Saturday, April 5, 2008

suissa computers



an emotional connection to digital living - now that’s tempting! software exists, heck, the blog is one solution to that as well, but hardware that bridges that chasm. well that’s hard to imagine. until now.

based in thornhill, ontario suissa computers - brainchild of designer howard suissa - have been producing out-of-the-box computer and peripheral housings for several years now. suissa works from the perspective that much of what is stored and viewed on computers nowadays amounts to memories - photographs, videos, journals, music, each with emotional referents that are aesthetically compromised by the wrap around plastic casings computers and peripherals are typically housed in.

as suissa himself says: ““computer case design has stagnated, with very little thought to its place in our living space”. “someone who has a well defined style deserves a computer system that fits into the interior design. people relate to natural materials more readily than to the cold sterility of plastic or metal. there has to be an alternative to the hermetically sealed, sterilized unit. . . .”

clearly these are not for the light of wallet but we can enjoy their craftsmanship all the same. here are two of my favourite suissa pieces. the first is the yasuko computer. available in a variety of woods including a tasty combination of lacewood and leopardwood . . .
and this is an external hard drive named “the shadow”. it’s my favourite of all his work.

No comments: