Dezeen's top 10 designs for the metaverse from 2021
Lifelike virtual humans and an NFT house are among 10 metaverse designs blurring the line between the physical and digital world, which we've rounded up as part of our review of 2021. More
Ana Illueca builds ceramicist search engine for Valencia
More than 100 artisans are united in a directory of Valencia's historic ceramics community, which has been compiled by potter Ana Illueca to make the region's craft skills more "visible internationally and accessible locally". More
Controversial M&S Oxford Street demolition "offers tangible and substantial carbon benefits" claims architect
Replacing London's flagship Marks & Spencer store on Oxford Street with a new building will lead to lower lifetime carbon emissions than could be achieved with a retrofit, according to its architect Fred Pilbrow of Pilbrow & Partners. More
Nike gets "metaverse-ready" with acquisition of virtual sneaker company RTFKT
Sportswear brand Nike has announced its acquisition of RTFKT, a digital design studio producing trainers and other collectibles that can be worn across different online environments. More
Dezeen's top 10 low-carbon buildings of 2021
As part of our review of 2021, here are 10 examples of low-carbon architecture including buildings made of 3D-printed clay, recycled materials and biomaterials. More
Vollebak tints T-shirt using carbon-storing algae ink
Experimental clothing brand Vollebak has used an ink derived from spirulina algae to colour this top, in a bid to show how fashion could move away from its reliance on black pigments made from heavy crude oil. More
This week we revealed the winner of the 2022 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture
This week on Dezeen, we announced that RIBA has awarded its Royal Gold Medal for 2022 to Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi in recognition of his 70-year career. More
M&S Oxford Street demolition "simply incompatible" with net-zero commitment says C20 Society
The Twentieth Century Society has launched a petition calling on Marks & Spencer to abandon the controversial demolition of its store on London's Oxford Street or risk "betraying its own carbon targets". More
Lexus unveils hydrogen-powered concept vehicle for off-road driving
Japanese carmaker Lexus has developed a concept for a recreational off-highway vehicle with a combustion engine fueled by hydrogen instead of petrol. More
Living robots evolve to procreate in "astounding" scientific breakthrough
Scientists behind the world's first living robots have learned that these xenobots can reproduce and generate offspring, in a discovery that they say could help to explain the origin of life on Earth. More
Mobile AI-powered recycling plant Trashpresso wins World Design Impact Prize
An autonomous recycling machine designed by Taiwanese company Miniwiz, which can be transplanted into local communities to transform plastic waste into useful products, has received the 2021 World Design Impact Prize. More
Five architecture and design events in December from Dezeen Events Guide
A retrospective covering more than 400 projects by architecture firm MVRDV is among the events featured in Dezeen Events Guide this month, alongside major design fairs in Miami and Shenzhen. More
Ten projects by Virgil Abloh that demonstrate his versatility as a designer
Following the news of Virgil Abloh's death, we've rounded up 10 projects that illustrate the designer's boundary-pushing approach, from an IKEA receipt rug to his design for the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and the interiors he created with OMA. More
Nagami 3D prints "aesthetically pleasing" portable toilet using plastic waste
Discarded plastic medical equipment from hospitals across Europe was melted into a filament and 3D-printed to create the mobile toilet cubicle The Throne, designed by Spanish studio Nagami for the To.org foundation. More
Ten texture-heavy restaurant interiors filled with natural materials
Rough clay walls, river-stone flooring and a seating topography formed from OSB panels feature in our latest lookbook, which rounds up 10 restaurant interiors that bring in natural elements. More
Zihao Fang designs anti-desertification vessel based on termite mounds
Parsons School of Design graduate Zihao Fang has developed Aquastor, a biodegradable vessel designed to fight the spread of deserts that's made using only readily available local resources. More
Elvie designs manual Curve breast pump to be hidden inside bra
Maternity tech company Elvie has developed a silicone bra insert that allows mothers to pump hands-free from one breast while feeding their baby from the other. More
It's time to forge a "pan-Canadian" design identity based on Indigenous values says Andrew King
Architects, designers and policymakers should join forces to write a manifesto for Canadian design that platforms Indigenous communities, according to Andrew King of architecture studio Lemay. More
Massproductions launches Face Lift reupholstery directory to give furniture "a second chance"
Upholsterers from 12 countries are united in a directory developed by Swedish furniture brand Massproductions to help customers extend the lifespan of their soft furnishings. More
SOM unveils prototype for Urban Sequoia carbon-capturing high-rise at COP26
Daily COP26 briefing: today's COP26 briefing includes SOM's proposal for skyscrapers that remove carbon from the atmosphere, a net-zero fund for developing cities and a geodesic Grimshaw pavilion made from construction scraps. More