Porches and rolling glass doors draw in the river breeze to keep the home cool.

This ultra-thin wood by Japanese brand Woodum is woven into fabric to create upholstery, pillows, placemats, and bags. The lampshades are made by fellow Japanese brand Cuiora from tightly rolled lengths of recycled paper.

Plywood People's Billboard Bags are made from upcycled billboard materials and coffee bags by refugees who fled conflict-plagued countries for Clarkston, Georgia. Workers receive job training, English lessons, and income through the project. Photo courtesy of Plywood People.

A participant in Plywood People's Billboar Bags project at work. Photo by Morgan Blake.

Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury, $50

Two layers of aluminum woven-coil drapes hang outside the large, south-facing windows above the living area.

Polish-born designer Aleksandra Gaca created these next-level bean bag chairs, which she calls Slumber Poufs, out of woven, three-dimensional fabrics including Kid Mohair and merino wool.

Cool Spaces at the Kauffman Center The first episode on performance spaces, which is rolling out on network across the country explored Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and Barclays Center with the architects and designers.

Cool Spaces at the Disney Center “With our show, you can see the place on television, then actually go there,” says Stephen Chung, host of Cool Space. “Buildings aren’t the stars, it’s about the people.”

Cool Spaces at the Seattle Library Chung, who has taught design at RISD and Yale, started the project seven years ago, when a recession and the subsequent struggles of many architecture firms made him consider how to make the work of architects more relevant. While there were whole networks devoted to homes and interior design, there wasn’t a place on television to discuss great public spaces. In each episode, Cool Spaces focuses on a particular building type, such as libraries or stadiums, and breaks down three examples.

Through their blog, Vimeo, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds, the editors at Cool Hunting create mini-documentaries and daily updates that highlight well-designed and innovative movements in design, technology, travel, food, and style.

All the editors loved the Tools for Everyday Life booth, featuring products by designers-in-residence at Northumbria University in the UK (in fact, they snagged the best-in-show Accessories prize). The One Ton Bag shown here is Danny Duquemin-Sheil's thesis project; each one is made from recycled delivery sacks used to haul construction materials, i.e., extremely durable.

Designed for an artist and entrepreneur client, this guest house features lots of light, access to the outdoors, and an industrial vibe.

The central courtyard helps cool the house.

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Cool Spaces Speaks with Steven Holl With Cool Spaces, a new public television series that profiles the process and personalities behind contemporary public architecture, Chung takes viewers behind the scenes at spaces like the the Seattle Public Library and the Barnes Foundation, while analyzing the work of masters such as Koolhaas with a more approachable, yet investigative tone. It’s all a means to help educate the public about the importance of public spaces. “We as architects weren’t communicating why it was important,” he says. “I was going to write a white paper, and thought, who’s going to read that? I sort of said I’ll do a TV show on a lark.”

The roof features a cool roof, which reflects heat back to the sky rather than having it absorbed into the house, and 26 solar panels that often cause the meter to roll backward.

3D Zip Storage Bags from BAGGU, $8–$12 at store.dwell.com The 3D Zip Storage bags from BAGGU are designed with utility in mind. The largest bag in the series can be used for travel organization or gym clothes—it fits a pair of shoes—or craft supplies. The medium sized bag (pictured) is ideal for storing beauty products, electronics, or small toys, while the smallest 3D Zip is perfect for storing utensils, glasses, or jewelry. All three bags include a loop, making them easy to carry and hang.

From design legends Charles and Ray Eames, the Hang-It-All coat rack transformed an everyday object into a design classic. Playful multicolored hooks create a visual staccato of color that lends vibrancy to a room, while the solid white or black versions add more of a mod feel. This is a functional design gift that Eames fans will love.

Among the shop’s best-sellers are these woven wool bags.

The original. This set of three reusable totes from BAGGU is made in durable ripstop nylon, and can be used for groceries, books, beach gear, or gym clothes. Each tote conveniently folds into a pouch, making it easy to toss in a purse or backpack. The bags are also available in single versions.

Some bags are sent back to the factory from retailers who wind up with a dozen yellow bags and no more red ones. They are then redistributed.

Former Factory Fuses Japanese and Scandinavian Cool (Tokyo, Japan) The colorful results of a designer’s project to renovate a tableware factory, this multi-floored loft includes a kitchen/showroom that should be center stage for it simple but striking use of patterned fabric. Even better, the view from the street-level glass window—anybody strolling through Ginza can see that you did pick the coolest spot to stay in Tokyo. Listing at Specious Apartment in Ginza

New Heath Ceramics glazes for the Heath Vase collection, from left: Cool Lava, Lemongrass, Tangerine, and Indigo.

Here's the famed Gherkin! Rather cool, that.

Here's a cool detail in one of the outdoor picnic tables.

Designed by Norm Architects for Menu, the Steel Table Clock is a celebration of materiality, color, and simplicity. Paring down the clock to its most necessary elements, the designers took the expected silhouette of a wall clock and folded it to create a clock that can rest on a flat surface. The clock is available in four colors, all of which were chosen for their connection to the Scandinavian climate. Powder-coated for a smooth finish, the clock is unobtrusive, and was designed to be an enduring, timeless addition to a home. Also available in a wall clock.

Bags usually make their way to the shop by bicycle, Freitag's favorite mode of transportation.

The bathroom is just to the right upon entry to the trailer. The floors are engineered hardwood in red oak by Mercier throughout, and the beechwood wall rack is a functional drop zone for bags, coats, and keys.

Available to rent on Airbnb, the two-bedroom prefab house as a prototype for their pre-engineered IT House series and made an appearance in Dwell Magazine’s November 2008 issue.

Baggu is the result of a mother-daughter collaboration to make a dent in reducing the use of plastic bags. Their reusable bags are on sale at baggubag.com.

Zoku claims its insulation can cool the liquid down to iced temperature in less than five minutes. Compared to cold-brewing your own batch, or just waiting for a hot mug to cool down, the convenience provided by a purpose-engineered liner is worth the $30 price.

Hot seats in the oh-so-cool Absolut Icebar Copenhagen.

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