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Modern Homes for Mermaids: 12 Houses Built Around Swimming Pools

30 May

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Like oversized aquariums made for humans, these glass-walled swimming pools put bathers on display and making splashing in shimmering waters the defining feature of the homes, hotels and apartment blocks they’re built into. Transparent sides or floors allow them to peer into adjacent interiors or look down onto landscapes, blurring the lines between these watery worlds and the spaces around them.

North Bondi by CplusC Architects

A glass-walled lap pool runs along the edge of the North Bondi residence by CplusC Architects, hemmed in on the other side by an envelope-like perforated privacy screen that protects the home from noise and the eyes of neighbors.

Villa Clessidra by LAAV Architects

Villa Clessidra by LAAV Architects is a modern three-story vacation home in the forest for relaxing getaways, sliced right through the middle by a swimming pool occupying a ‘transparent zone’ with glass walls, floors and ceilings so it’s visible from all around.

Farrar Residence by Peter Bohlin and Greg Mottola

A glass-ended infinity pool overlooks an aspen-covered mountainside in Park City, Utah, extending out over a tumbling stream. “The rhythm of columns that flank the pool progressively tightens, creating a false perspective,” says Bohlin Cywinski Jackson architects. “The line between interior and exterior is blurred. The relation to earth, sky and the materials of the house shifts with the changes in light and season on the mountain.”

Spa House by Metropolis Design

Not only do operable glass walls slide all the way open to welcome a lap pool into this home’s interior – as well as the larger connected swimming pool out back – but glass windows in the water connect the pools to the home’s lowest level, creating the feel of being in a submarine.

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Modern Homes For Mermaids 12 Houses Built Around Swimming Pools

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Ship & Swim: Mobile Cargo Container Pool & On-Demand Hot Tub for Homes

17 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

More stable and versatile than a typical temporary above-ground pool and less likely to tank your home real estate value than a built-in one, this modular plug-and-play swimming pool is the best of both worlds.

Developed by Canadian company Modpools, these converted shipping containers measure 8 by 20 feet (or 8 by 40), can be used year-round and can be converted for use as a hot tub on demand (via a segmenting module).

Using the relatively light but sturdy shape of the container as a framework, these pools can be lifted and loaded onto trucks and trains (just like any other inter-modal unit). They can also be plugged in and set to go in minutes, then rearranged on a lot should a resident decide to expand their existing home or reconfigure their yard.

Historically, having a carved-out backyard pool has been known to actually reduce real estate values, leading many homeowners to fill theirs in before putting a house up for sale. With this solution, the pool can simply be relocated to a new residence or resold and used somewhere else.

Currently priced around $ 27,000 they don’t come cheap, but offer correspondingly more flexibility — the twice-as-long 40-footer is also not much more expensive at $ 35,000 for those with the space.

The pools come with bonus technology features, too, like the ability to control the lighting and heating remotely, letting users crank up the warmth while on the way home to take a swim in the pool or a soak in the hot tub.

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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Lighting 103: Use Gels to Tune Your Home’s Lighting

05 May

Abstract: You can use your knowledge of color temperature and gels to improve the quality of light in your home.

So far, everything we have done has centered on gelling a single light to create a single desired color shift. But before we make the jump into using multiple colors and light sources, one quick hack for your home's lighting that will help you to improve the quality of light in compact fluorescent and LED bulbs.

Like the gawdawful green-tinged lamp above, for example. Read more »
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Hovering Homes: 12 Cantilevered & Elevated Residences Maximize Views

24 Jan

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Supported by nothing but skinny poles, delicately balancing or tethered as if they might float away, these precarious-seeming houses laugh in the face of gravity. Cantilevering architectural volumes off cliffsides or elevating them well above ground level gives modern residences incredible views of their surroundings, whether they’re located on a mountain overlooking the sea or in the middle of a busy Japanese city.

Snohetta Treehotel, Sweden

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Architecture firm Snøhetta has completed their addition to Sweden’s Treehotel, a hovering cabin that appears at first glance to be supported by no more than the staircase leading up to it. The design is based on a traditional Nordic cabin with a wood facade clad in charred boards of pine for a look that contrasts with the snow below, making the structure look heavy and solid to enhance its gravity-defying properties.

Tower House Inspired by Observatories

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Tucked into the woods of upstate New York, GLUCK+’s Tower House takes inspiration from observatories for its mostly-vertical form. A bright yellow staircase is visible from outside through the glass envelope of the supporting tower, and the upper volume is topped with a terrace.

House in Yatsugatake Mountains by Kidosaki Architects, Japan

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Jutting out over a cliff at the foot of Japan’s Yatsugatake Mountains, this home by Kidosaki Architects Studio expands horizontally out into midair to enhance views of the natural landscape through floor-to-ceiling glazing on three sides. The cantilevered portion of the home is supported by two diagonal steel cylinders.

Cargo Container Office Sticks Out Beyond Edge of Hill

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Architect Patrick Bradley repurposed a 45-foot cargo container into an office for himself, allowing a third of it to hang out over the edge of the hilly plot as a sort of floating balcony encased in glass. The project makes very few structural changes in the container itself, staying true to its original form while modernizing its exterior.

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Hovering Homes 12 Cantilevered Elevated Residences Maximize Views

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Inverted Roofs: Bowl-Shaped Rain Collectors Naturally Cool Desert Homes

13 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Iranian architects have developed a Concave Roof system to collect rainwater in arid climates with low precipitation, helping cool buildings in hot and dry regions of the world. The water can in turn be filtered for drinking or integrated into interior graywater systems.

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These systems help reduce reliance on artificial air conditioning (or work were it is unavailable). They could ultimately help keep people in their home regions who might otherwise have to move due to climactic changes.

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BMDesign Studios’s addresses rapid evaporation with the bowl-shaped roof additions, designed to channel even the smallest amounts of accumulated rain, coalescing them into drops big enough to harvest before they evaporate.

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These inverted shells also provide shade while allowing air to pass between upper and lower roofs, acting as a cooling system in the process.

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wall-reservoir

Reservoirs tied into the system are situated between building walls to take advantage of the thermal capacity of the water to regular interior temperatures.

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The courtyard and circulation spaces are also sunken to further cool the complex. Temperatures are higher and precipitation in parts of Iran is as much as 2/3 lower compared to global averages, so every drop counts.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Against All Odd (Shapes): 12 Homes Tailored to Tiny & Difficult Plots

24 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Plots of land long considered too small and strangely shaped to build upon prove to be more valuable when they seem thanks to some creative thinking. Across the world (put particularly in cramped Tokyo), architects are rising to the challenge to expand available living spaces in heavily populated cities, designing structures that fit these ‘odd lots’ without sacrificing privacy, comfort and outdoor spaces.

Wedge-Shaped Home by Oof! Architecture

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The geometry of this triangular site in a residential neighborhood in Melbourne presented a major challenge for OOF! Architecture, especially due to strict building rules. The architects created a three-story structure full of split-level living areas to avoid wasting space on internal walls, doors and hallways.

House in Horinouchi by Mizuishi Architect

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One of Tokyo’s most distinctive odd-shaped houses, ‘House in Horinouchi’ by Mizuishi Architect Atelier had to fit within a strip of land roughly the size of a parking spot while still having a place to store bikes outside. The ultra-narrow result features a tapered cantilevered end, a slightly wider area containing the living spaces, and a play loft for the owner’s children.

Grass Cave House by Makiko Tsukada

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This plot is squished between several existing houses in the suburbs at an odd angle, which could easily have resulted in a dark structure with very little privacy and no outdoor spaces. Instead, Makiko Tsukada Architects built a step-shaped structure consisting of three grass-covered volumes, including a carport roof and the home itself. Large windows face these elevated lawns to bring sunlight inside.

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi

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Monolithic and windowless from outside, ‘Mountain House’ by Hiroki and Tomoko Sekiguchi Architects has to accommodate a large four-wheel-drive car on its lowest level and contend with the prying eyes of neighbors. The result frames views of the sky and accesses daylight via skylights.

Triangular House by H.ARCHITECTS

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Strict Japanese setback requirements prevent architects from building right up to the edge of the plot, including roof overhangs, yet the typical Japanese plot is incredibly small. This one was considered too awkward to build on and used as a parking lot for many years, but H.ARCHITECTS found a solution that makes the most of the adjacent park. A z-shaped interior layout allows for the creation of a few outdoor spaces, like the third floor balcony.

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Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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A Silver Lining: 14 Cloud-Shaped Homes, Furnishings & Decor Designs

12 Oct

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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Floating on air, flickering with lightning, providing a pillowy soft surface or gently raining water down on plants, these cloud-shaped home accents and architectural designs are downright heavenly. A bluetooth speaker magically levitates above its base, a lamp provides motion-activated thunderstorm shows, a concrete display base makes toilet paper commercials literal in their comparisons and a house in Australia takes on a highly unusual silhouette.

Levitating Cloud Speaker by Richard Clarkson Studio + Crealev

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A cumulus cloud hovers over a wooden base, floating up to two inches above the surface, bobbing back and forth. That cloud is actually a speaker, and it levitates using the power of magnets. ‘Making Weather’ blends Crealev’s magnetic levitation technology with Richard Clarkson’s artificial cloud designs for an eye-catching product that flickers with ‘lightning’ when you play music.

Knitted Cloud Stools by Studio Joon&Jung

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Chunky skeins of wool get hand-knitted into soft, cloudily masses made to sit atop wooden stools. Say the designers, Joon+Jung, “Cloud Stool is inspired by the flexibility and softness of the cloudscape. It can be singular or become a group as a human being. It gives the illusion that it’s alive, by using irregularity, flexibility and subtle differences in tone of perception. Conclusively, the form interacts between objects, and people could explore with it.”

Concrete Cloud Toilet Paper Holder

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This might just be the most clever display of backup toilet paper ever created, yet it’s so simple. A curving concrete base lets you stack the rolls into a cloud shape, fitting up to 14 rolls for the large size, and it’s also available in a smaller size for space-challenged bathrooms.

Cloud House by McBride Charles Ryan

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This modern home addition by McBride Charles Ryan expands the back of an Edwardian house in Victoria, Australia, with a glazed end looking out onto a long, narrow lap pool. “The new living addition faces due south while allowing controlled north sun into the living area and providing effective cross ventilation,” say the architects. “The form of the ‘cloud’ conforms to setback regulations without appearing obviously determined by them. The extrusion creates a dramatic interior language where walls merge seamlessly with the floor and ceiling. While the geometry is playful, the extrusion is essentially a contemporary barrel vault. It is our hope that this cloud has a ‘silver lining.’

Le Nuage by Wout Wessemius

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Puffs of ultra-realistic clouds glow as if caught by rays of sunlight, illuminated from within by energy-efficient bulbs and hung from the ceiling. ‘Le Nuage’ by Netherlands-based designer Wout Wessemius is a particularly striking version of the ‘cloud lamp’ phenomenon that swept through the industrial design world over the last few years.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Floating On Air 14 Cloud Shaped Homes Furnishings Decor Designs

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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Totally Transparent: 14 See-Through Homes, Cars, Gadgets & Tech

06 Oct

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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If all walls and opaque surfaces were to disappear, leaving only see-through materials, what effect would that have on how we perceive the world around us? Designers present transparency in all sorts of objects, from washing machines and kayaks to entire houses, as a way to get a clearer picture of how we interact with and connect to our environments and each other.

PurePods: Clear Vacation Homes in New Zealand

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Tiny vacation homes in the countryside of New Zealand, these ‘PurePods’ have all-glass floors, walls and ceilings to give guests uninterrupted views of their beautiful surroundings in every room – even the shower.

Clear Acrylic Car

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All of the inner workings of a full-sized functional car are on display through a transparent acrylic body on this clear car by TWR Automotive, a company that manufactures auto parts. The car may not actually be road-ready, intended for exhibitions only, but it looks pretty cool and it’s fun to imagine watching the parts in motion.

Glass House Series by Santambrogiomilano

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Designed to completely immerse occupants in nature in any location around the world, the glass houses by Santambrogiomilano consist of structural glass on every surface except the ground floor. Different versions are adapted for different climactic conditions, with ‘Snow House’ able to withstand heavy snow loads, for example. Want privacy in one particular room? Sliding curtains make it possible, but the houses are intended for places where peeping toms are not a concern.

Infinity Kitchen

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Better hope your kitchen cleaning habits are on point – the ‘Infinity Kitchen’ by Dutch firm MVRDV won’t be forgiving with crumbs and streaks, as it displays everything from your stored food to your flatware and even features a clear cooktop and sink. “I see this as part of a wider dream, this kitchen,” says designer Winy Maas. “Imagine if not only our kitchens were transparent, but the walls through to the neighbor and the next neighbor even. This would create infinite perspectives in our cities. It would make within our claustrophobic environments possibly a view into the direction of the mountains or the sea.”

Transparent Kayaks

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Crystal-clear kayaks are actually catching on, with models like the Molokini, Crystal Explorer Kayak and See Through Canoe offering users views of the aquatic life beneath them as they float. Made of Lexan for durability, these transparent vessels start at around $ 1,000 each.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Totally Transparent 14 See Through Homes Cars More Reveal All

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Circular Reasoning: How Rounded Homes Resist Storms & Save Lives

31 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

modern round house

Combining the physical benefits of circular plans with the practicality of straight lines and corners, octagonal houses are uniquely positioned to resist hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes that threaten coastlines. Rounded habitats have a long history, from tipis and yurts through the geodesic domes of Buckminster Fuller. Indeed, round homes make sense for a lot of reasons. They have less surface area, which means they require less construction material and have greater energy efficiency, for instance.

round house avoids destruction

Critically, rounded homes are also ideal for resisting extreme weather (above: a regular home destroyed in a storm and a surviving semi-round house).

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round house functionality

Flat sides pose a significant structural risk during hurricanes and tsunamis. It is much easier for wind and water to flow around a round house than a square or rectangular one.

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In modern rounded house designs, radial floor and roof trusses meet in a center ring like spokes on a wheel and thus lock the building in a constant state of compression, which further reinforces its structural integrity. This approach also helps them resist earthquakes.

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Of course, fitting furniture along the edges of a truly round house can be frustrating. The space and materials saved are nice, but the usability of the resulting spaces is diminished.

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Today, many round-house makers opt for a middle ground and go with octagonal floor plans (or other variants with more than four sides). Doubling the number of walls, this represents the best of both worlds in many ways. These are easier to construct with contemporary materials and techniques, but still take advantage of wind- and water-resistance found in edge-less dwellings.

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Deltac, one manufacturer of such semi-round structures, boasts that none of their 5,000 homes built to date has been knocked down by nature. These kinds of homes also have an added benefit for those living along coasts, where storms are a great thread: their shapes provide seaside dwellers with amazing panoramic views (images via Deltac and Cayman).

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[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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LEGO-Like Architecture: $5,000 Homes from Recycled Plastic Blocks

18 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

block house

A Columbian company is tackling plastic waste issues and affordable housing with a single ingenious solution: interlocking LEGO-like bricks that can be used to build houses for a few thousand dollars per structure. Walls are formed using a slim slotted brick then framed using a thicker module used for beams and columns, locking the smaller units into place and providing rigid vertical and lateral support.

durable plastic lego blocks

Conceptos Plásticos is addressing their technology to rising populations of urban poor, families with the time but not financial means or materials to construct their own dwellings. The company works with locals to source plastic and create all kinds of spaces, including emergency shelters, community and educational buildings.

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The upcycled plastic blocks are easy to use and require no construction experience. They are durable, fire- and earthquake-resistant and much cheaper than other available materials. The company estimates the lifespan of the blocks at 500 years.

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“We hope to create a movement where more and more people get involved,” say the company founders. “We want to develop new products that make better use of the thousands and thousands of tons of plastic that is discarded.”

“There will soon be more plastic in the sea than fish, so we really need to do something big.” Recent projects using this novel material include a hostel for displaced victims of violence in the Columbian countryside.

Posts Tagged ‘Homes’

North Bondi by CplusC Architects

Villa Clessidra by LAAV Architects

Farrar Residence by Peter Bohlin and Greg Mottola

Spa House by Metropolis Design

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Modern Homes For Mermaids 12 Houses Built Around Swimming Pools

Snohetta Treehotel, Sweden

Tower House Inspired by Observatories

House in Yatsugatake Mountains by Kidosaki Architects, Japan

Cargo Container Office Sticks Out Beyond Edge of Hill

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Hovering Homes 12 Cantilevered Elevated Residences Maximize Views

Wedge-Shaped Home by Oof! Architecture

House in Horinouchi by Mizuishi Architect

Grass Cave House by Makiko Tsukada

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi

Triangular House by H.ARCHITECTS

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

Levitating Cloud Speaker by Richard Clarkson Studio + Crealev

Knitted Cloud Stools by Studio Joon&Jung

Concrete Cloud Toilet Paper Holder

Cloud House by McBride Charles Ryan

Le Nuage by Wout Wessemius

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Floating On Air 14 Cloud Shaped Homes Furnishings Decor Designs

PurePods: Clear Vacation Homes in New Zealand

Clear Acrylic Car

Glass House Series by Santambrogiomilano

Infinity Kitchen

Transparent Kayaks

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Totally Transparent 14 See Through Homes Cars More Reveal All

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Modern Homes For Mermaids 12 Houses Built Around Swimming Pools

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Hovering Homes 12 Cantilevered Elevated Residences Maximize Views

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Floating On Air 14 Cloud Shaped Homes Furnishings Decor Designs

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Totally Transparent 14 See Through Homes Cars More Reveal All