Architectural Oddities Throw Home Design a Curveball
Get ready for your eyes to pop. From undulating curves to a twisted stack of blocks, these singular homes bust architectural boundaries
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Among the hundreds of thousands of home photos on Houzz, most fall into a few broad stylistic categories. Designs rooted in traditional styles tend to predominate, and modern houses get their fair share, even though the two camps can rarely agree. Even in the eclectic category, many of the buildings are still very similar to traditional or modern/contemporary houses, with slight idiosyncrasies.
But what about the truly odd? Showing some of these houses was my goal in this ideabook, and thankfully, I've found a few.
But what about the truly odd? Showing some of these houses was my goal in this ideabook, and thankfully, I've found a few.
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| Take away all the curves going this way and that, and this house in Northern California might just fit in with other modern houses on Houzz. But why do so? They give this hillside residence so much character. It seems as if the various volumes and curves work in perfect balance, the convex curve on the left rooting the house into the site as the concave curve on the right leans over the slope. |
A ravine of sorts sits between these two curving volumes. This is the entry stairway below a third volume that is also capped by a curving roof.
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| This view of the leaning volume gives a slight peek indoors, where we can see a curving interior wall on the top floor. It's good to see that the curves aren't only skin deep. |
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| Also curved, yet at odds with the first example, are these DomeHouses from Korea. Where the hillside house is custom inside and out, the DomeHouse is a prefabricated construction purported to take four hours for a few people to build. Bucky Fuller might be proud, given that they are prefab, round (enclosing the most space) and extremely lightweight. I'm not sure about those square windows inserted into the domes, though. |
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| Inside, the DomeHouse is just what you would expect: a dome. Furnishing a small, single-room dome isn't easy (note the way the wardrobe "violates" the sphere), but one can't argue that it doesn't have character. |
This is the XS House, which I think is pretty cool—it's so basic yet so different. Uni Architecture used three plywood-clad boxes and shifted them relative to each other. Windows are cut into parts of the boxes.
Along with the windows, light also comes in through the gaps that are created by shifting the boxes relative to each other. Like I said: basic yet different.
This house is thoroughly modern, minus one detail: that curved window cut into the metal facade. Is the house smiling? Does Amazon's biggest stockholder live there?
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| Speaking of odd details, how about this scupper that projects from the copper-clad house? Let's call this the Pinocchio scupper. |
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| I've heard of reusing barns for residences, but how does one reuse a concrete silo? From the looks of it, the cylinder connects the two pieces on either side, so stairs would be a good guess. The "hat" on top indicates a secluded loft or getaway as well. |
The oddest example yet might be the miniaturization of a modern masterpiece into a playhouse, as in Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House (Plano, IL, 1951). Mies supposedly said, "God is in the details," in which case the playhouse is unfortunately lacking — it is wood instead of steel and has corner posts where the original had none. But still, it immediately recalls the original in an odd sort of way.
Ideabook published on Aug. 22, 2012.
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John Lautner and, most of all, Oscar Niemeyer come into my mind when I think about oddly shaped homes. I will never know, but it always interested me how comfortable it is to live in one of their extraordinary structures.
I love the way the architect has been bold with the design and the home certainly makes a statement. Homes just do not have to be square and I wrote an article recently on a Japanese Round House that was incredibly beautiful with smooth lines and a wonderful contemporary interior - http://hometipster.com/japanese-round-house/
I really like architecture that pushes our perception of what a home should or must be. Again and excellent article and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks
A couple of years ago This Old House connected the original century old barn to the original house and made the barn into a family room...awesome. Love your ideabooks John.
Bobbi P, I loved your post! I had to giggle. Beetlejuice was one of my favorite movies growing up because of the scene shots and the make up, not to mention Micheal Keaton. I would get the old textured spraypaint out, that they used on the walls, and sprayed all kinds of stuff at home and would get in trouble for it. Actually, I guess I could say I've been a big fan of all Tim Burton's work because of the "feel" he continually brings to his films. I have unintentionally passed that treat down to my daughter, I guess because we watched so much of that kind of stuff while she was growing up. We are also avid lovers of Marvel/DC movies because of the artistic developements made by comic books. I know, I'm weird. Wouldn't be the first time I've heard it. :)
marcie
http://custm.co/hz/26