Snow Load

An important consideration for designing hooses in Hokkaido it would seem.

Fuji San

You can never have too much Japanese property pron:

http://www.yatzer.com/2102_plus_residence_by_mount_fuji_architects_studio

Bao House

Something of the Jeremy Clarkson about this...

http://www.dezeen.com/2012/11/26/bao-house-mobile-home-by-dot-architects/

Re-Plan

Why re-plan a road around the house when the house can re-plan around a road?

http://www.detail-online.com/daily/round-the-houseschinese-home-stranded-in-a-sea-of-tarmac-8302/

Campo Baeza

It doesn't get much nicer than this- a beautiful glass box on top of a cave surrounded by green.

http://www.campobaeza.com/wp-content/pdfs/2008_Olnick_Spanu.pdf

A Room for London

This little hoose propped up on the South Bank is a welcome fun addition to the Big Smoke it would seem...

http://www.dezeen.com/2012/01/13/a-room-for-london-by-david-kohn-and-fiona-banner-2/#more-185619

Opera Hoose

Any trip down under wouldn't be complete without a quick trip to the Sydney Opera Hoose, and without wishing to bore you with lots of holiday photos, here's a quick snap I took from the public deck. It's funny how dated this building seems coming from Asia. Not in it's form or it's massing, which is very still very current, but in the finishes of the landscape and the interior. Asia wasn't really doing Modernism quite so much back in the 70's, when this building was finished and if it is was, then chances are it's been torn down and replaced by now. The 70's thing seems a little alien to me right now when so much of what surrounds me is so 80's (in both looks and spirit) and beyond- perhaps I was the only one in Sydney thinking 'this place needs a re-fit'! No, that this is a truly great building of the modern era is not in doubt. The fact it was actually designed in 1955 is even more remarkable, and the adage "good things come to those who wait" has rarely rung so true given what this building has paid back to Sydney and Australia since. The fact it was 10 years late and 14 times over budget really doesn't matter now. RIP Mr Utzon.

Estudio Babo

A nice Argentinian hoose:

http://www.estudiobabo.com.ar/index.php?/obras/clf--casas--houses/

28 Story Hoose

This is quite an amusing article on what is apparently the most expensive house in the world. Surely it is also the most ridiculous, and to top it off the house is unoccupied!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/business/global/this-luxurious-house-is-not-a-home.html

53 Stubbs Rd

"I care very much about the interior spaces and how they are used. I work very hard with clients to make sure that the building functions in the way that they need it to function." Frank Gehry

So, as Hong Kong prepares for what could well be the most expensive flats to hit the market (think a solid professional annual salary as monthly rent), take a look at this floor plan. Could you imagine a more annoying layout in which to count your cash? Walls all over the shop, columns blocking your million dollar view, and so much space yet you don't even get a proper terrace by which to enjoy that view?!?

The many articles hitting the web about this building seem to be missing not only the above points, but also the disconnect between the vision of this building (i.e. Gehry's nice models) and the fast revealing material reality of this building. Here is a photo taken this morning that shows those columns blocking the view are not painted pistachio green, but are in fact glass clad white columns giving a pistachio effect- Yee Gods! Pistachio should be for gelato, not Gehry. As an aisde, I am reminded of one of my favourite HK houses down the road from this beasty.

http://www.wanderlister.com/post/9793498150/frank-gehry-outside-the-box?a7f10f08

The Man with the Nice House

Apparently this Swedish house is owned by the villain in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. Nice.

http://www.dezeen.com/2011/05/11/villa-overby-by-john-robert-nilsson/

Tree Hoose Hotel

A very nice Sverige tree hoose.

http://www.treehotel.se/en/rooms/the-cabin

Egg Hoose

An egg house, lifted from an excellent source of all things China.

http://www.chinahush.com/2010/12/01/young-man-builds-egg-shaped-dwelling-in-beijing-as-his-home/

Big in Brazil

Everyone's talking about Brazil as the 'next China' in terms of their economy but maybe China could take a leaf out of Brazil's book on the contemporary homes front. This house is the stuff dreams are made of. It's by the Brazilian man of the moment who has one of the best website's I've seen of any Architect.

http://www.marciokogan.com.br/#/home

Feral Houses

I enjoy listening to Matt Frei's Americana shows on the BBC's iPlayer and this week he has a great interview with photographer and blogger James Griffioen, who has documented the decay of Detroit. His big point is that in amongst all this decay is beauty and hope. Nature is taking over and people are adapting by running renegade urban farming operations, a sort of bizarre future sustainablity model for the USA coming out of the home of the motor car.

http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2009/07/feral-houses.html

Narrow House

And in Belgium- cor blimey!

http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/2010/06/21/the-narrow-house/

Corten Japan

Just another nice Japanese house. Why don't we ever see stuff like this in Hong Kong?!?


http://www.greatfa.com/japanese-architecture-home-boukyo-by-nakayma-architects-in-japan/

Hill of Morphie

Pleased to hear my old boss (& professional practice tutor) of Paterson Architects has been shortlisted for the 2010 RIBA awards for their Hill of Morphie house in Aberdeenshire (top left on the above). I've seen a bit more detail on the project and it looks like a wonderful space to live in. I like their philosophy of "turning our client's requirements and aspirations into experimental and appropriate spaces without resort to profligacy or wilfulness".

http://www.rias.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s2_22&newsid=3592

Brooklyn Container

Interesting bit of NYC container chat- look forward to seeing how this one comes out once it's done. Remind's me a bit of Sunday's crit circuit right now!

http://archidose.blogspot.com/2010/02/living-in-containers.html