general

If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times: "I could tell you this Big Design News, but then I'd have to kill you." Now you can give us the scoop and skip the messy task of plotting murder, thanks to our handy "Anonymous Tips" box nestled in the menu bar at right, just below the Twitter feed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it? Type in your news—design happenings, movements of the Revolving Door (who's leaving? who has just arrived?), a bit of gossip, a designer's hidden talent, or any newsy, design-y morsel—and click "Send." And for those not inclined to clandestine tipping, we're still just an e-mail away.

It's that time of year: when we stuff our vintage suitcases with periodicals, sunblock, and versatile silk scarves; load up on Design Matters podcasts; and hit the road for a week of offline adventures. Not to worry, as we leave you in the capable, well-moisturized hands of Steve Delahoyde. And speaking of our talented co-editor, we would like to take this opportunity to make sure that you have had the pleasure of viewing the short film Copy Goes Here, for which we continue to badger the Academy to give Steve some sort of special Oscar. A bientot!

As you while away the minutes until the weekend and prepare to set your elaborate Flag Day plans in motion, we wanted to take this opportunity to ask you, dear UnBeige readers, to keep us updated with your design happenings. We're always thrilled to receive reader tips (that's us pictured at right, mulling over a recent e-mail with the help of our newly purchased "summer fedoras"), whether about a Revolving Door item (who's leaving? who has just arrived?), an event, a bit of gossip, a designer's hidden talent, or any newsy, design-y morsel.

We're just an e-mail away at unbeige AT mediabistro DOT com.

If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times: "I could tell you this Big Design News, but then I'd have to kill you." Now you can give us the scoop and skip the messy task of plotting murder, thanks to our handy "Anonymous Tips" box to the menu bar at right. Your mission, should you choose to accept it? Type in your news—design happenings, movements of the Revolving Door (who's leaving? who has just arrived?), a bit of gossip, a designer's hidden talent, or any newsy, design-y morsel—and click "send." And for those not inclined to clandestine tipping, we're still just an e-mail away: unbeige AT mediabistro DOT com.

(Photo: Associated Press/Ron Edmonds)

Here at UnBeige HQ, we're celebrating St. Patrick's Day in our usual way: by reading aloud choice passages from the novels of James Joyce, stuffing ourselves with artfully sprinkled green cupcakes, and making collages inspired by the work of our favorite Irish designer, Eileen Gray. But our festivities pale in comparison to those of the White House, which for the first time in history has dyed the water in its fountains green to mark Ireland's national holiday. The Associated Press reports that it was the idea of First Lady Michelle Obama, perhaps pining for the temporarily green waters of the Chicago River (which today appears practically radioactive, thanks to 40 pounds of dye and members of the city's Journeymen Plumbers Union). As for the White House fountains, "The green hue will stay until the dye runs out," notes the AP.

As you—designers and the people who love them—prepare to sit down (in all manner of interesting chairs) to Thanksgiving dinner, during which you'll again struggle to explain to family and friends exactly what it is that you do, we got to thinking what we're thankful for this year. All it took was a look through some recent posts to remind us. Below, a very non-exhaustive list:

What do you get the designer or design buff who has everything (besides another Pentagram calendar)? No, really, what do you get them? We're asking because we've decided to assemble the first ever UnBeige Holiday Gift Guide, a round-up of design-minded gift ideas—or just plain nifty things. So what are you giving or hoping to get this Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and/or Voodoo Day? Let us know by e-mailing your ideas to unbeige AT mediabistro.com with "gift guide" in the subject line. You've got until Thanksgiving, at which point we'll be making our list, checking it twice—oh, you get the picture.

The new(ish) New York Times building isn't just pretty to look at (and fun to climb), it's also exceeding expectations when it comes to energy efficiency. Designed by Renzo Piano in association with FXFOWLE Architects, the 52-story, 1.6-million-square-foot tower won't leave the light on for you—or anyone else for that matter. Lighting for the entire building is controlled by a cutting-edge light management system (Lutron Electronics' Quantum), and it has achieved a whopping 70% energy savings compared to the building's already ambitious benchmark for energy efficiency.

"We designed our building to use 1.28 Watts per square foot of lighting power. With Quantum, it's using only 0.38," said Glenn Hughes, director of construction for The New York Times Company during the design, installation, and commissioning of the building, in a press release issued by Lutron. "The energy usage savings is stunning." The system works by setting the appropriate target light level for each space, automatically dimming electric lights when enough daylight is present, and turning lights off when space is vacant. It's estimated that the savings in lighting energy usage will mean an annual savings of about $315,000 for the Times Company—a sum equivalent to the price of 78,750 copies of the Sunday paper. Click "continued..." for a look inside the building, although be warned that the photos will make your office jealous.

continued...

What do you get the designer or design buff who has everything (besides another Pentagram calendar and 17 years worth of Visionaire)? No, really, what do you get them? We're asking because we've decided to assemble the first ever UnBeige Holiday Gift Guide, a round-up of design-minded gift ideas—or just plain nifty things. So what are you giving or hoping to get this Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and/or Voodoo Day? Let us know by e-mailing your ideas to unbeige AT mediabistro.com with "gift guide" in the subject line. You've got until Thanksgiving, at which point we'll be making our list, checking it twice—oh, you get the picture.

It's here. That day when you can dress up like anything you want, scare little children, and demand candy from strangers—all with festive impunity. That's right, it's late funnyman John Candy's birthday! He would have been 58 today. Coincidentally, it's also Halloween (observe today's spoooooky Google homepage graphic). You know that Team UnBeige is going as Charles and Ray Eames (although we won't get very far trick-or-treating, as chairs are a key element of our costumes), but we thought we'd give you, our loyal and perhaps still costumeless readers, a few ideas for quick, easy, and design-minded getups for this All Hallow's Eve:

5. ASME's 2008 Magazine Cover of the Year. No one can get enough of Barbara Kruger's New York magazine-commissioned take on the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Here's your chance to keep the momentum going through fall. Grab a suit, a blood red tie, and what we've always sworn is a touch of eyeliner before printing out BRAIN in white Future Bold Italic on a red ground, and you're good to go. Trick or treat, indeed.

4. The Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion. Swathe yourself in shiny yet reptilian white plastic and carry a Chanel handbag. Don't stay anywhere for very long. Zaha Hadid-designed shoes and Karl Lagerfeld teddy bear optional.

continued...