I'd Live There!

I've always liked modern house designs. Then again, I've always liked a lot of things. A couple of things I adore are the practicality of the designs and how gorgeous these buildings turn out. Another reason for my affinity towards designer homes would most probably be because of the boring houses around me, sporting the same motifs. Sure, there might be one or two interesting ones lying around, but how often do you see that?



In this post, I'll be showing you a few great homes I've encountered on the internet. Enjoy!

Blob VB3 (Egg-shaped house)

Designed by architectural firm dmvA, this compact, easily transportable capsule includes a bathroom, lighting, a bed and several niches for storage. Being so small, it would probably make a great guest house or an office.

Passive Solar Home/ Ross Street House

Designed by Carol Richard of the Atlanta-based architecture firm Richard Wittschiebe Hand with the help of her husband, Fred Berg, who is a mechanical engineer, this home was designed to be an eco-friendly house while being stylish at the same time. The house was built in such a way that it can take in as much winter sun and summer shade as possible for passive cooling, as well as more green features, such as water conserving dual-flush toilets, low-flow faucets, a tankless water heater and a rain-water recycling system. What's more, the house's garage roof has been fitted with photovoltaic panels that provides half of the house's energy each year. Now that's what I call sustainable living!

Mountain Cabin with an Amazing View

It's no wonder why an architect from the Japanese architecture firm Shun Hirayama Architecture chose to build this beautiful house on a mountainside, because whoever is lucky enough to be standing inside (or even outside for that matter) will have a heavenly view of Kanagawa prefecture. The astounding view aside, the house has been built in such a way that it recreates the forest environment.

"The interior of the building was shaped to fit the landform; walls set in diverse angles, various ceiling heights and 10 different floor levels exist and in the each space dissimilar shades live. The wind that enters inside the one-room interior space feels like they came between trees, and it feels like sitting on a natural stump, when sitting on a slight level difference,” the architect illustrates.

Awesome Travertine House with Water Features

Created by Spanish architectural firm A-Cero, this grandiose yet minimalistic home was built on a hillside slope with a simple exterior with marble and glass walls. It's wide windows and high ceiling give the residents a sense of freedom and enjoyment, and every room has access to the courtyard or a landscaped terrace. Adding on to this peaceful, palatial place is a huge, 80 square meter pool surrounding the Travertine deck.

Ultra-Compact Japanese Houses

Japanese homes have always been very expensive, and people who cannot afford these pricey places have had to travel hours from the city to find an affordable house to stay in. Luckily, some architects have been designing Ultra-compact houses (or kyo-sho-jutaku), usually for younger couples interested in staying near the city. Despite not being a fan of small places in general, I find that many of these architects have really done great jobs of designing stylish, small, yet practical homes.

Here, we have a fine example of this. Designed by architect Toyo Ito, this steel and wood house includes an upstairs loft with a view of the main-floor as well as a warm, honey toned interior, with plenty of glass windows to let in abundant sunlight.

Moebius House

Australian architects Tony Owen Partners designed this futuristic house in Sydney. It is, according to them, an example of "liquid architecture", whereby the house is designed with 3D software to take environmental issues into account. The house has been built in such a way that it maximizes natural ventilation, efficiency and views (in fact, the house gives you a panoramic view of Sydney Harbour). Other features include its futuristic interior, such as the suspended fireplace and the semi-enclosed staircase.

Whimsical House/Nautilus House

Designed by Javier Senosiain of Arquitectura Organica, this house is indeed a beautiful sight to behold. Inspired by the ocean and the nautilus' shell, this work of art is just as amazing inside. Its wall of stained glass casts colourful spots of light onto the walls; the floor is covered with a 'grass carpet', with stone paths leading visitors around the house; and its sandy walls make you feel like you're underwater. What's more, the house is earthquake-proof and is maintenance free.

These are just a few of my favourite house designs. Maybe I'll include more of them in my future posts, but for now, I will leave you with these as an appetizer.

And that concludes today's post. Until next Wednesday!

Bye bye, now!