Habitat is the first in the Blockitecture® series, designed by James Paulius for Metaproject, an industry projects class produced by the Rochester Institute of Technology in partnership with Areaware. The forms were inspired by Habitat 67, a housing complex and pavilion designed by Moshe Safdie for the 1967 World's Fair in Montreal, Canada.
Recommended for Ages 6 and up.
Product: Dimensions Variable
Packaging Dimensions:
13.7x20.5x2”
35x52.3x5.3 cm
About the Designer
James Paulius was born in Chicago, IL. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2013. Paulius has an interest in designing products that integrate people with their environment to promote creativity, curiosity and joy. His belief in our ability to influence society and culture through the conscious creation of our environment inspires him to design artifacts that are sensitive towards the effects they have on humans.
DESIGN STORY | BLOCKITECTURE®
When I started thinking about Blockitecture®, I wanted to allow people to keep creating and exploring their own world through play. I especially wanted this world to be optimistic, hopeful, and uplifting. It's always refreshing for me to see buildings with greenery, especially in the mostly concrete New York City where I'm living. Integrating this element into Blockitecture® was the most fun and challenging element of this design process. My first iterations were too angular and literal. After looking at architecture in NYC, I noticed the contrast between the contours of the trees with the geometry of the buildings. Taking this cue, I then designed the trees to have an organic silhouetted effect.
