Latest news with #parkour
News.com.au
03-08-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Ninja Warrior takes on gravity-defying container home
Aussie parkour pro Dylan Pawson faced off against an incredible Tetris-style home built from 11 shipping containers. Perched on a mountainside, the one-of-a-kind home made a formidable playground for stunt performer Pawson, who rose to fame in TV series Australian Ninja Warrior with twin brother, Brodie, in 2017. On the market via an expressions of interest campaign with Coastal agent Bianca Basile, the thome at 25 Elbert Ct, Tamborine Mountain was the brainchild of owners Bradley and Natasha Hardy, who head up homewares company, Genji Homes. It comprises eight 40-foot and three 20-foot containers, each craned in and welded into place to form a dramatic angular design over three levels. Pawson built a custom course across the home's jutting steel forms, leaping between cantilevered containers stacked like a life-size game of Tetris. Set against the subtropical backdrop of the Gold Coast Hinterland, the home's fortress-like facade contrasts with its Scandi-inspired interiors of earthy textures and rich tones. The home's Danish name, Varmt Rede, or 'warm nest', reflects its welcoming atmosphere. 'It envelops you. It comforts you and protects you from the rigours of modern life,' Ms Hardy said. 15 Queensland homes turning up the heat The property is basically 'indestructible', Ms Hardy said, noting its insulated steel-framed modular structure with external cladding and double-glazed windows. 'It has fireproof properties, we don't have the pest and decay issues which are typical of living in a rainforest area, and we have gone through the cyclone and a tornado in the last 18 months with no damage from either,' she said. While rare when the Hardys built, prefabricated or modular homes have gained popularity as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to the nation's housing shortage. In January, the Commonwealth Bank became the first Big 4 to offer loans for modular homes. 'People think shipping containers are just a rusty box, whereas they are actually a fully enclosed steel structure that has incredible strength,' Ms Hardy said. 'For us, building with containers was no cheaper than a standard steel-frame home. But because we are cascading down a hill, it provided the speed of construction, and the structure we needed to withstand the harsh environment,' she said. Designed for multigenerational living, the five-bedroom home has a flexible layout, with the master bedroom in its own container accessed by a suspended walkway. Highlights include a rooftop entertaining zone with a spa and sweeping coastal views, a stylish kitchen with a butler's pantry, two home offices, an open-plan living area with a fireplace, and a guest bedroom with ensuite and private entry. Ms Basile described the home as an intersection of 'architecture, sustainability and luxury', integrating beautifully into its natural surroundings while offering comfort, style, and functionality. 'Green technologies like solar power and rainwater harvesting provide efficiency without compromising luxury,' she said. Coastal director Rob Forde had been eager to feature Gold Coast-based Pawson in a listing, waiting six months for the perfect match to his athletic style. 'This property's unique levels and spaces lent themselves to parkour,' Mr Forde said. Parkour is an acrobatic sport focused on moving efficiently between points by running, climbing and jumping. The Hardys paid $177,500 for the 1,510 sqm parcel in 2015 and finished the build two years later. 'My husband and I have built and renovated many homes over the last 20 years. We have always designed non-traditional homes and had the dream to build out of containers, so when the land presented itself to do that, we engaged an architect to bring our dream to life,' Ms Hardy said. They are selling up to relocate to regional Queensland, where they plan to build another 'forever home'.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
D.C.'s Building Museum is now a parkour course. We went. You're welcome.
Late last month, word arrived that the National Building Museum — a temple of architecture, a pantheon of design, the self-described 'leading cultural institution devoted to the history and impact of the built environment' — would be transformed into an oversize parkour playground. You know, parkour, that thing where seemingly grown people jump off ledges and slide down railings as exercise.
Geek Culture
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Zombie Parkour Game 'Dying Light' Celebrates Tenth Anniversary With 'Retouched' Update
Despite being 10 years old, Techland's original 2015 zombie parkour game, Dying Light , is far from being dead, as the game is getting a surprise content drop, dubbed the Retouched update, bringing visual and audio enhancements to the ageing title. The Dying Light: Retouched update is due to launch on 26 June, and according to a post on Steam by franchise director Tymon Smektała, it will focus on 'squeezing out even more' from the game, but will not be a complete overhaul or remaster. The free update will include visual enhancements like upscaled texture quality for its environments, alongside improved lighting and shadows. Screenshots featured in the post give a better picture of what players can expect, with some impressive improvements, especially concerning ground textures, which have seen a massive boost to tessellation, ambient occlusion and depth. The game's audio will also be touched up, with original composer Paweł Blaszczak returning to recreate its soundtrack, with new tracks, ambient sounds and hit reaction audio in combat, with Blaszczak even re-recording the soundtrack on tape to emulate the original's retro vibe. The team also touched on why it took so long to complete the Retouched update, which was teased following the celebration of Dying Light's tenth anniversary in January. 'We were working with 10+ year old technology,' explained Smektała, 'Even with all the new experience we've gained over the years, figuring out how to apply those learnings to the original Dying Light engine while keeping everything stable was a challenge. Smektała further added that the team had to 'walk through the entire map, looking for assets to be improved', which were all changed manually by artists, and that they also made it a priority not to change the game's system requirements, balancing the updates fresh details with the limitations of last-gen console hardware. The Dying Light: Retouched update will release on 26 June 2025, and will be free for owners of the game across the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Dying Light Dying Light: Retouched Update techland
CNA
02-06-2025
- General
- CNA
Parkour instructor seeks to empower her female students and help them build confidence
Parkour is finding new footing in Singapore, with more parkour gyms popping up. CNA speaks to Gwendolyn Neo, the co-founder of a parkour academy that teaches women and children to scale walls, leap over obstacles and defy expectations. In a traditionally male-dominated sport, Ms Neo said empowering women is why she became a parkour instructor.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Heartbreak over much-loved motorcyclist's death in Plymouth
Family and friends of a motorcyclist who died in a crash have said their world will "never be the same".Devon and Cornwall Police said Karol Zalewski - also known as Lolek - died at the scene of the incident on Kings Road in the Devonport area of Plymouth at about 10:50 BST on 20 to the 27-year-old from Plymouth have been paid by many who knew him including relatives and members of the parkour community, which Mr Zalewski was part Zalewski's family said his positivity was infectious and his energy was "like a ball of fire". Marzena, Tomasz and Kamil - his mother, father and younger brother - said: "The world will never be the same without you."You left behind a void that can never be filled, a wound in our hearts that will never heal." Meg Cadwaladr, Mr Zalewski's girlfriend, described him as the "sweetest, kindest, purest soul". She added: "I still cannot get my head around that I won't ever to see your beautiful smile again."I am so proud of the man you were, words cannot describe this heartbreak."His best friend Oskar Kieda also paid tribute, saying Mr Zalewski was like a brother to him."Even though our personalities were so different, we were like yin and yang - two halves that made a whole," he said. 'Lost our heart and soul' Parkour groups said Mr Zalewski was a role model and they would always remember his "crazy moves".Plymouth Parkour Team members said: "We had the pleasure to witness his metamorphosis from a shy teenager to a noble man equipped with solid morals, high standards, love for his family and dedication to his purpose of training, coaching, and mentoring new breed of athletes - and also tonnes of funny memes."Scruffy Boys, friends from the parkour community, added: "We lost our heart and soul."You gave so much life to our circle."You were the spontaneous energy that held us down and kept us together."Police have asked anyone with information about the crash to get in touch with investigating officers.
