Lofted Forest Home: Organic Curves & Natural Materials
Good things come to those who wait – particularly in a work of uniquely detailed and highly curved architecture. Nearly a decade in the making, this structure by Robert Harvey Oshatz is much like a tree house – lofted toward the top of the canopy around it – only bigger, grander, more complex and curved than most any tree house in the world. The perimeter of the structure is pushed out into the forest around it, curving in and out to create views as well as a sense of intimacy with the coniferous and deciduous tree cover. The wood and metal detailing is incredible in its variety and customization – each piece designed to fit a particular form and function. Wood and stone carry naturalistic themes from the outside in and even the metal looks naturally rusted.
House made of bookcases
Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio designed this bookshelf-lined house in Osaka for a collector of books on Islamic history, designing a structure where books could line every surface. WANT. In order to satisfy this demand effectively, we designed a lattice structure made from 25mm thick laminated pine-board which serve as book-shelves. The dimensions of each shelf are as follows: 360mm height, 300mm width and 300mm depth. All of the architectural elements in this space (stairs, windows, desks, chairs, etc) have been designed on the basis of this shelf scale, with the aim of achieving geometrical harmony which is comparable to Islamic Architecture.
The Eco-Cube: The World's Smallest Home?
By Stephen Lacey on July 6, 2011 at 8:38 am "The Eco-Cube: The World’s Smallest Home?" My city apartment is pretty small, but not quite this small. Still, through creative design, this net-energy positive “cube house” feels like it has just as much space. This 10x10x10 foot house features a small lounge, dining area, kitchen, space for a washer and dryer, a closet, full shower, bathroom and full-sized bed. It proves that you can do a heck of a lot with a little.
18 Cool Inventions From the Past
The time between the wars – the Great War and WW2 was one of great loss and uncertainty, but also one of invention, creativity and new ideas. The horrors of WWI shattered enlightenment belief that progress would continue and reason would prevail. New ideas and patterns of life developed in the 1920′s and in the way that people looked at the world [1].
Space Saving Tiny Apartment, New York
This tiny but highly sophisticated studio apartment in the East Village of NYC has made us very proud, thanks to JPDA. Not only was it built as a super efficient multi-functional unit but with the use of detailed mill work, the storage capacity was very cleverly executed and resulted in a super stylish studio with a decent amount of floor space. Shouldn’t all NYC dwellers aim to live like this? You decide… A schematic rendering demonstrates a realistic plan for this tiny apartment. Although we’re not too sure how realistic that cubbyhole at the crown of the loft is in a NYC apartment building, the rest of the space makes perfect sense.
Interview: Brian "Ziggy" Liloia on How to build your own Hobbit House
Brian "Ziggy" Liloia is a 26 year old member of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, where he lives in his own handbuilt cob house, tends large gardens with friends, builds with natural materials, keeps bees, makes cheese and butter, blogs, and strives to live the good life. He is the author of "The Year of Mud: Building a Cob House" Avi Solomon: Tell us a bit about yourself Brian Liloia I grew up in the hyper-suburbs of northern New Jersey, in the shadows of New York City. In college, I learned what a huge mess civilization was making of the planet, and I realized, over the course of several years and through reading lots and lots of stuff about environmental and social issues, that I wouldn't be satisfied with a conventional kind of lifestyle. I was never excited about a mainstream career, or living in the city or suburbs, and now I had a better explanation for my lack of enthusiasm.
The Tiny Life , Archive » Egg House
This is a pretty neat house, built by Daihai Fei, age 24, he did it for only $960 US dollars. He had moved to Beijing to pursue his college degree, but after graduating he found to get work, he must stay in the city, but he couldn’t afford rent. The house is mobile and covered with bags of dirt and grass seeds. Daihai Fei hopes that the seed will take and grow to fully encase his egg in grass, making it more weather resistant. His egg house is now located across the street from his work, so commute is a 30 second walk.
Toilet Tech: A Power Generator Turns Falling Wastewater Into Electricity
Here's a novel way to get a little more out of time spent in the bathroom. An industrial design student at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, has created a clever power generator that turns falling wastewater into electricity. The HighDro Power is a waterwheel-like turbine that can be incorporated into the pipes of tall buildings to turn one man's waste into another man's wattage.
Traditional Turf Houses In Iceland In Iceland
The Icelandic turf house was the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone, and the relative difficulty in obtaining other construction materials in sufficient quantities. Due to the lack of transport and Iceland’s remoteness, importing foreign timber was not very common and mostly reserved for ship and church building. However, Iceland did have a large amount of turf that was suitable for construction. photo source The turf houses are made of flat stones, and upon this was built a wooden frame which holds the load of turf. The turf would then be fitted around the frame in blocks often with a second layer, or in the more fashionable herringbone style.
