Chinese-Canadian product designer Kitmen Keung has created a simple mouse pad featuring a slightly sloping edge to hold tiny accessories. The A4-size silicone piece brings together the convenience of a mouse pad and a resting place for tiny desktop accessories such as clips, erasers and pens in the form of a slightly inwards sloping edge. This 3.7 cm wide corrugated secondary surface pulls accessories towards the carved slot much like a magnet. The form is modest and simple, allowing a seamless integration between the object, contemporary interior and architectural spaces. Colors available are platinum gray, charcoal gray and tangerine orange in a matte finish.

+ Designer: Kitmen Keung

+ All images courtesy of Kitmen Keung

Blaas general partnership project by monovolume architecture + design is a new head office for the company Blaas in Bolzano specializing in electro-mechanics. It is a three storeys building with a basement designed to accommodate the sales division, repair service and administration office. The interplay between glass and sun shading are specially designed for the potential exposure and sun screening system.

Blaas General Partnership, image courtesy of monovolume architecture + design

+ Project description courtesy of monovolume

The company Blaas in Bolzano is specialized in electro-mechanics. In the new head office the company presents its new product range and offers repair service.

On the ground floor of the building there is the sales division, on the first floor the exposition area and the repair shop. All administration offices are located on the second floor. The overall impression of the structure is a homogenous and closed building. Nevertheless, there exists a separation between the public and the private sector. The client can perceive this clear and formal internal division already from the outside.

Blaas General Partnership, image courtesy of monovolume architecture + design

The glass façade on the Northern side provides a maximum of visibility and transparency to the exhibition and sales area. The private spaces such as repair offices, stockrooms and offices have their façades exposed to the South, East and West which are protected with a sun screening system.

Blaas General Partnership, image courtesy of monovolume architecture + design

In order to establish an optimal relation between natural light, development and planning of spaces there has been created a luminous entrance hall in the centre of the building with an inner courtyard. This green open spot permits the administrative sector of the second floor to receive ample natural light and at the same time it generates a protected, quiet recreation area for the staff.

+ Project credits / data

Project: Blaas general partnership
Location: Bolzano (BZ), Italy
Program: commercial building
Realization: 2007
Volume: 11.000 m³
Building area: 1.250 m²
Building costs: 2,5 Mil. Euro

Project Architect: monovolume architecture + design
Staff: Christian Gold, Barbara Waldboth, Thomas Garasi
Structural engineers: Baucon Bozen (Ing. Neulichedl Simon)
Photographer: Oskar Da Riz

+ All images and drawings courtesy of monovolume | Photo by Oskar Da Riz