Indonesian version of Ikea

I got the brief from my latest project called, turning an object into a culture, so the idea is to localized Ikea products, what that means is how does Ikea look like when it's not originally from Sweden? how is it gonna look like when...it's an Indonesian owned company? from the moment I read the brief I knew it's gonna be something that I will be very excited about doing in the future to actually do it in professional world. But as much as i'm excited about this Indonesian Ikea, I'm much confused and puzzled on how am I gonna apporoach it.

Why Ikea originated from Sweden has its own story to tell. Sweden has been home for amazing and talented designers back in the mid century, they explore materials very uniquely and they have respect on how a product should be made, that is with respect to arts and crafts not with mass production and machineries, and from that point on they develop the scandinavian look that become the aesthetic people crave today as seen in Ikea produsts. Then they also have address the contemporary issues of space-saving design for small scale urban apartments and they are conscious about the needs of poeple that they want their places to look ellegant but effortless, people want a warm cozy place that refelect their individual taste and more importantly making it affordable is the crutial key. From college student who merely just want to fill his dorm to a professional high

The Renovation of an Urban living

The chosen site : College Street between Brunswick Ave and Borden Street

This was taken from a project that we're doing for "design and analysis of space". Me and my team, David Tse and John Diessel was proposing redevelopment of residential area in downtown core Toronto, the basis of redevelopment would implement some of the key elements of infill housing. Infill housing is basically a renovation of underused buildings to maximize the land use.

We would begin to renovate or rehabilitate and improve existing buildings to accommodate greater density and mix-use of land such as living, recreation, retails and services on the plot of land from College north to Ulster, and from Borden east to Brunswick. This would allow for a complete rethink of how people live, work, play, and interact. We also will implement some of the technologies necessary to sustain and protect the real needs of the occupants, the city and the planet. The possibilities are infinite, the technologies are available, we just require the will.

The benefit of infill/eco housingMix uses of housing provides retailers, business , services , public transport available steps away from your home. These will bring many benefits to the community: 

Eliminate commuting and driving cars and thus improve the air quality
Create a safer and closer knitted community that look after one another
Open spaces for parks, agriculture, wildlife and farming is preserved
New business and jobs are created closer to where people live
Encourage healthier lifestyle: Walking, biking, public transit, and car sharing

Love/Hate relationship with Green tea icecream

I've always like to taste something new especially when it comes to food! My findings on green tea ice cream was rather interesting that I have to dedicate my first ever written blog on it. The day I taste the goodness of green tea ice cream was when I went to China-town on one weekend to eat all-you-can-eat sushi! that time I was eight months old pregnant and nothing worst than going to Japanese restaurant when you're pregnant! the only thing I can eat that time was the stuff from kitchen like terriyaki chicken, no sashimi allowed. My husband was really strict and hard on what can go to my belly, to the unborn baby. I was really hoping that I could taste a bit of the raw salmon, but my hubba won't even let me touch it. Anywho, so after the prolonging drolling over people eating sushi, the dessert came, and right there I saw and taste my green tea ice cream the first time. It was nothing like I ever tasted before. the thing about all ice cream in the market is that it's always making me wanna puke afterwards. but green tea icecream is different, I can eat and go on..and on...and on, nothing would stop me from eating this! I can finally enjoy ice cream without having the feeling of wanna barf on somebody's floor.

I came back for more, we went to that japanese restaurant just to enjoy green tea ice cream. I was actually keep looking for one in local grocery store, but they don't have this. It was a lil bit costly having to go to a sushi place for an icecream. Not until I saw a jar at my aunt's place. She didn't have any left, she kept the jar to be filled with soup instead for me to take home..but she said that chinese grocery should have one. Well, I never seen one of them at the chinese grocery, but somehow I will track them down.

It was a snowy and stromy day, the kind of day that you normally would have stay in. But not for me, I went to chinese grocery the next day my aunt told me. I went to Victoria-park and Sheppard to get one. when I got there it was only 3 jars left, so I took one and called my husband to let him know that I probably gonna get more than one jar. Not suprising that the ice cream doesn't last that long. it's gone in few days..gone..clean..as crystal clean and i'm the one who eat them all up! As I scoope one from a second jar, I thought to myself Iwas not getting any sick of this thing!...very weird. The thing about me is that I can't eat too much of sugar loaded foods, I will get sick of it and remain to stay away from it. But this is different.. this is evil...baad..soo bad! that I can't even feel it in my body, my body won't react to it, won't reject this thing! Green tea ice cream is evil!