Latest news with #Aalto
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Independent
Outside space is going luxe with Finnish saunas, high-tech golf studios and stylish furniture
Cold water bathing is healthy, fun and free but it can leave you chilled to the bone. Hence the proliferation of mobile saunas at swimming places around the country. Soon people wanted a sauna of their own, and so the next new thing in home design was born. There's a lot to love about garden saunas. They bring the sweat house experience to your own back yard. Cold water immersion is part of the thrill. Ideally, there's a stream running through the bottom of the garden, but an improvised plunge pool will do the trick. I've seen old enamel baths repurposed for the job. Luke Williams is one of the founders of The Hot Box, a company that runs saunas in Carlingford, Dublin, Carlow/Kilkenny, Meath and Rosses Point in Sligo. They began selling sauna experiences in 2021. 'We weren't happy with the quality of saunas we could find in Ireland,' he says. 'So we started to build our own.' Soon, the team was getting inquiries from people who wanted to install a sauna at home. Their timing couldn't have been better. The Hot Box hit the sweaty wave of sauna converts at its crest. 'There's a very large appetite for it. People are more conscious of their well-being and less inclined to go to the pub.' After much research, and in response to demand, the team set up Aalto Saunas, a company that builds Finnish saunas to Irish requirements. For private gardens, the most popular size is a 2 x 2.5 metre footprint. This gives you a sauna that can fit four people comfortably or six people who don't mind a squash. ADVERTISEMENT Aalto Saunas are built on site, to the customer's specifications. They cost between €15,000 and €18,000 (excluding Vat). 'High quality would be our big thing,' Williams says. 'And craftsmanship. Our saunas look pretty from the outside, but they're also really well insulated. They'll last you 40 or 50 years.' There's a choice of heating mechanisms: wood-fired or electric. 'There are advantages to both. I prefer the wood-fired sauna experience, but you can set an electric sauna on a timer so it's ready when you wake up.' Aalto saunas can be specced up or down, depending on requirements. 'Some people want a really big window because they've got a nice view.' Less expensive alternatives include barrel saunas, which are widely available with prices from around €5,000. As with all things, you get what you pay for. Some of the barrel saunas on the market are basically made of planks held together by metal strips and without insulation. When you're inside, you can see the light coming through the cracks. If saunas are the hottest thing in garden luxury, they're by no means the most extravagant thing you can put in your back yard. Shomera, home of the Irish garden studio, has recently launched a limited edition luxury range: a spin studio (€59,950); a home cinema (€64,950); and a golf studio (€84,450). All come fully kitted-out, and all prices are inclusive of Vat. The luxury studios fit the footprint of the Shomera 25 (6.6 x 3.6 m), which is the company's most popular model and also the largest you can build without planning permission. Prices for the basic studio start at €42,950. 'We're on the more expensive side of garden studios,' says David O'Reilly of Shomera. 'Our spaces look good and perform well – those two don't always go hand-in-hand. They're built from scratch in our factory in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, and constructed on-site.' There are cheaper garden studios on the market, but many of them are modular, built elsewhere and hoisted into place. 'I could not get over the number of people who are interested in the golf studio,' O'Reilly says. 'They want a sport they can do at home with their family and friends.' The golf studio comes with a GTS ultra-impact screen, launch monitor and Teeline strike mat with a Panasonic 6000 Lumens projector. There's also a seating area and a small bar. 'It's a social thing. You can play a tournament with your friends or you can just get your head down and practice.' The spin studio includes two Peloton spin bikes, an 85-inch wall-hung 4K TV screen, Sonos surround-sound speakers, air conditioning, and neon lighting. 'I never realised how popular spin actually was,' O'Reilly comments. 'It's the interactive element that surprised me. You hook the bikes up to the TV on the wall and suddenly you're cycling through the Nevada desert, and you can join spin classes from all over the world.' You can see the appeal. There's always a reason not to go to the gym and, for some, those barriers are insurmountable. The cinema studio is a more tried-and trusted model. It has two-tiered seating, a recessed ceiling-hung blackout curtain system ensuring minimal natural light, a high-tech Epson 4K projector, and a Dolby Home Theatre sound system. It's also soundproofed. 'It was the mothers who were pushing for this,' says O'Reilly. 'Most houses in Ireland have open-plan living areas, and there's nowhere to get away. Parents wanted a dedicated space outside the home where they could spend time with their children and without their phones.' There is currently a waiting list for all three studios, and Shomera .has plans for more designs, including a sensory room. 'People are using their gardens as an extension of their home, for sure,' says Grace Cahill of Studio Grace. 'I'm seeing lots of outdoor Jacuzzis pop up in stores. Even Aldi's embracing the trend!' Aldi's Spa Pool, an inflatable hot tub (€399.99), reappeared in the middle aisle in March. It's like a grown-up paddling pool with warmth and bubbles. In her role as an event stylist and designer, Cahill sees a shift in the way people perceive their outdoor spaces. 'People are entertaining in their gardens a lot more and there's a big emphasis on the aesthetic because of Instagram. They're hiring florists and bringing in tableware to elevate the whole setting. They want everything to look glorious.' While a garden wedding at home is something many people dream of, Cahill finds her clients often baulk at the logistics and expense. 'Once you've paid for the caterers, the toilets and the marquee, you'd be better off in a hotel,' she explains. 'They have the infrastructure. But money-no-object brides do exist!'
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
British jet breaks record for longest flight – with enough time for EVERY episode of Top Gear, Love Island & Strictly
A BRITISH-made stealth jet has broken the world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the sky. That's the equivalent of 1,608 hours - enough time to watch every episode of Top Gear, Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing that has ever aired in the UK. Advertisement 4 The unmanned plane, known as Aalto Zephyr, flew for more than two months Credit: Airbus 4 The Zephyr is a drone-like aircraft with a wingspan of 85ft, and weighs just 75kg Credit: AALTO In fact, it's more than enough time, with Top Gear boasting 518 hours' worth of content across 33 seasons, Love Island's 390 hours and Strictly with a whopping 635 hours. A total of 1,543 hours. The unmanned plane, known as Aalto Zephyr, flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia before being plunged into the Indian Ocean. The flight beat a record held by two American pilots for over 50 years. Advertisement READ MORE ON AVIATION In 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook flew a Cessna Skyhawk continuously for 64 days and 22 hours in That record has now been bested by a British jet, built by Airbus at its facilities in Farnborough, Hampshire. British defence company QinetiQ originally developed the project, before selling it off to Airbus in 2013. The Zephyr is a drone-like aircraft with a wingspan of 85ft, and weighs just 75kg. Advertisement Most read in Tech Breaking It has been hailed for its abilities for near 'endless flight', with it using solar power to charge its propellers during the day. Hypersonic jet could whisk passengers from London to NYC in an hour At night, the craft glides and loses altitude slightly as the batteries drain, until the morning sun recharges them. The Zephyr can operate as a spy plane, carrying powerful cameras and sensors for Earth surveillance. But it can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky. Advertisement It is designed to fly above 60,000ft, making it well suited for delivering communications to remote areas. The aircraft's longest previous mission was a 64-day flight in 2022. "With this new world-record flight, we have pushed the boundaries again for the burgeoning HAPS industry and aviation globally with a solar-powered, stratospheric aircraft," Aalto CEO Hughes Boulnois said in a statement. 4 The facility is adjacent to Farnborough airport Credit: AALTO Advertisement 4 The Zephyr can operate as a spy plane, carrying powerful cameras and sensors for Earth surveillance Credit: Aalto / Airbus
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
British jet breaks record for longest flight – with enough time for EVERY episode of Top Gear, Love Island & Strictly
A BRITISH-made stealth jet has broken the world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the sky. That's the equivalent of 1,608 hours - enough time to watch every episode of Top Gear, Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing that has ever aired in the UK. 4 4 In fact, it's more than enough time, with Top Gear boasting 518 hours' worth of content across 33 seasons, Love Island's 390 hours and Strictly with a whopping 635 hours. A total of 1,543 hours. The unmanned plane, known as Aalto Zephyr, flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia before being plunged into the Indian Ocean. The flight beat a record held by two American pilots for over 50 years. In 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook flew a Cessna Skyhawk continuously for 64 days and 22 hours in Nevada. That record has now been bested by a British jet, built by Airbus at its facilities in Farnborough, Hampshire. British defence company QinetiQ originally developed the project, before selling it off to Airbus in 2013. The Zephyr is a drone -like aircraft with a wingspan of 85ft, and weighs just 75kg. It has been hailed for its abilities for near 'endless flight', with it using solar power to charge its propellers during the day. At night, the craft glides and loses altitude slightly as the batteries drain, until the morning sun recharges them. The Zephyr can operate as a spy plane, carrying powerful cameras and sensors for Earth surveillance. But it can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky. It is designed to fly above 60,000ft, making it well suited for delivering communications to remote areas. The aircraft's longest previous mission was a 64-day flight in 2022. "With this new world-record flight, we have pushed the boundaries again for the burgeoning HAPS industry and aviation globally with a solar-powered, stratospheric aircraft," Aalto CEO Hughes Boulnois said in a statement. 4
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
British stealth plane breaks world record for longest flight
A British-made stealth plane has claimed a new world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the stratosphere. The unmanned Aalto Zephyr, which was built in Farnborough, Hampshire, flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia, before ditching in the Indian Ocean. The flight beat a record that has stood for more than 50 years for the longest duration plane flight. It bested a record set in 1959 when American pilots Robert Timm and John Cook flew a Cessna Skyhawk continuously for 64 days and 22 hours in Nevada. The Zephyr has a wingspan of 85ft, but weighs just 75kg and flies using solar power. The plane can operate as a spy plane, offering Earth observation and reconnaissance capabilities. It can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky. The aircraft's longest previous mission was a 64-day flight in 2022. The Zephyr is a high-altitude platform station (or Haps) originally developed by British defence company QinetiQ before the project was sold to French aerospace giant Airbus in 2013. Operations remain based in Britain. The solar panels on its wings, which are thin as film, allow the plane to fly continuously, recharging its batteries during the day. It is designed to fly above 60,000ft, delivering communications to remote areas. It can also carry powerful cameras and sensors, meaning the aircraft can act as an eye in the sky for border forces or police operations. These technologies position the Zephyr to challenge businesses such as Elon Musk's Starlink for providing communications to disaster zones or military operations, or for boosting mobile signals for major events. It could also provide an alternative to spy satellites. The project has similarities to Facebook's Aquila, a solar plane that was also built in the UK but later mothballed. Google, meanwhile, attempted to design high-altitude communications balloons through its Loon business, but scrapped the division in 2021. Japan's SoftBank has developed a high-altitude plane called Sunglider that is currently undergoing trials. Last year, Aalto received $100m (£75m) in funding from Japanese investors and banks, although Airbus remains its majority shareholder. It plans to launch commercial services in Japan next year. Hughes Boulnois, Aalto's chief executive, said: 'With this new world-record flight, we have pushed the boundaries again for the burgeoning Haps industry and aviation globally with a solar-powered, stratospheric aircraft.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
British stealth plane breaks world record for longest flight
A British-made stealth plane has claimed a new world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the stratosphere. The unmanned Aalto Zephyr, which was built in Farnborough, Hampshire, flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia, before ditching in the Indian Ocean. The flight beat a record that has stood for more than 50 years for the longest duration plane flight. It bested a record set in 1959 when American pilots Robert Timm and John Cook flew a Cessna Skyhawk continuously for 64 days and 22 hours in Nevada. The Zephyr has a wingspan of 85ft, but weighs just 75kg and flies using solar power. The plane can operate as a spy plane, offering Earth observation and reconnaissance capabilities. It can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky. The aircraft's longest previous mission was a 64-day flight in 2022. The Zephyr is a high-altitude platform station (or Haps) originally developed by British defence company QinetiQ before the project was sold to French aerospace giant Airbus in 2013. Operations remain based in Britain. The solar panels on its wings, which are thin as film, allow the plane to fly continuously, recharging its batteries during the day. It is designed to fly above 60,000ft, delivering communications to remote areas. It can also carry powerful cameras and sensors, meaning the aircraft can act as an eye in the sky for border forces or police operations. These technologies position the Zephyr to challenge businesses such as Elon Musk's Starlink for providing communications to disaster zones or military operations, or for boosting mobile signals for major events. It could also provide an alternative to spy satellites. The project has similarities to Facebook's Aquila, a solar plane that was also built in the UK but later mothballed. Google, meanwhile, attempted to design high-altitude communications balloons through its Loon business, but scrapped the division in 2021. Japan's SoftBank has developed a high-altitude plane called Sunglider that is currently undergoing trials. Last year, Aalto received $100m (£75m) in funding from Japanese investors and banks, although Airbus remains its majority shareholder. It plans to launch commercial services in Japan next year. Hughes Boulnois, Aalto's chief executive, said: 'With this new world-record flight, we have pushed the boundaries again for the burgeoning Haps industry and aviation globally with a solar-powered, stratospheric aircraft.'
