be a powerful design catalyst. With just 13 feet of frontage and a depth of just under 60 feet, the narrow lot might suggest compromise. Instead, the house unfolds as a layered, light-filled retreat shaped by movement, materials, and nature integration.

The home belongs to a young, professional couple whose daily life revolves around training, work, and hanging with friends. Both triathletes, they wanted a place that felt physically attuned to their lifestyle – open, flexible, and seamlessly connected to the outdoors – while still offering warmth and room to grow into family life. When an opportunity arose to purchase a small, attached house on a rare dead-end street, they traded the familiarity of renting nearby for the challenge of starting fresh.

The original structure fell short of their needs. Dark interiors, low ceilings, and heavy concrete stairs fractured what little space existed. Rather than retrofit limitations, architect Mona Singal of RUA 141 proposed a full rebuild, retaining only the shared brick walls on either side. Time was also a factor: construction began as the couple prepared to welcome their first child, adding urgency to every decision.

A steel structure became the backbone of the new house, chosen for its speed, precision, and reduced impact on the tight site. From this framework emerged a 1,453-square-foot residence organized across three levels and split into two volumes, bridged by metal walkways for connection.

At the heart of the plan is a small garden anchored by a native araçá tree. The green core draws daylight into the interior and encourages cross-ventilation across the narrow footprint. Bedrooms look inward toward its foliage, creating a sense of retreat that feels surprising given the density of the surrounding neighborhood.

The ground floor operates as a continuous social space. Living, dining, and kitchen areas flow together, united by a long concrete element that shifts function as it moves through the space – bench, shelf, bike display, and countertop. The couple’s bicycles are not hidden away but mounted prominently with easy access, a main request from the couple, treated as sculptural objects that speak directly to the identity of the people that live there.

Material contrasts define the home’s character. Exposed black steel columns and beams set an industrial tone, echoed by visible electrical conduits and track lighting. The rawness is softened by warm wood surfaces: herringbone-patterned tauari floors, freijó frames, and custom millwork that introduces texture and tactility. White painted brick walls, revealed by stripping away plaster, reference the site’s original construction while reflecting light throughout the interior.

Ascending the folded metal staircase – its perforated railings allowing light to pass freely – the first floor shifts toward privacy. Here, bedrooms are linked by a linear corridor illuminated from above by a skylight that captures frames views of the sky. Floor-to-ceiling wooden doors heighten the sense of verticality, subtly expanding the perceived proportions of the compact plan.

Bathrooms lean into a handcrafted aesthetic, combining cement finishes with hydraulic tiles in soft hues. Skylights provide both daylight and natural ventilation, reinforcing the house’s passive strategies while creating a calm, almost spa-like atmosphere.

The rooftop becomes the project’s most unexpected delight. Reached through a motorized glass-and-metal enclosure that floods the stairwell with light, this level hosts an outdoor kitchen and lounge wrapped in planters. Despite being surrounded by neighboring buildings, the space feels sheltered, like an elevated garden the family can escape to.

For more information on Casa MA by RUA 141 arquitetura, please visit rua141.com.

Photography by Fran Parente.