Unique Architecture and Concepts

6060 Views 11 Replies 2 Participants Last post by AnOldBlackMarble, Aug 25, 2015

AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · Jul 10, 2015

Post interesting concepts in architecture you come across, be they concepts or actual builds, of any type, residential, commercial, or just pure fantasy.

Villa Kogelhof in southwestern Netherlands

Designed by Paul de Ruiter Architects, Villa Kogelhof was completed earlier this year and measures 715 sq m (7696 sq ft) in total. The property sports an efficient air-pump central heating system and is slated to receive a wood burning stove which will both heat the home and produce hot water. The stove will be fueled by the trees which surround the 25 hectare (61 acre) estate. Electricity is currently provided by a roof-based PV solar array, but is due to be supplemented by an electric turbine in due time.

The home's main entrance is located on the basement level, and has ample space to allow indoor parking for six cars and a tractor. Within the basement there's also utility spaces, and a room which overlooks a nearby pond which was created during the build. Upstairs in the box-shaped main living quarters, the interior layout is mostly open plan, with rooms designated by glass dividers. Indeed, the entire facade is glass too, offering stunning views of the local scenery.

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jul 10, 2015

Skylodge Adventure Suites

Installed in 2013, the capsule-style aluminum and polycarbonate suites are located on a cliff face in Peru's Sacred Valley, and are reached by making a 400-m (1,312-ft) vertical climb up a steel ladder embedded in the rock – there are stretches where guests must also traverse the cliff horizontally. Each 24 x 8-foot (7.3 x 2.4-m) suite features four beds, a dining area, solar-powered lighting and a private bathroom. In order to stave off the claustrophobia, there's also an open-air seating platform on top of each capsule.
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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 10, 2015

Holland's OAS1S "treescrapers" Homes

A typical treescraper would measure 6 x 6 x 12 m (19.6 x 19.6 x 39 ft), and comprise a total floorspace of 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft), split over four floors. The interior would include a dining room, deck, hall and storage area, two bathrooms, a lounge, utility room, and three bedrooms, in addition to a fenced balcony and glass-bottomed hall on the top floor.

Built from recycled wood, each treescraper would be covered in greenery and, in order to operate off-grid, would sport sustainable technology such as solar hot water and electricity panels, a grey water recycling system, triple-glazed windows, and a composting toilet. Electricity derived from the solar panels would be stored in a battery array, and rainwater would be collected for domestic use. The idea is still very much on the drawing board at the moment.
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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 10, 2015

Luxury floating homes planned for The World in Dubai

A new development of 33 private luxury floating homes is to be built at The World artificial archipelago in Dubai. Designed by Waterstudio.NL and Jean-Michel Cousteau, they will be part of the Oqyana World First, which forms the Australasian portion of The World. The new private islands each feature a garden, a pool and a beach, and can be tailored to meet the needs of the client. The islands are designed to be completely stable on the water and to last for over 100 years. They will also provide new underwater habitats for sea life. The floating homes are not yet available for sale and there is no word yet on when they will be completed.
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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 10, 2015

Seasteading Institute aims to build floating city by 2020

An organization in which Paypal founder Peter Thiel is an investor is aiming to build a floating city-state by 2020. Deltasync's initial design took the form of modular platforms that could slot together. The platforms would either be 50 x 50 m (164 x 164 ft) reinforced concrete squares or pentagons with 50-m (164-ft) sides and could support three-story buildings. Apartments, terraced housing, office space and hotels were all factored into the design. The initial concept is based on 11 modules that together could host 225-300 full-time residents and would cost an estimated US$167 million.

The Seasteading Institute says that its work surveying potential customers is ongoing, and that it is in negotiations with coastal nations to develop the first floating city with substantial political independence.
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The video below is a short talk given by Seasteading Institute spokesperson Joe Quirk and provides an overview of the concept and plans.

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 30, 2015

Zaha Hadid's museum in the mountain opens for business

Jutting out of the peak of Kronplatz mountain in Italy's South Tyrol region like a futuristic Bond baddie's lair, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones is classic Zaha Hadid with its curved concrete and striking glazing. Three sections exit the mountain at 2,275 m (7,463 ft) above sea level, but the greater part of the building is actually hidden from view. Here, embedded into the rock, an exhibition that promotes the traditions, history and discipline of mountaineering can be found.

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I like it. :cheers:

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IThomas

· #7 · Aug 2, 2015

Cable car and Alpine viewing platform - Bolzano, Italy

The steep Virgolo mountain in has been practically inaccessible to visitors for almost forty years, following the close of the city’s historic funicular in 1976.

Two rings - one as the base station, the other as a top station form the ramework of the cable car that connects the rings tangentially.
Travel time will be a mere 1 minute and 11 seconds, making the Virgolo just 5 minutes from the historic centre of Bolzano, the Piazza Walther.

The top station will serve as an urban interface with nature, housing a restaurant, café, infinity pool and meeting rooms.
The development will provide a new view of the city from above, along with and possibilities for exploration, recreation and relaxation.

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IThomas

· #8 · Aug 2, 2015

Bosco Verticale - Milan, Italy

Bosco Verticale, literally “Vertical Forest,” is one of the most intensive living green façades ever realized. It utilizes an architectural concept that replaces traditional cladding materials with screens of vegetation creating a distinct microclimate that works to improve the sustainability of the structure. This type of design creates an urban ecosystem that encourages interaction between the flora, fauna, and the apartments’ residents. The tower is home to 480 big and medium size trees, 250 small size trees, 11,000 groundcover plants and 5,000 shrubs, which is equivalent to an entire hectare of forest cover. On flat land, each Vertical forest equals, in amount of trees, an area equal of 7,000 sqm of forest. In terms of urban densification the equivalent of an area of single family dwellings of nearly 75,000 sqm. The vegetal system of the Vertical Forest aids in the construction of a microclimate, produces humidity, absorbs CO2 and dust particles and produces oxygen.

Along with creating a beautiful façade, the incorporation of vegetation into the structure adds a number of sustainable design elements. The foliage acts to improve air quality by filtering out dust and sequestering carbon, while also mitigating the urban heat island effect and reducing noise pollution. As a whole, the living green façade concurrently stimulates interaction with the surrounding environment while also protecting against it.

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 10, 2015

Smartphone-controlled hideaway takes the man-cave to a whole new level

Jono Williams has taken the concept of the man-cave to new heights. Looking something like a giant steel lollipop, Williams' Skysphere is a solar-powered, Android-controlled hideaway perched high above the New Zealand countryside that would put even the most painstakingly decked-out shed to shame.

The main structure itself comprises a circular room surrounded by curved hoops and supported by a tall hollow column. Access to the tower-top space is provided by way of welded ladder rungs inside the central column, which is accessed via a motorized door with fingerprint entry at the bottom. Two further doors provide access to the room at the top and to what Williams calls a "rooftop starview platform." The whole structure is mounted upon of 17 cu m (600 cu ft) of concrete foundations.

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 10, 2015

IThomas said:
Cable car and Alpine viewing platform - Bolzano, Italy

The steep Virgolo mountain in has been practically inaccessible to visitors for almost forty years, following the close of the city’s historic funicular in 1976.

Two rings - one as the base station, the other as a top station form the ramework of the cable car that connects the rings tangentially.
Travel time will be a mere 1 minute and 11 seconds, making the Virgolo just 5 minutes from the historic centre of Bolzano, the Piazza Walther.

The top station will serve as an urban interface with nature, housing a restaurant, café, infinity pool and meeting rooms.
The development will provide a new view of the city from above, along with and possibilities for exploration, recreation and relaxation.

Very cool. Is this approved and will it be built or is just a proposal?

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #11 · Aug 25, 2015

London's green Garden Bridge will be awash with color

The final designs for the Garden Bridge were released earlier this year and, although Pearson was able to give Gizmag some idea of the planting approach when we spoke to him last year, more details have now been released.

Pearson has worked in partnership with ecological experts at Arup, with the stated aims of creating an environment that will foster biodiversity, changeability and maturity. According to the Garden Bridge Trust, the 2,500 sq m (27,000 sq ft) planting area will feature wildlife-friendly tree and plant species and will provide an ever-changing seasonal landscape. The Garden Bridge is expected to open to the public in summer 2018.

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I love this. I can't wait to visit and check it out.

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AnOldBlackMarble

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 25, 2015

Glass-bottomed "sky pool" will let swimmers freestyle above the street below

In what is claimed as a world first, a new development in London, UK, will feature a 35-m (115-ft) high suspended swimming pool that bridges two buildings. The so-called "sky pool" will be part of the Ballymore-developed Embassy Gardens, and will allow residents to don their swimwear and butterfly over to visit neighbors.Embassy Gardens will be located near to the new US Embassy in the Nine Elms area of London, for which a crowdsourced competition for a new bridge over the River Thames is also ongoing. Chairman and CEO of Ballymore Group Sean Mulryan says that the pool stretches the possibilities of design.

"My vision for the Sky Pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering, I wanted to do something that had never been done before," says Mulryan. "The sky pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade."

Indeed, the 20-cm (7.8-in) thick glass structure is all there is to the pool. Measuring 25 m (82 ft) long, 5 m (16 ft) wide and 3 m (10 ft) deep, it will span the two buildings at the 10th storey containing water at a depth of 1.2 m (3.9 ft) without any additional frame or support.

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This looks really interesting. I would love to swim in that pool.

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