Years ago, a friend and I were talking about our “dream homes”. Mine was a decommissioned small church or chapel because I’ve always loved the architectual elements found in them. It looks like someone else had the same idea as seen in #4 on Glenn Myers’ list of “5 Remarkable Recycled Homes”.
A number of innovative structures have been created using materials that might otherwise have been destined for the landfill. Here are five examples of what we’ve found, thanks to the The Daily Green, Flavorwire, and Design Buzz. 1. New Life for a Grain Silo House 2. House of Bottled Dreams 3.…
Would you live here? This award winning project from the Archi<20 competition has been characterized as a “corn cob house” and the description does include mention of a “night space” – presumably for sleeping. It seems to me that the word “pavillion” used by ArchDaily is more appropriate. The structure effectively combines the neccessary space for drying the corn cobs with a useful working and resting space for those working in the fields.
photo courtesy of StAndré-Lang Architectes
I did like the concept of designing a living space to follow the sun’s movements:
Characterized by the presence of a light shaft in its middle, the indoor set-up has consequently been chosen according to the Sun’s position and its daily East-to-West cycle. The furniture, consisting of just one block extending around the entire house, integrates the needs of the different daily activities. To the North – the entrance side- a low-ceiling volume (night space) leads to a working one in the Eastern part of the building and to a more generous space in the Southern part, opening up to the sky. On the facade, the rythm of the openings depends on the Sun’s position as well: as a matter of fact, the design is closely linked to all the natural elements.
Architects: StAndré-Lang Architectes Location: 67600 Muttersholtz, France Design Team: Bastien Saint-André, Maxime Lang Project Year: 2012 Project Area: 20 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of StAndré-Lang Architectes
Bioscleave House, also known as the LifeSpan-Extending Villa, was designed by artists Arakawa + Gins, with architects Lawrence Marek and Aryeh Siegel. I think engineers Dewhurst, MacFarlane and Partners deserve a lion’s share of the credit for figuring out how to build the 3700 square foot home as envisioned. Completed in 2008, the 3 bedroom, 2 bath house is an example of their “reversible destiny architecture,” the philosophy that the design of a structure can “counteract the usual human destiny of having to die.” The idea is to create a living space that challenges the occupant with physical and mental exercise in order to stay young – sort of a whole body Sudoku.
“A couple years ago, Manhattan architect Luke Clark Tyler, lived in a 96 square foot apartment. Instead of upsizing with his latest move, he chose to squeeze himself and his belongings into even less space. Luke now lives in a 78 square foot shoebox studio.”
I believe in reducing one’s carbon footprint by down-sizing the living space, but this is over-doing it for me. I think even my ferrets would find that space a bit small.
Designed by the architect & design firm of Elding Oscarson in Sweden, the ‘Stark White House’ is being featured this week in Inhabitat‘s blog: “a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.”
As a real estate estate, I find the dramatic departure from architectual style of the neighborhood to be a bit startling. But I do appreciate the low carbon footprint and the bright minimalist space. Give me a wall and door on that bathroom and I could live there. Would you?
