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.

She Bought A Boeing 727 Shell For $2000, And Made It Her Dream Home

Mar 23, 2015

Most folks have a style of home they like, be it craftsman, contemporary, log, or whatever. Few of them have Boeing 727, 707, in their list of dream homes. Joanne isn’t most people. She took a piece of land, a $2000 used 727 jumbo jet shell, plus a bit of creativity and created a really incredible place to call home.

At 52 years young she built an integrated house in the woods that’s as cool as anything we’ve seen.

She calls it “Little Trump”, named after – you guessed it, Donald Trump. And that’s not taking much away from his name when you look up close. The entire inside is covered in teak paneling, giving it a sort of hip island vibe meets Shangri-La sort of feeling.

Unlike some other jets we’ve seen converted into homes, which look more like makeshift laboratories than homes, this one actually feels inviting. You wouldn’t mind sleeping here…hell, maybe you’d enjoy it. Forever.

She even outfitted a jacuzzi tub in one end.

The view of the ocean isn’t half bad either!

Organic Inspired Nautilus Seashell Home Is Something To Behold

Mar 19, 2015

Ever wonder what would happen if Arial of The Little Mermaid became an architect? Neither have I, but I imagine she might design a house that looks something like that. In reality, this wasn’t designed by a mermaid but rather by Javier Senosiain from Arquitectura Organica, a Mexican firm that specializes in unique creations like the one you see below.

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While it looks quite extraordinary from the outside, when you step inside the home you instantly notice the barrage of bright colors spilling through the custom stained glass window. It’s simply gorgeous. The whimsical layout was designed to bridge the gap between architecture and nature, hence the shell shape. Inside the home you’ll find lots of curved edges and plants sprouting between organically shaped seating areas. Every room in this home brings some magical aura with it. Overall, it represents one of the most unique homes we’ve ever seen. What do you think?

This Postman Collected Pebbles During The Day. At Night He Built Something Incredible.

Mar 18, 2015

In 1879 a postman by the name of Ferdinand Cheval stepped on a small pebble, and after picking it up and examining it, he got an idea. He would spend the next 30+ years collecting pebbles of various shapes and sizes on his 18-mile-long route. After work he would mix together lime and concrete to build the Palais Idéal.

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“I said to myself: since Nature is willing to do the sculpture, I will do the masonry and the architecture”

Located in Hauterives, the palace is a popular tourist destination and also serves as inspiration for artists. An example of “naïve art architecture”, . He spent 22 years building the outer walls, using stones he gathered in his pockets. Eventually he carried a basket and finally a wheelbarrow to collect the necessary stones to complete the project.

Ferdinand is an inspiration not just to artists, but anyone who rides a wave of inspiration to the finish. His efforts prove that with time, passion, and effort, you can achieve almost anything.

Photographs by EMMANUEL GEORGES and CLAUDE TRAVELS

This Dome-Shaped Solar Home Floats on Water And Is 98% Recyclable

Mar 17, 2015

A fully recyclable home that has the potential for self-sufficiency, environmental and functional adaptability, and out of this world curb appeal was the dream that eventually gave way to the Waternest 100. Designed by London-based EcoFloLife in collaboration with Giancarlo Zema Design Group, this dome-shaped structure can be configured as an office, home, restaurant or exhibition space and is entirely powered by solar panels that are smartly integrated into the convex roof.

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The generous 1,000 square foot allow for a multitude of interior uses while never feeling cramped or starved for space. This particular model of a housing application has a kitchen, living and dining areas, two bedrooms and a full bath. A simplified version of the design could even be mass-produced and deployed as relief shelters. When the life-span of the home comes to an end, the materials used for construction are 98% recyclable, making the home as fundamentally eco-friendly as it looks.

Garden of Eden? This Church’s Interiors Are Covered In Grass

Mar 17, 2015

In an effort to rejuvenate the interiors of this ancient Italian-style Church in London, artist and composer Graeme Miller has collaborated with Ackroyd & Harvey to carpet its interiors with living grass. Greenery covers the walls, floors and ceilings of the awe-inspiring space, resulting in a surreal experience that speaks to the sanctity of life and the preciousness of our relationship to faith.

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The converted church was in complete disrepair prior to the planting and cultivation of the grass. In addition to making unique use of a once decrepit ruin, Miller and company created the installation as an experiment in human experience. They explain, “We were curious about how the architectural space, the atmosphere, and the perceptions of people entering it, would be affected by the application of our materials.”

Incredible Sunken Rooftop Garden Brings Life Into A Former Caviar Warehouse

Mar 16, 2015

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An unassuming warehouse in the heart of Manhattan conceals a very special secret. A portion of the rooftop deck in this loft apartment is dropped into the middle of the living room, providing the interiors with an abundance of natural light and lush garden views. Architect Andrew Franz converted the top floor of the once dank caviar warehouse, converting salvaged materials such as using existing walnut roof joists as new stair treads.

all images © albert vecerka, ESTO / courtesy of andrew franz architect PLLC

5 Incredible Buildings That Can’t Seem To Sit Still

Mar 16, 2015

1Sliding House by DRMM

Photos © Alex de Rijke / GIF by Gasoline Station

In a stroke of architectural imagination and mechanical ingenuity, this seemingly ordinary home pulls itself apart revealing a secondary structure and creating a covered indoor/outdoor space. The 20-ton outer wood shell moves along two tracks via electric motors and can be stopped at different locations to configure varying degrees of opacity.

2Shapeshifting Sharifi-Ha House by Nextoffice

Each of the three floors of this home in Tehran, Iran have rotating volumes that open the spaces to views and light. With the simple push of a button, the spaces swing out and cantilever over the street below. The concept balances the desire for natural light and the regional necessity of protection and privacy.

3M-Velope Transformer House

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This tiny temporary structure made of hinged wood-slatted walls has the ability to completely open itself up creating a much larger covered footprint. While not technically a home, the structure presents a conceptual prototype that can be applied to adaptive facades in larger scale applications.

4Eskenazi Hospital, Indianapolis by Urbana Architecture

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Las Angeles based firm Urbana Architecture has designed an adaptive facade that transforms user experience based on proximity, position and pace of movement, pointing to a much larger shift in urban transformation. The facade is fixed with thousands of tiny bi-chromatic metal fins that rotate on vertical rods, resulting in a dynamic skin that is constantly changing

5Cafe-Restaurant OPEN, by de Architekten Cie

Each of the glazed vertical sections of this sea-side restaurant in Amsterdam hinges in accordion-like fashion, creating an undulating facade that appears to be flowing with the ocean breeze.

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And For My Next Trick, I’ll Make This House Disappear!

Mar 15, 2015

You may remember seeing magicians like David Copperfield staging wild magic tricks that included making huge buildings and objects disappear. As it turns out, certain architects also use optical illusions to perform similar feats.

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In a feat of architectural wizardry, Reform Architekt has designed a home that appears to be floating, unsupported, over the forest floor. At a glance, one would think that the house consists of a minimal white box perched in the trees themselves. Take a trip around the perimeter, however, and discover that the structure has a large base that utilizes highly polished mirrors to mask itself in the surrounding vegetation. It’s a playful optical illusion that speaks in a very literal way to architecture’s place in nature, as if to say that we should build, but we should build in a way to appear as if we haven’t built at all.

Step Inside This Offgrid Cabin And Enter Another Dimension Of Design

Mar 12, 2015

wood-tunnel-house-1 — The entryway to the "Tuba Cube" was made using pine shavings.

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If you happened upon this little cabin while trekking through the woods, at first you might think it was some sort of portal to another dimension. Located in Bergen, Norway, this interesting abode is the result of a design-build workshop at the School of Architecture. Their aim was to build a unique all-wood cabin using a mixture of techniques borrowed from places like Japan and Norway. While the front door looks like it might be moving at warp speed, the interior shows off a relaxing atmosphere of pure Nordic inspired simplicity.