A sort of hybrid of two ReadyMade Small Spaces projects, the Infiniski Manifesto House from James & Mau combines shipping containers and wooden pallets to form a breezy, modern structure in Chile. It looks like quite a place to escape…for more images, click here.
(via Arch Daily)
Three treetop classrooms could be the cure for all mid-geometry daydreaming at the Elleray Preparatory School in the UK. Designed by Robert Gaukroger of Kita Design Company, the pods were built with environmental impact and sustainability in mind. The center platform decking, made from recycled plastic milk bottles, will even be used as an outdoor classroom in the warmer months. Kind of makes you want to hit the books again…especially with those views of Lake District National Park.
(via Dezeen)
Whole Trees Architecture, one of the most transparent names in the history of business it seems, builds homes using entire trees. Practicing the theory that unmilled trees support 50% more weight than their lumberyard counterparts, the firm uses “weed trees” that other companies consider scrap. This results in sustainable forest management, locally sourced materials, local labor, and a truly stunning interior—like a tree house for grownups.
(via Inhabitat)
EventArchitectuur, a firm out of Amsterdam, has every bibliophile swooning. These floor-to-ceiling bookcases read fine art just as much as utilitarian, and they could hold a collection of anything really—not just books. Check out their site under the tag “office” for the same treatment given to interior walls, closets, and storefronts.
(via Dornob)
In early October I was in San Francisco. The Sunday before heading back east I ended up going to the Axis cafe with my family, which includes a three year old niece, a seven year old nephew, and a soon-to-be two year old nephew (Happy birthday tomorrow Samir!). Needless to say, this particular brunch was a bit hectic. It was a beautiful day and the kids were dying to get outside and everyone seemed restless. After a long wait for our food and strained conversation (everyone was really hungry) amongst eleven across a huge table we made our way outside. The kids ran as fast as they could out into what would normally be the street but in this instance was a remarkable little park.
A couple weeks ago, the US Department of Energy closed the doors to the Solar Village on the National Mall, and 20 teams dismantled their houses and trucked them back to their respective campuses. While there could be only one overall winner, each of the 10 events named its own champion and in true American fashion, they even selected a People’s Choice recipient.
Team Germany took took the overall title for the second year in a row by impressing judges with their home’s surplus energy production—made by covering every exposed surface with photovoltaic cells—and building the largest structure possible within the given parameters.
Check out the gallery of homes and you just might find some inspiration for powering your own digs…and if not, it’s good eye candy no matter what.
File under: Places I Must Go Immediately. Hannah Berggvist has a post up at Planet magazine about Urnatur, an austerely green travel destination in Ödeshög, Sweden. Constructed in 2005 and 2006 by the couple who run it, the collection of cabins has been accepting guests since 2007.
[via Planet; photo by Ulrika Krynitz]
The new film about the life and career of Julius Shulman—as narrated by Dustin Hoffman—comes out today. Visual Acoustics takes you through the iconic architectural images that made Shulman a legend and brings you charming insights into the man behind the camera.
To say that he was the world’s greatest architectural photographer doesn’t even come close.
Today marks Day One of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathalon, with 20 colleges and universities from across the globe setting up shop on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Solar Village, as the build site for the structures is so aptly named, opens to visitors on October 9-13 and then again on the 15-18. The actual competition is from today through October 21, and has the teams competing in 10 different contests (that’s where the “decathalon” part comes in). Check out the DOE website for daily journals, photos, videos and standings, and also to keep an eye on your favorite team.
Unveiled yesterday in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, the FLOAT House does exactly that: it floats. Partnering with Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation, Thom Mayne (founder of Morphosis Architects) took on the challenge of maintaining a sense of community in an area that has seen catastrophic flooding in its very recent past. His answer to stilts? Guideposts that allow the home to rise 12 feet with the water without drifting away. Essentially, it becomes a tethered raft made of polystyrene foam coated in glass fiber-reinforced concrete. And Mayne modeled it after traditional New Orleans-style shotgun houses with energy efficiency and contemporary design in mind. Impressive.
(via NPR)
This is the ReadyMade editors' blog. ReadyMade is named after the term that Marcel Duchamp coined in 1915 for a series of sculptures that playfully rethought the relationship between people and mass-produced objects, everyday items and art. ReadyMade is about people who make things and the culture of making.
