Architecture Student Converts Old Bus into Comfy Mobile Home Complete with Repurposed Gym Floor

I don’t know about you, but few exciting things ever transpired for me on a school bus. It always smelled like gas fumes, and its primary purpose was to transport me to a place I didn’t always want to to go. But this bus, designed by architecture student Hank Butitta, is a whole different story. Also somewhat disinterested with school, Butitta was tired of designing buildings that didn’t exist for imaginary clients and wanted to work with his hands to put some of his ideas into practice. So, he bought a bus off Craigslist and along with some help from photographer Justin Evidon and brother Vince, the trio spent nearly 14 weeks converting the ramshackle old bus into a sleek, modular living environment complete with a kitchen, bathroom, beds, storage, and even a floor made from wood panels stripped from an old gymnasium. Now that Hank’s final presentation is over the group is embarking on a 5,000 mile tour around the U.S. which has just about reached its halfway point. You can see more photos, video, and follow their travels over at Hank Bought a Bus.

The Funnel Tunnel Snakes its Way Through the Streets of Houston

If you happen to drive down Montrose Blvd. in Houston this week you’ll most likely encounter this massive wooden sculpture winding its way along the esplanade, and you would be right to ask yourself, is that a tunnel? A funnel? Well, it’s both! It’s the Funnel Tunnel, a recent public art installation by artist Patrick Renner, commissioned by Art League Houston. The snaking 180 foot sculpture was built from steel and reclaimed wood and snakes its way just outside the ALH building in Houston. You might remember a somewhat similar structure built in 2005 (also commissioned by ALH) called the Inversion House by Dan Havel and Dean Ruck. See many more photos here.

Paper Stop Motion Teaser for the Human Body Anatomy App

The Human Body is the first release from design studio Tinybop as part of their Explorer’s Library series that seeks to “help children develop a foundational understanding of the world.” The immersive anatomy app for kids features some great artwork work from illustrator and designer Kelli Andersen who created 200+ illustrations of bones, veins, muscles and other components that comprise the interactive environment as well as the stop motion video above. The app is extraordinarily well conceived and designed, every attempt to pry the iPad out of my son’s hands so I can actually try it myself have failed. Get it here.

Intricate Organic Forms Cut from Paper by Rogan Brown

Artist Rogan Brown creates intricate sculptural forms reminiscent of microorganisms, plant life, and topographical charts by deftly cutting patterns in layer after layer of paper. A single work can take upward of five months to complete, and just like the organic forms he seeks to emulate the piece evolves as he works without a preconceived direction or plan. Via his artist statement: I want to communicate my fascination with the immense complexity and intricacy of natural forms and this is why the process behind my work is so important. Each sculpture is hugely time consuming and labour-intensive and this work is an essential element not only in the construction but also in the meaning of each piece. The finished artefact is really only the ghostly fossilized vestige of this slow, long process of realisation. I have chosen paper as a medium because it captures perfectly that mixture of delicacy and durability that for me characterizes the natural world. You can see much more of Brown’s work in higher resolution over in his portfolio, blog, and several original works and prints are currently available at Saatchi Online. If you liked this you might also enjoy the work of Eric Standley, Tomoko Shioyasu, and Noriko Ambe.

Fire & Ice: A Walk Inside an Ice Cave Next to the Mutnovsky Volcano in Northern Russia

This amazing shot was captured last year by photographer Denis Budkov in an ice cave near the Mutnovsky volcano in an area of northern Russia. Known for an abundance of precipitation the area is often covered in several meters of snow and ice that cover mountain streams like this creating vast caves that look like something out of a science fiction movie. This particular cave was nearly 300m (980 ft.) long and several photographers in Budkov’s group also snapped a few amazing shots. The photographer also captured this jaw-dropping photo of some tourists in front of a volcanic explosion earlier this year. The power of depth of field, right?

The Dino Pet: A Living, Bioluminescent Pet

Designed by Yonder Biology (“The DNA Art Company”), the Dino Pet is a dinosaur-shaped habitat for a species of bioluminescent marine algae that photosynthesizes during the day and glows at night. “Dino” is actually a sort of a play on words, as the actual organisms contained inside the toy model are called Dinoflagellata and are known for their ability to glow when physically agitated (ie. shaken). The pet lives for 1-3 months and can potentially live indefinitely if the algae is supplied with the proper food. The Dino Pet is currently funding on Kickstarter, get your own for a pledge of $40

Magic Beard: A Stop-Motion Video of Amazing Beard Tricks by Ben Garvin

Minneapolis-based photographer Ben Garvin just released this wacky video of stop-motion beard tricks called Magic Beard. Garvin shot the entire video on an iPhone and used an app called Stop Motion Studio to stitch it all together. Colossal takes no responsibility for how ridiculous this is. If you liked this also check out Trim.