Javier senosiain houses for sale: Organic House in Naucalpan de Juárez, Me|Organic House
Organic House in Naucalpan de Juárez, Me|Organic House
Designed by renowned Mexican architect Javier Senosiain, Organic House is located in Naucalpan de Juárez, State of Mexico, Mexico.
Architect’s Statement: The idea for the project was first conceived and took its likeness from a peanut shell: two roomy oval spaces with a lot of light, connected by a low, narrow, dimly lit passageway. The idea for this proposal was based on the elemental functions required by man: a place to live and fellowship with others, which would include a living room, dining room, and kitchen, and another place for sleeping, with a dressing room and bath. The original concept is embodied in two large spaces: diurnal and nocturnal.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
The house was designed with the desire to feel, when one enters, like he is going underground, conscious of how singular the space was, without losing the integration of the inside with the green, natural landscape outside.
Once the topographic study was finished, the location of trees was given special attention so that they would not have to be moved or taken out altogether to make room for the structure. Several clay models were created, one dedicated to the analysis and design of the shapes, volumes and spaces outside and the other to plan the inside spaces. Both of these models were developed throughout the course of the entire project with the interest and intensity of an important sculpture.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
The first lines were drawn a little like lyric painters might have drawn them, allowing the lines to curve and move at will while playing with free forms, then turning the compass and giving the curved ruler free rein. In other words, the sinuous wall is serpentine in nature, winding and wrapping itself around free spaces thereby bringing about a playful process in the design, always seeking a southerly orientation as it moves around existing trees and slides down slopes.
Like the music written by a composer, involuntarily but nevertheless consciously, it finally generated a form that reminds one of the soft materials an embryo is wrapped in.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
Once the construction stage was reached, a cross was drawn in the center of the property, which served as a reference for a system of Cartesian coordinates. This made placement of the center of the circles easier. Using this as a base, a hose, kept in place with stakes, was employed to outline the walls of the house.
This accomplished, a little soil was removed from the center of the wrapping to be utilized later to form small slopes. The end result looked like a skateboard park – continuously winding up and downhill.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
During the construction process, it became necessary to maintain the continuity of the original design. A pliable material was required, therefore, which would be much like the modeling clay used to make miniature models.
Besides meeting the need for plasticity, it was evident that this pliable material must meet the requirements that would make it more than sculpturing clay. After a brief investigation, there was no doubt about it: ferrocement – resistant, pliable, and very elastic – was the answer. This material, which has its origin in reinforced concrete and was forgotten for a long time, promised to provide a monolithic sculpture.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
The construction was begun by placing the frame for the ferrocement over the prepared foundation – the one that looked like a skateboard park – shaping the wrapper with a metallic frame. Iron rods bent into rings were placed inside, their height varying from one space to another. The rods were then rolled into a spiral shape.
When the framework was complete, two sheets of chicken wire, interwoven with each other, were connected to it, thus creating a base upon which the concrete could be sprayed. The ferrocement was pumped through a flexible hose using compressed air and was pneumatically projected onto the chicken wire frame with such great force and impact that the material was extremely compact, and its resistance was increased by approximately 30%.
The end product was a shell about four centimeters thick, resistant because of its shape, waterproof, and very easy to build. A final, 3/4–inch coat of sprayed polyurethane was applied, which functioned as further waterproofing and insulation for the structure.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
Once the framework of the construction was finished, the process of covering the building with soil was begun. Because a garden would be grown in it, the soil would have to be fertile. The idea was that the house would be covered with a garden, a concept that was borrowed from dwarf or bonsai trees which are cultivated based on the idea that the less soil supplied for growth, the less the plant will grow. It was, therefore, decided that the soil used would fluctuate between 20 and 25 centimeters in thickness. In that way, the grass would grow more slowly, thus reducing gardening efforts and costs. The dirt and the grass both protect the membrane of the structure from sunlight, wind, hail and the yearly wet-dry cycle, thereby preventing dilations and contractions which would cause fissures and lead to humidity.
The green dune wraps itself around the inside spaces almost completely, rendering it almost invisible so that, from the outside, all one sees are grass, bushes, trees, and flowers. To take a walk in the garden is to walk over the roof of the house itself without even realizing it.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
It was also considered of great importance to create conditions that would benefit the inhabitants of the house psychologically and physically by using “bio-climactic controls”. It is a well-known fact that to create or conserve a microclimate that will benefit human beings, one must begin with the outside of the home and then proceed inside. Along with all the other physical characteristics of the property, green barriers consisting of trees and bushes help filter sunlight, completely prevent penetration of solar rays, create shade that protects living beings from summer heat, provide protection from dust, and absorb noise pollution. Furthermore, the transpiration and evaporation emitted from plants and grass of all kinds refresh the air and increase absolute and relative humidity in the air closest to the surface, thus producing a conductive cooling off effect.
It is important to emphasize that the soil and the sun work together to maintain a stable temperature inside the house: the earth shields the inhabitants from heat and cold while the sun illumines and warms.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
The windows of the house were placed strategically in places that would look out over the most pleasant parts of the garden, preferably toward the south so that sunlight would still be available in the winter, seeking light the way flowers do.
Contrary to what one might think, this semi-buried house turned out to be sunnier and fuller of light than a conventional house because the windows can be placed anywhere, and the domes allow the entrance of light and sun from above. Ventilation is facilitated by the aerodynamic form of the dwelling which allows free circulation of air throughout.
image courtesy of Javier Senosiain
Semi-buried houses, just like our body temperature, remain stable in spite of changes in the weather outside.
The soil acts like the skin – a moderator that controls variations in temperature by preventing the cooling and warming effects of the weather outside from rapidly or immediately changing temperatures inside. Temperatures inside and out turn out to be totally opposite from each other. The effect is such that when the hot summer arrives, temperatures inside are cool, and when the cold winter comes, temperatures inside remain warm. This means that the soil that covers the house will heat up when winter arrives and cool down when summer comes, thus maintaining a constant temperature of 18° to 23° centigrade (64° to 73° Fahrenheit) all year long, keeping the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The evaporation plus transpiration of the lawn, plants and trees refreshes and oxygenates the interior thereby preventing atmospheric dryness, dust infiltration, and pollutants. A relative humidity averaging between 40% and 70% is conserved all year long in this microclimate. In other words, the green, vegetable epidermis functions like a nose that filters dust and at the same time maintains stable temperatures and a relatively comfortable level of humidity inside; all of these characteristics help keep the inhabitants free of respiratory problems and ailments.
Plan
Roof Plan
Section
Section
Project name: Organic House
Architecture firm: Javier Senosiain
Crew: Luis Raúl Enríquez Montiel
Location: Acueducto Morelia 26, Vista del Valle, 53296, Naucalpan de Juárez, State of Mexico, Mexico
Completion year: 1984
Built area: 178 m²
Photography: Jaime Jacott, Francisco Lubbert, Senosiain
By Naser Nader Ibrahim
Share on:
Surreal estate: the world’s weirdest properties
Surreal estate: the world’s weirdest properties | loveproperty.
com
Surreal estate: the world’s weirdest properties
Gallery View|
Expand View
Mind-blowing properties pushing the limits of architecture
BHG Reliance Partners
For many of us, home sweet home is a place with four walls and a garden fence. However, all over the world, innovative architects are pushing the boundaries of residential architecture into the realm of abstract – and occasionally absurd – artistry. From a custom-built mansion shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet to a Saxophone-inspired retreat designed for a jazz musician, these spectacular properties are anything but predictable. Click or scroll on and prepare to be amazed…
Bonita Domes, California, USA
Coldwell Banker Realty
A cross between a real-life Hobbit house and the family home of the Flintstones, this eye-catching residence is positioned in the heart of Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Both inside and out, the Bonita Domes are truly spectacular – and we’re not just talking about the stunning desert landscape that surrounds them.
Bonita Domes, California, USA
Coldwell Banker Realty
The brilliant bubble house is made up of a large adobe dome and several smaller domes, totalling 1,339 square feet. The largest dome, pictured here, comes complete with a kitchen, living area, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, decorated with curving walls and ceilings, quirky nooks and sleeping alcoves. The smaller domes are more like sleeping pods, with just enough space for a bed. In fact, to get inside you have to open a tiny wooden door and crawl inside.
Bonita Domes, California, USA
Coldwell Banker Realty
Generally, adobe homes are formed from a mixture of materials, with many created from plaster, stone, cement and even seashells, which in itself is unusual.
This mesmerising property also boasts its very own meditation temple, which was imported into the country by the former owner. There’s even a handmade adobe firepit area and a swimming pool. If you’ve fallen in love, the property is currently for sale for a cool £1.7 million ($2.1m).
The Nautilus, Naucalpan, Mexico
Jaime Jacott
This ambitious, psychedelic house was created for a family who wanted an unusual home that would bring them closer to nature. Designed by innovative architect Javier Senosiain, this giant shell-shaped structure was designed to be both a striking example of organic architecture and an enormous contemporary art piece.
The Nautilus, Naucalpan, Mexico
Jaime Jacott
A stained-glass window marks the entrance to the weird and wonderful house, giving way to a fluid, open-plan living space. The floor is covered in plants and there’s even an artificial stream to bring the outdoors in.
The windows cast colourful lights across the living area, adding to the whimsical feel. The interior is just as convincing as the exterior, with the walls, floors and ceilings twisting and turning like a snail’s shell.
The Nautilus, Naucalpan, Mexico
Jaime Jacott
Bold, organic-inspired architecture is present throughout, with the rooms imitating natural structures. The master bedroom appears to have been hollowed out of rock, creating a warm, enveloping environment that’s straight out of a fairytale, while this living area looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland.
Modern airship, Oban, UK
Amanda / Airbnb
As stunning as it is unique, this modern UFO-like home is situated in Drimnin, close to the shores of the Sound of Mull on Scotland’s rugged west coast. Described as an airship on Airbnb, the pod-like structure is enclosed by four acres of land and benefits from incredible views of the surrounding Highland peaks, thanks to porthole windows and walls of glass.
Modern airship, Oban, UK
Amanda / Airbnb
The sustainable hideaway was designed by British architect Roderick James and is formed from insulated aluminium, making it nice and toasty all year round. Rustic yet beautifully contemporary, the home’s interior is decorated with exposed natural timber, steel accents and bespoke furnishings.
Modern airship, Oban, UK
Amanda / Airbnb
Despite its compact size, the modern cabin benefits from a comfy sitting area that looks directly out over the water, a chic kitchenette with clever storage solutions and two sleeping quarters, one with a queen-size bed and one finished with two singles. Thanks to porthole windows, any occupant can take in views of the stars while they doze.
The Mirror House, Pennsylvania, USA
Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty
Aptly named, the Mirror House lies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has been described by Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty as a “whimsical artistic masterpiece”.
The unusual property was built in 1969 and is completely clad in small, reflective glass tiles that mirror the home’s leafy surroundings.
The Mirror House, Pennsylvania, USA
Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty
The ranch home measures 4,291 square feet and every inch is unique. It was designed by a pair of artists, who created a truly one-of-a-kind home that reflects their unique sense of style. The house boasts 25 skylights, as well as truly wow-factor living spaces with vaulted ceilings, monochrome fixtures and mirrored ceilings and walls – which can be seen best in this stunning dining room.
The Mirror House, Pennsylvania, USA
Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty
The magnificent mirrored home also benefits from a state-of-the-art home theatre, a library, an artist’s studio and plenty of areas for grand-scale entertaining.
There are also three bedrooms and the master ensuite bathroom comes with a sunken black tub and striking psychedelic wallpaper. In April 2023, the house landed on the real estate market with a £726,000 ($899k) asking price.
High Desert House, California, USA
Organic Modern Estate
Nestled in a truly unusual location, High Desert House can be found jutting out of the rocky terrain of Joshua Tree National Park, California. Distinctive yet subtle, the property appears to have grown from the landscape upon which it sits and is formed from 26 free-standing concrete slabs that resemble fish bones. They were apparently chosen to cover the interior like the leaves of a tree.
High Desert House, California, USA
Organic Modern Estate
The weird and wonderful home was designed by San Diego-based architect, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, and while the structural phase was completed in 1993, the design wasn’t finished until 2014.
The ambitious feat of engineering required expert craftsmanship since its concrete pillars were each embedded seven feet into the bedrock before the overlapping fins could be installed to form the home’s wave-like roof.
High Desert House, California, USA
Organic Modern Estate
The interior of the house is just as unusual as the façade, thanks to its textured walls and sweeping ceilings that follow no obvious pattern. Light enters through narrow, sandblasted glass panels that are slotted into the ceiling. These windows cleverly disperse light throughout the interior during the day and frame the stars at night. “The idea was that the house would be settled in the landscape,” Kellogg said of the house. “Like it was crouching on the rocks, maybe like an animal asleep.”
Geodesic dome house, Victoria, Australia
Charlotte Peterswald for Property
This futuristic house is located in the aptly named town of Apollo Bay, in southwestern Victoria.
Positioned close to the coast and the area’s spectacular Great Otway National Park, the one-of-a-kind property looks a little like a golf ball, floating in mid-air, but it’s actually nestled on a sloping plot, with access provided by a blue steel bridge.
Geodesic dome house, Victoria, Australia
Charlotte Peterswald for Property
The striking Australian structure might be small, but it’s perfectly formed. It was constructed in the mid-1960s by prominent Tasmanian furniture designer, John Smith, and boasts plenty of quirky touches, both inside and out. While the exterior is truly unusual, with its hat-like dome and tiny windows, the interior is light, bright and characterful.
Geodesic dome house, Victoria, Australia
Charlotte Peterswald for Property
Inside, there’s a living room with a barrel ceiling and wood-burning stove, a galley-style kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The dazzling dome was designed to take advantage of the captivating surrounding scenery, so benefits from mezzanine sleeping quarters and endless skylights. There are numerous alcoves and built-ins too, as well as rotund ceilings, honeycomb wall coverings and spiral staircases. The property last sold in September 2020 for AUD$600,000. That’s just £320,400 ($400k).
Milton Sidley House, California, USA
Compass
Milton Sidley House was designed by the notable contemporary architect Ed Niles and quickly became the designer’s most iconic creation – for quite obvious reasons. Built almost entirely from steel and glass, the futuristic spaceship-like home seems to hover above the ground on which it sits, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind aesthetic.
Milton Sidley House, California, USA
Compass
Constructed in 1992, the contemporary glass house can be found in Malibu, California, and spans around 4,365 square feet.
From the outside, the property appears to be formed from a series of pod-like structures, with a sky bridge leading to a separate wing of the house suspended 16 feet off the ground. Inside, you’ll find dazzling living spaces enclosed by sheets of glass. Throughout, the home’s structural elements have been left exposed, adding to its unique character.
Milton Sidley House, California, USA
Compass
The ultra-modern metal home offers four bedrooms and four all-glass open bathrooms, as well as a curvaceous kitchen, a gym, a den, a media room and a 35-foot high semicircular great room that offers unrivalled views across the surrounding garden. The house sold in June 2021 for a cool £7.6 million ($9.5m) – but you can’t really put a price on a masterpiece, can you?
Snake house, Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico
Patricia / Airbnb
Fancy slumbering in the belly of a beast? From its scale-like tiles to its long, curvaceous structure, this otherworldly home is a replica of a slithering snake.
Located just north of Mexico City, the architectural marvel and surrounding sculpture garden is the work of architect Javier Senosiain.
Snake house, Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico
Patricia / Airbnb
Built on rugged, sloping terrain, an ancient cave on the site reminded Senosiain of the mouth of a snake, so he set about creating a coiling concrete structure to complete the serpent. Incredibly, 10 apartments now reside within this unconventional dwelling.
Snake house, Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico
Patricia / Airbnb
In one of the striking communal areas, a multicoloured glass dome frames an indoor greenhouse, illuminating the space with vibrant shards of light. With an eight-bedroom holiday home available to rent, you can experience the awe-inspiring architecture for yourself.
Casa Invisibile, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Delugan Meissl Associated Architects / Christian Brandstätter
Blending seamlessly into the snowy rural landscape, this cleverly camouflaged house in Slovenia was designed by Austrian studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects.
Clad in mirrors, the property reflects its rural surroundings, creating a wow-factor architectural statement that responds sensitively to its natural spot.
Casa Invisibile, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Delugan Meissl Associated Architects / Christian Brandstätter
The façade of the near-invisible home is even more spectacular at night when the edges of the property blur into the dark sky, reflecting shooting stars as they flash overheard. Available as a prefabricated design, the otherwordly dwelling can be built in a flash.
Casa Invisibile, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Delugan Meissl Associated Architects / Christian Brandstätter
Measuring 47 feet by 11 feet, the interior may be snug, but there’s no shortage of style. Light wood cladding, tactile accessories and minimalist lines ooze Scandi chic, while floor-to-ceiling glazing frames the stunning surroundings outside.
Cleverly, the floorplan is divided into prefab modules, so homeowners can adapt the design to suit their needs.
Keret House, Warsaw, Poland
Forgemind ArchiMedia / Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
If you thought you were pressed for space in your house, spare a thought for the owners of the Keret House in Warsaw, Poland. Built in 2012, the super-skinny house measures just 48 inches at its widest point, yet remarkably, it still offers a fully functional living space.
Keret House, Warsaw, Poland
Adrian Grycuk / Wikimedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 PL]
Squeezed between two buildings in the city, the house is set on raised stilts, with a narrow staircase connecting the living areas. While there’s a bedroom and a small living space, it’s no surprise that the facilities are limited. In the bathroom, there’s a small toilet with a showerhead, while the kitchen’s tiny fridge offers enough space for two drinks.
Keret House, Warsaw, Poland
Adrian Grycuk / Wikimedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 PL]
Once residents have enjoyed a meal on the compact dining table, they can climb up the ladder that connects the first and second floors and crawl into the cosy single bed or work at a small built-in desk. There’s even a small window in the bedroom to bathe the narrow space in light.
Reversible Destiny Lofts, Tokyo, Japan
Koichi Kamoshida / Getty Images
The Reversible Destiny Lofts in Tokyo certainly stand out from other bland residential projects. An exciting mishmash of colours and shapes, the apartments were inspired by basic geometric forms and designed to challenge and stimulate the senses.
Reversible Destiny Lofts, Tokyo, Japan
Matsuda / Airbnb
Each apartment consists of a circular open-plan living area, which radiates out from a central kitchen space.
Further rooms are connected by bulbous doorways and hanging ladders, offering a humorous colourful playhouse aesthetic that’s enchanting for children and adults alike.
Reversible Destiny Lofts, Tokyo, Japan
Matsuda / Airbnb
A combination of 14 colours are used to decorate each apartment and create a bright and bold living environment. The playful use of colour, texture and form heightens the senses, while unconventional design elements, such as circular rooms and hanging storage units, are meant to challenge the way we navigate our living spaces.
Hill House, Melbourne, Australia
Nic Granleese / Maynard Architects
The work of Austin Maynard Architects, the Hill House in Melbourne is an exceptional example of a modern home that challenges the norms of architectural design. A large black box seemingly juts out of the hillside, which is, in fact, the grass-covered ground floor of the property.
Hill House, Melbourne, Australia
Nic Granleese / Maynard Architects
Melbourne has experienced an increase in the number of high-rise builds in the past decade, which means gardens are a luxury for most. For this reason, the architects of Hill House took the innovative decision to extend the green space up onto the exterior walls, transforming the structure into a veritable playground.
Hill House, Melbourne, Australia
Peter Bennetts / Maynard Architects
Inside, the south-facing property is injected with light through a series of floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a large, glass entrance portal. A winding staircase connects the lower ground open-plan living area to the upstairs bedrooms, offering a spacious and stylish suburban family home. Pretty ingenious!
Capital Hill Residence, Moscow, Russia
Zaha Hadid Architects
The Capital Hill Residence in the Barvikha Forest near Moscow was created for Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin, dubbed the Russian James Bond.
Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, the futuristic property resembles a reimagined spaceship from the 1960s. With an impressive total floor plan of nearly 30,000 square feet, the enormous property isn’t short on space.
Capital Hill Residence, Moscow, Russia
Zaha Hadid Architects
The home’s most notable feature is its upper-level master bedroom suite and terraces, which offers ultimate privacy. The suit floats above the rest of the property on a column, nestled among the treetops. This was a feature designed especially for Doronin, who said that when he woke up in the morning, he wanted to see only blue sky.
Capital Hill Residence, Moscow, Russia
Zaha Hadid Architects
Inside, the Capital Hill Residence is sleek and minimalist. But don’t be fooled by its pared-back design – the home is kitted out with a number of 21st-century luxuries including a sauna, hammam bath, a library, entertaining spaces, an indoor swimming pool and a fitness area.
A House to Die In, Oslo, Norway
Snøhetta
Built to function as both a sculpture and as a house, A House to Die In by Snøhetta is a project in the pipeline for Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard. The eye-catching structure will be built close to painter Edvard Munch’s former home to continue the area’s tradition as an artistic hub. Located in Oslo, the extraordinary dwelling will comprise a wooden house, resting upon animal-shaped sculptures.
A House to Die In, Oslo, Norway
Snøhetta
The project, which is still ongoing, has been carefully designed with the future in mind. A shallow pond will be situated under the building to give the illusion of floating, while the exterior is covered with black, burned oak. This material, inspired by building traditions in Japan, will naturally weather over the years, allowing the home to shift and change as it ages.
A House to Die In, Oslo, Norway
Snøhetta
Plans for the interior are intriguing, with rooms serving multiple purposes. One room functions as both a swimming pool and a dining room, while another combines a workspace and a spa. We can’t wait to see this architectural marvel when it’s complete!
Darth Vader House, Texas, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
When this unusual home hit the market in 2021, Star Wars fans flocked to viewings in their masses. Fondly nicknamed ‘Darth Vader House’, the eye-catching residence has the appearance of a Sith’s helmet from the outside, although the original owner was actually aiming to achieve an aviation-inspired design…
Darth Vader House, Texas, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
An unintentional superfan shrine, the house can be found in Houston, Texas, and was built in 1992.
Luckily, it’s not just the home’s façade that boasts plenty of personality. Inside, the imposing 7,040-square-foot residence is made up of multi-level living spaces, walls of glass, concrete and stone. The centrepiece of the home is the sunken conversation pit, which is framed by a dual staircase.
Darth Vader House, Texas, USA
Sotheby’s International Realty
The space-age home boasts four bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well as a large kitchen, dining room and a glass office, each with a sophisticated monochrome colour palette. Outside, you’ll find a balcony overlooking the yard, which comes equipped with a swimming pool. Now that’s what we call one of a kind!
The Saxophone House, California, USA
BHG Reliance Partners
It isn’t hard to believe that this hillside home was inspired by the shapes and contours of a saxophone. Secluded in the Claremont Hill neighbourhood of Berkeley, California, the Tunnel Road Castle was designed by Ace Architects back in 1996 for an amateur jazz player – which goes some way to explaining the home’s incredible gilded turrets that resemble the flared bell of a sax.
The Saxophone House, California, USA
BHG Reliance Partners
Yet it isn’t just the exterior that’s truly mesmerising. Inside, the 4,083-square-foot home is overflowing with distinctive and bespoke details, including golden spiral staircases, wave-like fireplaces and curved balconies with railings decorated with treble clefs.
The Saxophone House, California, USA
BHG Reliance Partners
The three-storey property boasts multi-level living spaces and four bedrooms – one of which lies on a mezzanine above the lounge. It features a huge, elevated platform with a custom-built circular bed, topped by rotund ceiling accents. Amazingly, the ceiling is formed from large panels of glass and automated shades can be opened and closed to allow the occupant to soak up the stars while lying in bed. A true masterpiece of luxurious design, the pad sold in May 2023 for £1.
4 million ($1.8m).
Loved this? Follow us on Facebook for more unique home tours
07 June 2023
Homes
See more on this topic
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article?
You need to be signed in for this feature
Forward to nature! | Eclectic magazine
There are many idealists in Russia who believe that a person is able to rise above the herd instinct, above the competitive fight for resources, above the consumerist disregard for nature.
Rise up and build other cities for yourself, not noisy, not smoky, but friendly and sunny.
Feathered Serpent’s Nest, designed by Javier Senosian. Mexico, 2008
Idealists do not sleep, but gather in groups and act. In September last year, they held an international festival of living houses “EcoTektura” , this year the festival is questionable for financial reasons, but the topic does not cool down. Because the ideological dead end of the development of cities in the form in which we know them is obvious. And we need not only fresh ideas, but a concentration of people who share them, spread them, live by them. EcoTektura aims to find a new holistic approach to the design and construction of affordable housing in ecopolises, where bioarchitectural works, energy-saving technologies, innovative solutions in construction, living comfort, respect for nature and the psychology of residents’ relationships are organically combined.
Indeed, idealists, but what capable organizers!
A talking dream
The initiator and organizer of the festival Irina Nikolaeva says: “Last year we succeeded a lot, the names of architects Ken Young, Christian Miller, Javier Senosian speak for themselves. Foreign experts came to us to give lectures and conduct master classes. As for the prospects for green building in Russia, they are. Last September was probably a turning point: after it ended, an expert council arose that promotes the case, and now Russian environmental standards have already appeared in legislation, even officials suddenly started talking in our words. There have always been a lot of movements, but they were spontaneous, and now they have begun to think about the “third place” when designing ecopolises – a place of communication and the ecology of relationships. Everyone is talking about it now, and therefore the construction of an ecopolis with state support is quite realistic.
The program at least appeared.
At the EcoTektura-2012 festival
Works of architecture and contemporary art coexisted at the festival venues in Moscow and at the Guslitsa Creative Estate in the Orekhovo-Zuevsky District. Lectures on ecological design contrasted with reports on the achievements of heliotecture, stone cooler installations overturned office consciousness, and children’s drawings returned to pure naivety. Information about implemented projects was interspersed with futuristic visions, and good wishes – with specific action plans. Many events of the festival took place with the confluence of a large number of people of different ages. Eco-thinking is brought up from childhood, but it should not be limited to frugality and rationality of resource consumption alone. The view can and should be wider – and then the world will seem much more colorful than our Russian cities during bad weather.
The Nest of the Feathered Serpent Library, 2008
In order to go and do, you most often need inspiration.
That is why it is so interesting to look at the completed projects of world celebrities Ken Young and Javier Senosian. They create the feeling that not everything is as infinitely complex as it sometimes seems to us. The new thinking is based on the fact that we recognize the right of a person to “reset”, to create not just a technological environment as a “second nature”, absorbing the first one with a terminator pace, but an environment of “first human” nature. When cities, so necessary for life, become habitable again, and the introduction of a house into the natural environment does not turn into a disaster for nature.
Modern Gardens of Babylon
Solaris designed by Ken Young. Singapore, 2010
architect Ken Young is known for his “bioclimatic skyscrapers”, green high-rise buildings. They have vertical gardens, natural ventilation and natural lighting, and many other smart energy-saving practices. Among his most famous projects are the Solaris and EDITT office complexes in Singapore.
The lecture he gave as part of the festival was called “The Vertical Design of the Metropolis”.
Ken Yang said, “Buildings should mimic ecological systems, and everything man-made should be recycled and reused. Before civilization appeared on Earth, the ecology was in balance and supported itself. In nature, there is a balance of organic and inorganic. The ecosystem has no waste. Waste from one organism becomes food for another. I set myself the task of designing buildings as artificially created, but, in fact, as living ecosystems in which a balance is maintained between organic and inorganic elements. The natural habitat is created with the help of native plant species inside and outside the building and in an effort to achieve the maximum diversity of plant species, which is made possible through the use of green atriums and courtyards, green walls, green roofs, artificially created natural landscapes and so on.
“Green” buildings are possible in all latitudes, but they must correspond to the ecological and climatic features of the place.
I don’t like to use the word “country” because it implies national borders with political meanings, and nature does not recognize national borders. “Green” buildings of the future are artificial ecosystems designed to more accurately mimic the properties, processes and organization of ecological systems in nature. Ideally, people need to learn from nature, where all energy comes from sunlight, to imitate photosynthesis. In the future, humanity will learn to operate a man-made environment solely with the help of processes that mimic photosynthesis. Only then will it be possible to create a working model of a true ecosystem.”
Organic dwellings
Another direction of world architectural thought with an ecological tint was represented by Javier Senosian (Mexico) – the main world ideologist of bioarchitecture.
In the space organized by him, a person feels like in the cradle of mother earth – protected, warmed, calmed. Javier brings us back to the green paradise in his works.
The buildings are so connected with the topography of the area and vegetation that it seems that they have sprouted greenery and resemble the world of hobbits, which we plunged into while watching the wonderful films of Peter Jackson.
Organic House, 1985
Javier Senosian is a pioneer of organic architecture. His first project – “Organic House” – was built in 1985. Then he turned the ideas about the possible and impossible in the construction of a residential building, because the “Organic House” just did not look like a building. The direction of organic architecture arose after a deep study of the natural space for a person, when it turned out that curved lines and the absence of angles contribute to its harmonious existence. The building basis, the constructive material for the flowing, natural-looking houses of Senosian, is ferrocement, a type of reinforced concrete, which, thanks to its fine grain size and evenly distributed several layers of the grid, allows you to create any plastic forms.
Javier combines innovative solutions with the ancient tradition of Mozarabic, Catalan and Mexican cultures, using bright colors and plastic elements, to a certain extent similar to artifacts, symbols of Mayan culture. Is such beauty possible in our climate? I so want to believe that devotees, adherents and figures of ecological architecture in Russia will be imbued with the idea and will soon offer something so “perpendicular” to traditional right angles that will allow us to live, and breathe, and work in a different way. And brave customers, in turn, will give projects a place for construction and funds. What does it cost us to build a house!
Nino Samsonadze, Alena Mikhailova
Illustrations and information provided by
International Festival of Living Houses EcoTektura
Tag House
Share:
Unusual buildings of the world that look alive
Architects around the world are free in their fantasies – sometimes their creations take on very bizarre forms.
Some craftsmen create amazing buildings that look like living beings – this is exactly the selection offered by the Dom.Lenta portal. RU.
In 1998, a building in the form of a shepherd dog was erected in New Zealand. The house was built in the city of Tirau, and an agricultural information center is located within its walls.
Another unique building in New Zealand is made in the form of a sheep and its watchman – and this is no coincidence, because this country is famous for its volume and quality in the production of wool. The house was built 20 years ago by local resident Stephen Cloutier – an unusual building housed a large wool store.
The building in Australia, according to the same logic, was made in the shape of a crocodile. The building houses a hotel, which is very popular. As conceived by the architects, all the functional areas of the hotel built in the national park are perfectly located in the elongated building.
Indian architects built a building in the shape of a fish in the city of Hyderabad – such an unusual shape of the house is easily explained: it houses the National Fisheries Development Board.
In the United States, on the Atlantic coast in 1882, the “Elephant Lucy” appeared – the building was built in Margate City, and over 100 years has changed its functions many times. Over the years, the building housed tourist centers, real estate agencies, a hotel, a cottage, a restaurant and bars. Currently, the building in the form of an elephant is one of the most visited places by tourists who pay for tours of the unusual building.
Not all kids want to go to kindergarten, but most of them love kittens – it was this idea that inspired the German architects to build a kindergarten in the shape of a cute cat, where children will be happy to come. An unusual “living” house for kids appeared near the city of Karlsruhe.
China offers an amusement park called “Dwarven Empire” – in the city of Kunming, tourists will find many unusual buildings, one of which is made in the form of a small mushroom house for a gnome.
Holidays on a much larger scale are offered in Mexico: a hotel in the city of Isla Mujeres offers tourists to stay in a sea shell – this is the form the hotel is built.
The giant turtle from Kartini Beach in Indonesia is a building that tourists visiting Indonesia will not forget.
Tokyo has a unique in shape and appearance “appetizing” Strawberry House, for all lovers of sweet strawberries. There is a Sanrio store in the house; all fans of Hello Kitty products are well acquainted with this brand.
And again China, the city of Macao – here is a casino, the shape of which repeats the outlines of a lotus flower. The peculiarity of the construction of Grand Lisboa is that it is made taking into account all the traditions of Feng Shui.
In Macau, tourists can see another unusual object – a pavilion in the form of a hare, which was built for the EXPO-2010. The rabbit building houses nightclubs and a casino.
“Cat Island” is the name given to Tashiro Island in Japan. He is famous for his love and care for these animals: for example, the island strictly observes the ban on the presence of dogs on the territory. Local architects, following the tradition, erect unique buildings with the appearance of a cat.
American architect Rich Branstorm favors dogs – in Michigan he built a house whose shape resembles his four-legged friend.
Among the architects there are those who are not indifferent to the poisonous puffer fish – proof of this is an unusual house in Jiangsu province, China.
The sight of sea shells continues to inspire architects in Mexico – the country is home to the uniquely shaped Nautilus House, which is annually ranked among the most unusual buildings in the world. The author of the project is Javier Senosian, a recognized specialist in the field of organic architecture. In addition to the seashell house, he also designed a building in the form of a feathered serpent – the “Nest of Quetzalcoatl”, the Aztec deity. Despite the strange appearance, there are 10 modern apartments inside the building.
There is also an unusual building in the capital of Côte d’Ivoire – a building in the shape of a crocodile has become a local landmark. The project was developed by the artist Musso Kahlo, and his student lives in it, who helped bring the architect’s idea to life.