This Family Built A 100% Sustainable Floating Offgrid Eco-Fortress

Apr 7, 2015

Growing up, most of us had a friend whose parents owned an impressive house, but I guarantee none of us had a friend with a place like this. Owned by Catherine King and Wayne Adams, this eco-fortress of sorts can be found floating off the coastal inlet of Cypress Bay in British Columbia.

They call it “Freedom Cove” and the colorful offgrid home consists of a series of 12 structures. They share the place with their two children, Eleanor and Alistair, and seem to have a great system in place that has allowed them to live a self-sustainable existence for 20+ years.

There’s a greenhouse and garden system that provides food year-round. At one point they even had a hen-house, but were discouraged by the frequent attacks by hungry sea creatures. The family takes advantage of the heavy rain during the winter to collect water, and uses a waterfall nearby in the summer. Electricity comes courtesy solar panels and photovoltaic generators.

A wooden walkway connects each of the unique structures and the bright pinks and blues accenting the entire layout do more than hint at the couple’s artistic skills.

The couple earns extra income from their art – Catherine is a painter, writer, and wood carver, and Wayne sells carvings and candles in nearby gift shops.

Below you can see the workshop where Wayne does most of his carving, along with some close-ups of the finished candles.

If you’re in the area and want to check this place out, your in luck because curious visitors can take a boat tours of Freedom Cove or a sea kayak tour to get a personal tour.. In fact, they encourage visitors to spend time on the fortress.

This certainly has to be one of the most impressive offgrid homes we’ve seen. While the lifestyle isn’t for everyone, those looking for inspiration to escape mainstream society and forge a life of their own can find inspiration in their story.

Thanks to http://www.vanguarddivers.com/

These 3D Floors Will Have You Trippin Out

May 7, 2015

You thought your fancy marble tiles were impressive enough huh? Imagine walking into a bathroom and feeling like you just slipped into a tropical underwater paradise, or the floor of a sunken battleship.

There’s a new trend in bathroom flooring and it comes in the form of 3D epoxy polymer, a special material that creates an incredibly realistic perception of depth that just might terrify your young children, not to mention any unsuspecting guest you have over.

The technique involves layering any desired image on the level floor and covering it with a transparent two-component polymer that gives it depth. Imperial Interiors, the company behind these fantastic installs, says the technique was originally used in mall displays. Now we’re seeing it invade people’s bathrooms, and even extending into their other living spaces in a most creative fashion.

Your cat will no doubt become incredibly frustrated with your new interior decorator.

The floors aren’t limited to bathrooms either – consider a tropical paradise theme in your wine bar perhaps.

The sense of depth in some of the applications is simply astonishing!

One of my favorites is the flooding water shooting from beneath the bathtub.

Don’t mind Flipper saying hello while you do your business.

Take it to the next level by applying images to the walls, cabinets, even the ceiling.

Photo via: artflooring.biz

There’s no doubt how cool some of these floors are. Our biggest concern though is they might be so distracting while taking a leak that you forget where you’re aiming…

This Unique “Ultra Green” Building Is Covered In A Green-Wall Exoskeleton

Sep 7, 2015

Brazilian architecture firm Triptyque have designed an office building in Sao Paolo that not only collects rain water, but utilizes a sophisticated filtration and delivery system to irrigate naturally insulating green walls. A maze-like network of water pipes snake up and down the building’s facades, fitted with misters that provide the living walls with freshly recycled rain water.

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The project is an ecological experiment aimed at challenging how society deals with water – how it can be collected, recycled, and redistributed with little need for waste or run-off. In addition to the green wall system, a series of planted roofs further mitigate the structures environmental footprint. When the misting nozzles are on full tilt, the building is enveloped in what appears to be a stationary cloud, reinforcing the issue of water conservation in both function and aesthetic.

In 2010, the unique green features won this office building the ‘Built Environment’ award from the Zumtobel Group.

Raw Concrete Home Wedged Between Rocks And Earth

Apr 30, 2015

A bit of imagination and a crate of dynamite was all it took for Olsen Kundig Architects to turn this giant bolder into a luxurious, modern dream home. Raw materials such as exposed concrete were used to compliment the natural feel of the rocky backdrop which flanks the home on two sides. There are even areas where the remnants of the existing stone pokes though on the interior, creating a grotto like feel that offsets the stark finishes that accompany the new space.

The home was outfitted with rustic antique furniture and artwork, which matches the rugged design.

Leftover rock from the construction was crushed into a work of art and mounted on the wall.

The bathroom includes a sink basin carved into stone, with three separate bowls where the water cascades through before draining.

Photography is by Benjamin Benschneider and Dwight Eschliman

A See-Through Church That Suspends Disbelief

Mar 23, 2015

Spaces of prayer and worship have traditionally been designed create suspension of disbelief in order to give the users a grander sense of a higher being. This church, designed by Belgian architects Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh, does just that by appearing to be completely see-through.

Layers of rusted steel ribs are stacked upon each other with spacers that create gaps between each piece. The result is a structure that is more translucent than it is opaque, allowing light, air and views to flow into one exterior wall and out the other.

The ephemeral church blends majestically into the surrounding Belgian hillside, especially when backlit by the rising or setting sun. It won’t protect you from rain, wind, floods or snow, but it will provide a serene setting to appreciate the things greater than yourself.