Photo credit: Studio Link-Arc | Tian Fangfang
Deep within Yunlu Wetland Park in Shundes, south China, there’s a building that blends in with the trees and water, making it difficult to see from a distance, despite being right across from an island where thousands of egrets have made their home. Studio Link-Arc completed this museum a year ago, resulting in a space that serves as both a learning center for all things wetland as well as a great place to observe local wildlife.
Photo credit: Max Touhey / Nigel Young for JPMorganChase, Foster + Partners
JPMorgan Chase’s new global headquarters in NYC, 270 Park Avenue, is a 1,388 foot copper-colored beast designed by Foster + Partners. This 60 story building was built on the foundation of the historic Union Carbide Building, and an engineering marvel that’s both environmentally conscious a well as human-centered, housing 10,000 people.
IKEA has established a furniture empire that transforms our living rooms into flat-packing hubs and kitchens into comforting havens, but this latest move takes the business to a whole new level. In the UAE, where they’ve been operating for over 30 years, a completely new line of products known as the Phone Sleep Collection arrived softly at bedtime. No, these are not full-sized beds for your duvet. Instead, they’ve been scaled down to the size of your phone, which has most likely spent many late nights by your bedside.
Matthew Perks, an inventor who often undertakes elaborate tech projects, has taken on a whimsical but practical project: building a Hobbit-inspired home in a backyard, all for under $5,000.
In the heart of Colorado’s Chaffee County, where wildfires threaten nearly half the state’s population, two homes have risen as an experiment in homebuilding. The VeroVistas, two 1,100 sqft homes in Buena Vista, were built with a giant 3D printer that lays down concrete walls layer by layer. One of these homes went from blueprints to finished home in 16 days.
Above the rolling hills of China’s Guangxi Province, near the peaceful village of Mianhua, is a secret heaven for those brave enough to climb high. Mianhua Library, one of the world’s weirdest places to read, isn’t hidden in a downtown corner or on top of a tower. It’s built into the side of a steep cliff, inside a massive cave with bookshelves attached to the rock walls and wooden walkways.
Shipping container homes have carved out a niche for compact living, but few do it with style like Sonic Steel’s Mark T. Nestled in the coastal hamlet of Port Neill, South Australia, this two-story beauty combines three steel containers into a home that’s far from industrial.
In Austin, Texas, a city dealing with increasing housing costs, a quiet revolution is taking place on the outskirts of the Mueller neighborhood. ICON, a local construction company that pushes the boundaries, is employing 3D printing technology to build 12 homes. Three of these homes, each a 651-square-foot bungalow, are available to low-income buyers under the Mueller Affordable Homes Program.
Johny, a superyacht captain used to sailing the world’s oceans, has dropped anchor in an unexpected place: a 43ft long, single level tiny home in the Australian rainforest. Built on a repurposed concert trailer, this home on Living Big in a Tiny House combines modern design with raw nature, a dream come true for some digital nomads.
