Offbeat Homes

October 23rd, 2007

Blast from the Past: Erwin Wurm

These pieces, or installations if you will, by Erwin Wurm aren’t a total blast from the far past but they sure as heck aren’t current news. They are however new to Offbeat. I was combing the archives recently and realized, “Where are the Wurm homes?” I can’t find them; thus they must be added.
When […]

By Jennifer Chait -- 1 comment

October 16th, 2007

Beaver Homes

I’ve been noticing offbeat beaver houses everywhere lately…

NO! Not these kind. More like this…

I have no idea what the heck this is. And also, it’s sort of a cheat because it’s not an actual home but look at this:

He’s leaning up against a little house. Weird. If you’re looking for a more swanky offbeat beaver […]

By Jennifer Chait -- 2 comments

September 6th, 2007

The WIRED LivingHome Installation

So, lame me; I’m a day or so late in reporting this but for some reason I thought the post I read about this project at CNET said that the WIRED installation was happening next week. I was so excited and then later felt this sinking sensation that I had speed read too quickly. […]

By Jennifer Chait -- 3 comments

July 25th, 2007

West Coast Green: The mkLotus

In case you haven’t heard, West Coast Green is coming on full force this year.
West Coast Green, the largest residential green building conference in America recently released it’s full line-up of presenters and exhibits for this year’s show taking place on September 20-22, 2007. The show, which will be held in San Francisco, has two […]

By Jennifer Chait -- 6 comments

June 12th, 2007

Not Enough Alone Time?

Well, now you can have even less!
Thanks to FAT, a hip architectural practice you can share even your most unsharable moments with your partner, kids, maybe even some friends…

Yikes! From the FAT site:
“This installation, commissioned by the British Council for its Hometime Exhibition in China, uses customized standard bathroom products to create a bathroom retreat […]

By Jennifer Chait -- 2 comments

March 14th, 2007

How Small Can You Go?

[photo via Apollo Arch & Assoc]
So how small? Would a lotlot that measures 344 square feet be large enough for you and your parents? It was for a woman in Tokyo. In fact she hired an architect, Satoshi Kurosaki, who seems to be recieving a lot of business from young adults opting to live on […]

By Adam -- 0 comments

February 25th, 2007

Height Envy: Living

[picture from 340 On The Park website, designed by SCB]
Chicago is quickly becoming the benchmark for eco-multi-family living. Jetson Green has learned that the USGBC has moved it’s Greenbuild 2007 conference from LA to Chicago. It is because of projects like 340 On The Park that has brought Chicago recognition. When you look at […]

By Adam -- 0 comments

June 19th, 2006

Gotham Treehouse For Rent

Apparently, the housing market in New York City is really starting to heat up. Adam Dougherty, an artist who lives in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, recently put his backyard treehouse up for rent on the Craigslist web site.
Adam intended for the posting to have been a gag, but within a week, he’d received […]

By Kevin Humphrey -- 0 comments

April 3rd, 2006

Living in a Pyramid in Seattle

One of the taller buildings in downtown Seattle is the Smith Tower, which features a pyramid at its peak. The space in the pyramid used to be the caretaker’s suite and an enclosure for an old water tower.
Then someone was able to secure a 40-year lease for the space. That tenant hired the […]

By Kevin Humphrey -- 6 comments

March 15th, 2006

Okinawa’s Treehouse Restaurant

Not far from the airport in Nana, Okinawa, Japan, there’s a rather unique eating establishment. It’s situated up in what appears to be a tree, but it’s not a tree, just a very realistic rendition made of concrete.
There’s an elevator in the trunk that takes the customers up to the restaurant. Even though […]

By Kevin Humphrey -- 4 comments