Dishwashers have become household items in many American homes but have changed little since their invention, leaving room for improvement (especially in cases where ‘room’ is an issue). Many of the small problems associated with the traditional design are not initially obvious until pointed out — we are simply too used to them.

Front-loading versions can take up considerable space while taking dishes in and out. We take for granted, for instance, that the loading and unloading processes often have to be dedicated, all-at-once tasks in kitchens where folded-down doors get in the way. Pushing washer shelves in and out while moving around and loading adds unnecessary time to the equation. Front-loader doors also represent a potential point of failure if their water seals are degraded or damaged.

Designers Moshen Jafari Malek and Behzad Taheri have decided to take a different approach, developing a top-loading variant that addresses workflow and leaks as well as space issues.

Putting the spray bar in the center also eliminates another problem with certain conventional designs: getting things equally clean on all racks and levels. The designers also note that a variable-height center shelf could allow more versatility in terms of including larger pots and pans.

At the same time, the vertical design avoids messing with what works: porous wire-frame shelves and side containers for silverware. It makes you wonder: what other ordinary appliances are just waiting for a simple but powerful redesign?

Sharing his findings via Instagram, an architectural photographer in Iran has begun documenting schools, mosques and cultural centers around the country, with a focus on their most mesmerizing feature: the ceilings.

Mehrdad takes viewers on tours of significant cultural complexes, some of which have been standing for close to 1,000 years as part of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Modestly-decorated and architecturally-muted facades often give way to incredible complex mural works, colorfully-patterned reliefs and mosaics that must be meticulously maintained.

Buildings pictured here include the Hazrat-Masoumeh mosque in Qom, the Chaharbagh School in Isfahan and the Shah-e-Cheragh mosque in Shiraz.

After winding their way up a hundred-foot-tall pathway in the Czech Republic set atop a mountain peak (itself located over 3,000 feet above sea level), visitors are presented with two options: walk all the way back down, or take a ride on the slide that shoots back down through the center of the spiralling walkways on all sides.

Another feature for daredevils comes in the form of netting suspended from a section along the top. Those who wish to can walk and lay on this mesh, experiencing whatever level of terror they can tolerate.

Fránek Architects designed this massive wooden structure, dubbed Sky Walk and aimed at giving viewers a number of twists, turns and chances to find the perfect vista while they work their way up.

“It offers an endless amount of views, situations and moments where an indiscernible human being enters the depth and emerges on the outskirts of this natural structure,” said Fránek.

The pathways are suspended from a central structural core made up of metal-joined wood trusses, forming a space frame that also supports the stainless steel slide more brave guests will opt to take for their return trip.

Located as it is on top of a tall and exposed mountain, the structure is heavily reinforced throughout and tied to concrete footings buried deep in the ground. It also features an emergency spiral staircase down its center. Travelers can get to this wheel-accessible pedestrian viewing spiral via a chairlift at the foot of the mountain, near Dolni Morava.

“I don’t know of any other timber construction with steel elements of a similar size and purpose,” Fránek said. “There are constructions of a similar size but ours takes on an abstract form that suggests the flight of a nocturnal butterfly whose path is seemingly chaotic.”

First he presented a photo-edited version (carefully stitched from dozens of photos) to show what the view would look like without the building he on top of which he took it. Still, impressive as that was, photographer Gerald Donovan‘s raw shot is all the more dizzying despite leaving the obstructions in the frame.

In the unedited version, the last bits of tower and few people right below give you a sense of the distance from Earth at which the shot was taken – 2,722 feet at the top of the Burj Khalifa.

It is in fact so tall you can see a sunset twice in the same day, per the video above. You can watch the sun set once from the ground, then take the elevator up, and witness it for a second time minutes later. Amazing. The second film above shows a 24 hour sequence of this incredible structure from below.

And if static images of the Burj in Dubai are not sufficient to get your heart racing, try watching the last video above showing the last piece being installed at the top of One World Trade Center  in New York City (image and video via the Port Authority of NJ & NY).

A hot black cuppa bean-infused water was only the beginning, but beyond Espressos, Americanos, Cappuccinos, Latte art and creative coffee mugs lies a world of stimulating design ideas for the caffeine-dedicated aficionado. Some are a bit green yet and perhaps worth roasting a while longer, but others are already rich with promise.

Wall-Mounted Coffee Maker with Integrated Cup

Not enough space on your kitchen counter? No worries: Song Ah Lee is developing a wall-mounted coffee maker for one (custom cup included) that blends into the background but remains handy for refills.

Handspresso Portable Car-Ready Espresso Machine

No time to wait around while your morning roasts warms up? Consider brewing coffee right on your commute, instead, with Handspresso, sold as the world’s first car-worthy espresso machine – just stick to using it at stop signs and lights, please.

Coffee-Warming Stir Stick Keeps Beverages Hot

All of these are well and good for getting your caffeinated brew going in the morning, but what happens when the heat starts to dissipate? An obvious but elegant solution when you cannot refresh is to rewarm, with something like this mobile reheating stick by Hyewon Lee.

Lockable Coffee Cup to Keep Coworker Hands Off

Now you have made your coffee, kept it hot, and are at the office … where suddenly you cannot find your workday mug. Clearly you forgot to pick up the Lock Mug with a hole specially keyed so that only you can use it!

Dissolving Coffee Stick Makes Instant Even Easier

State fairs are known for putting just about anything on a stick, but coffee sounds a bit far-fetched … at first. Heo Jeong Im took up the challenge, though, and combined instant coffee packets with stir spoons to invent what he has dubbed the Cappuccino Coffee Stick. As you stir to mix your brew, the mass of coffee crystals dissolves, leaving only your stirrer behind.

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Brewed Fresh 10 Hot Coffee Centric Designs Prototypes