World's Wildest Houses IV
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Would You Live in Any of These?
Would You Live in Any of These?
You've seen a dog-shaped house and Grandma's Bottle Village. We've taken you to the waters northwest of the Greek Zante Island to see Formodesign's House on Water, and to Tourettes-sur-Loop, France to see Antti Lovag's Bubble House.
In this installment, explore the interior and exteriors of 8 wild houses, including a boat house made from one of Howard Hughes' airplanes and an advance concept lounge-on-wheels that was unveiled at The Venice Biennial just a few months ago.
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Reflection of Mineral
Reflection of Mineral
Photo by Courtesy <a href="http://jimmy.cohrssen.com/arch.html" target="_blank">Jimmy Cohrssen Photography</a>
Tokyo, Japan
Yasuhiro Yamashita of built this home for a client in 2006. As any city-dweller knows, parking can be a pain. So, Yamashita sliced into the structure to incorporate a covered car port.
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Inside the Reflection of Mineral House
Inside the Reflection of Mineral House
Photo by Courtesy <a href="http://jimmy.cohrssen.com/arch.html" target="_blank">Jimmy Cohrssen Photography</a>
Much like the exterior of the home, the 480-square-foot interior features abstract corners and angles. Furniture, fixtures, and appliances (like the tub shown here) were all selected to follow the angular theme. The placement of windows and the skylight allows natural light to stream into every room of the house.
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Mercury House One (Advanced Concept)
Mercury House One (Advanced Concept)
Photo by Courtesy Architecture and Vision Design
Chicago, Illinois
's eco-friendly, high-tech mobile lounge was created with the environment in mind: Solar power elements and rainwater harvesting were incorporated into the design. Lighting, video, and sound components inside the unit—which was displayed at the Biennale di Venezia in 2009—are powered by solar cells in the skylights.
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Inside Mercury House One
Inside Mercury House One
Photo by Courtesy Architecture and Vision Design
The interior (shown at left, top) can be outfitted for just about any need, but according to the designers, it's meant to be "a cross between a car and a living room." The exterior shell (shown at left, bottom) is made of Carrara marble, which makes for a striking display when underlit at night.
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Inside the Bouldin Castle
Inside the Bouldin Castle
Photo by Courtesy homeaway.com
The current owners spent 1.5 years renovating the castle, based on copious notes and many photos taken during their travels through Europe. They added a lap pool "moat", finished the basement, and of course, put in a few turrets.
Want to see the place for yourself? You can overnight at the castle for about $350 a night. For more information, visit
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Inside Casa Neverlandia
Inside Casa Neverlandia
Photo by Courtesy talbotworld.com
Talbot and Pils were committed to using salvage for the expansion of the property. Some interesting details in the house include a PVC-talk tube: The talk tube functions as an intercom, allowing for communication between the bedroom, kitchen, entryway, and bathroom.
The room shown here is what Talbot calls "one of the altars to the Four Elements." The central shape was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's multi-layered arches and the firebox is a Rumford design.
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Inside the Cosmic Muffin
Inside the Cosmic Muffin
Photo by Courtesy planeboats.com
The 12-foot-wide cabin of the has been remodeled to allow more space to move around, but certain key features remain intact, including original seating and a built-in bar. The boats controls can appropriately be found in the cockpit.
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Inside the Boulder House
Inside the Boulder House
Photo by Courtesy joshuatreeboulderhouse.com
Wall-to-ceiling double-pane glass pocket doors open to a spacious patio, complete with fire pit. Inside there's intricate glass tile work, a modern kitchen with professional stainless steel appliances, and beautiful custom seating in the living area. The house also features a 2-car insulated garage and workshop.
If you're in the market for a wild house—and have about $1.3 million in the bank—this one's for sale. Call 310-858-7355, or visit for more information.
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DIY Meditation Temple
DIY Meditation Temple
Photo by Courtesy Aaron Westgate
Warren, Vermont
Aaron Westgate, an instructor at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont, built this for just $28. That money went exclusively to the purchase of fasteners, as all other building materials were salvaged. Westgate stacked chunky 2x4s to create the beautiful look of corbelled masonry. Shingles were cut from corrugated galvanized steel, then hand-flattened before being carefully secured atop the roof.
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Inside the DIY Meditation Temple
Inside the DIY Meditation Temple
Photo by Courtesy Aaron Westgate
The beauty of the stacked wood echoes inside, but there's not much else to it. And, that's kind of the point. The micro-construction is only meant to offer an isolated, dedicated space for meditation; there's room for you, a seating cushion, and your thoughts.
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Banyon Drive Treehouse
Banyon Drive Treehouse
Photo by Courtesy Eric Staudenmaier
Los Angeles, California
This grown-up tree house was created by in 2009, and is now home to an art studio. The modern structure, which is stands twelve feet above the ground, is made of steel and features a cedar-paneled exterior.
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Inside the Banyon Treehouse
Inside the Banyon Treehouse
Photo by Courtesy Eric Staudenmaier
The interior features walnut panels and floors. Though the backyard retreat is only 170 square feet, all the amenities of home are covered: The place is equipped with a half-bath, daybed, fireplace, and TV. Just outside, should the need for one arise, is a private outdoor shower.