Offbeat Hot & Offbeat Not: Week One
Cool, extraordinary, and funky style homes and other buildings will always be considered hot around these parts. But an offbeat style can expand beyond structures; into the way we live, think, and dream. What’s the next hot thing in the world of offbeat homes? What’s the current hot issues in your offbeat world? What’s ice cold?
I want to know what you think because clearly, “hot” is objective. And until I hear otherwise, incoming hot and not stuff will be brought to you by yours truly. And while I’d like to think that I’ve got some “hot” ideas to offer… well, we all miss the mark sometimes.
Offbeat Hot: HGTV Going Green
HGTV has never been cold towards eco-living issues, but now the network is pumping up the green to increase their heat factor. On Sunday, June 10th at
The new special, combined with other recent HGTV green perks such as promises of more green programing in the future, brand new eco-living web content, and the very cool “Green” Home Giveaway Contest 2008 makes HGTV a current “Offbeat Hot” pick on my list.
Offbeat Not: Life In the Castle
Speaking of HGTV; I recently watched the special, What’s With That Really Expensive House. Although I’m a huge long-time fan of the original What’s With That House, I was a bit distressed by the size of the homes shown on the special. But not to single HGTV out, because recently I’ve watched friends — and other folks I know, buy six plus bedroom homes with triple car garages and four bathrooms. I’m not friends with the Brady Bunch. These are families with four to five members max.
There’s numerous reasons why this phenomenon bugs me, but to simple it up I’ll just say this: In my mind, you need a home that is proportional to the space you will fill. Having two extra baths and three extra sitting rooms or bedrooms than you don’t genuinely need seems wasteful of both natural and manufactured resources. Not to mention the money. One of the homes on the afore mentioned special cost around $20,000 a month to keep it running. Not to get preachy — but imagine all the positive things you could do for others if you had $20,000 extra just sitting around each month. I’ll stop now. But living in an abode far beyond your basic needs absolutely makes my “Offbeat Not” list.
Offbeat Hot: A Little Bedtime Reading
Benjamin Aranda and partner Chris Lasch, quoted in New York Magazine as having, “Learned to be the architects we are from a bird keeper in Brooklyn, a basket weaver in Arizona, and a big billboard in Queens,” makes them sound far more like the Beasty Boys than architects; but architects they are.
The two were awarded this years Young Architects Award from New York’s Architectural League and co-authored #27 in the Pamphlet Architecture series, Tooling. A weekly dose of architecture gives a great long description of Tooling. Here’s an excerpt:
“The seven projects included in the book present seven ways of experimenting: spiraling, packing, weaving, blending, cracking, flocking, tiling. As part of each project they explicitly define the algorithmic means for each maneuver and, of course, following up with the outcome of that maneuver on a specific program.”
Tooling is informative and beautiful. Much of the text reads like poetry and the pictures are gorgeous. This sound really odd for the type of book it is — you just have to see it for yourself. Once you read Tooling, I’m sure it’ll be on your “Offbeat Hot” list too.
Offbeat Not: This Cute Fellow
I like an adorable robot as much as the next gal. But I’ll hire some humans to build my house, or do it myself; thank you very much. Ok, we all know this little guy won’t be building anything anytime soon, but some other robots are. Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis, an inventor and engineer professor long ago invented a robot that will theoretically be able to build a house in just one day. His current robot built structure, (10 years in the making) is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2007.
I’m not sure what to say about this. Design and craftsmanship contain artistic elements and robots, to me, seem more technical and less artistically inclined. Plus the whole robot building with only concrete seems scary, (steel bars for tension anyone?) You can see a prototype of Dr. Khoshnevis’s creation in live action here. It’s interesting, and actually cool to see in action, but the idea of concrete only homes along with a total lack of human creativity makes this an “Offbeat Not” in my book.
And that, friends, is what I’m deeming Offbeat Hot and Offbeat Not this week. Note also, that this was an extra long special edition to get us going. From here on out, the focus will be on one “Hot” topic and one “Not” topic.
Now it’s your turn. Agree or disagree, I’d love to hear your thoughts either way, and don’t forget to suggest your own “hot or not” topic.
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POSTED IN: General, McMansions, Technology
2 opinions for Offbeat Hot & Offbeat Not: Week One
Green Is The New Black
Jun 11, 2007 at 9:03 pm
[...] on HGTV. I’d like to take this moment to point out that I did list this show as an “Offbeat Hot” last week. Turns out I was right. This show was very [...]
Offbeat Hot: Q&A With Architect Bart Prince
Jun 16, 2007 at 7:01 pm
[...] week there is an “Offbeat Hot” but there will be no “Offbeat Not,” because when Bart Prince is in the house how can you possibly [...]
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