Rural Retreat by TsAO & McKOWN Architects
Rural Retreat Exterior 1
Rural Retreat Exterior 2
Rural Retreat Exterior 3
The Academy designed by BVN Architecture is located in Melbourne, Australia. The Academy is an immersive environment that engages all the senses to enhance learning. The design team in conjunction with responsive environment artists and sonic specialists, worked collaboratively with NAB to create The Academy. The Academy is a 3, 200 m2 publicly accessible space, symbolising NAB’s belief in the potential of its employees and the communities NAB support. The new space will be dedicated to employee learning and development and community engagement – experienced in a unique, interactive environment with state of the art technology.
Over 30,000 people have attended business or learning events at The Academy since its opening in July 2009. This includes Edward de Bono who has held a learning session at The Academy. NAB has also held CEO dinners in the space bringing the leaders of other corporations together. The project intent was to create ‘experiences’ not just spaces. All spaces offer different types of experiences founded on the underlying principle of ‘Transformation’. The journey starts with the timber stair. In keeping with the philosophy of Transformation, self discovery is encouraged, as one navigates their own path between the timber blades situated throughout the space.
The unique learning spaces tune in to all senses – energy zones that affect the rhythm of the human body. Spaces are supported by leading edge technology such as the 18 metre panoramic simulation walls. However, the design also understands the ability to brainstorm and share your stories is equally important. The ten primary training spaces have a specially created ‘dial a mood’ soundscape allowing facilitators to use music to create different levels of energy. The unique spaces tune in to all senses thereby stimulating learning and creative thinking beyond the usual ways. Through the use of projection and sound, a ‘Parallel Wilderness’ has been created – a virtual eco-system which co-exists in the space. The Parallel Wilderness grows and changes with the rhythm and energy of The Academy. The content is programmed to be self generating.
A tribute to the islands' Viking Past, Up Helly-Aa ("End of the Holy Days"), the fire festivals are held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter to mark the end of the yule season. The festival involves a procession of up to a thousand guizers, and culminates with the burning of a 32-ft. replica of a Viking longship. Due to the often-flamboyant costumes and the large quantity of males dressing up as females, it has earned the joke name 'Transvestite Tuesday'.
Every year, all of the province's approximately 600 monkeys are invited to eat fruits and vegetables during an annual feast held in honor of Rama, a hero of the Ramayana, who, it is said, rewarded his friend and ally, Hanuman the Monkey King, with the fiefdom of what is now Lopburi. Organizers of the annual monkey buffet use more than 3,000 kg of fruits and vegetables for the festival. 
Holi, also called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Guyana, and Nepal. On the second day, known as Dhulhendi, people spend the day throwing colored powder and water at each other. The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the colored powders has a medicinal significance: the colors are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Ayurvedic doctors. 
Though it sounds benign (and kind of goofy), cheese-rolling is very dangerous. Running full-tilt down a very steep hill behind a madly spinning 7-pound wheel of cheese can be well-nigh lethal. In fact, police have attempted to ban the event, but participants have refused to observe the ban. Men and their cheese wheels can not be separated easily, evidently. So what happens during a cheese roll? Simple: the cheese is set to rolling, and racers zoom down the hill after the cheese. However, as the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70 mph, it rarely happens that someone catches the cheese. First to the bottom wins the cheese. Glorious. 
In Orthodox countries, the week before Lent is marked with a series of celebrations, including a free-for-all boxing match in which there are no rules. In centuries past, the fight ended only when the participates were covered with blood and bereft of clothes. 
The Tunarama festival is held in Port Lincoln, on the tip of Eyre Peninsula, over the Australia Day (26 January) long weekend. When the festival began in 1962, it was intended to promote the emerging tuna fishing industry in Port Lincoln. Tuna fishing is now one of the town's biggest industries and Australia's largest tuna cannery is located there. The highlight of the festival is the tuna tossing competition. Ex-Olympic hammer thrower, Sean Carlin, holds the record for the longest toss at 37.23 metres set in 1998.
The Roswell UFO Festival celebrates the anniversary of the "Roswell Incident," when a UFO was said to have crashed into military grounds nearby. Featuring experts, authors, researchers, and lecturers dissecting the infamous incident, the celebration will also sport an alien parade, an alien costume contest , and an alien hot air balloon ride.
In late August, thousands of people pelt each other with over 250 lbs. of tomatoes in a span of 60 minutes in an event modestly described as the world's largest tomato fight. Every year, over 30,000 tourists come to Bunyol for this festival. Rules of conduct keep the festivities from becoming a more dangerous brawl.
