Woops. Having read the article i see they don't allow children(?) So i guess those figures i thought were kids in the photo essay must have been them (the artist/architect couple)..So, i guess their confrontational architecture does work, and makes you younger through purposefully making one(s) environment uncomfortable..
i don't know where to begin about how little this house deserves publication. however, if publication in itself can be considered a vehicle for immortality, then this house succeeds.
still, it's shocking how easy new age designers can be on themselves.
If theres one thing I absolutely despise its the whole New Age movement. That house looks like an expensive pile of junk. If they wanted a challenging way to live why didn't they just set up a tent in the woods while smothered in honey and steaks? Now thats a challenge! Fending off bears while setting up a tent, and some of the poles are missing from the tent.
But otherwise I like the philosophical stance of the house, that a little bit of discomfort keeps one mentally challenged and thus alert.
But it's also excessively self-involved in a world fraught with problems. Instead of looking to a wacky building to improve ones life (which is sort like a spa experience), why not challenge yourself by working to make the world better for others, too?
The discomfort caused by living in the space would only last for a month or two. I'd imagine that eventually a person would become accustom to living in such a place, which would totally negate the challenging effect of the house. Also, I'm sure some of the design features may cause frustration and stress, which is scientifically proven to cause poor health.
Whatevertect: It's an adventurous sandbox enclosed within the protective shelter of a box. That's what fending off bears in wild nature cannot give you. That's also exactly the message of what the flat green ceiling is giving.
In fact, how is it any different from adults putting expensive toys (e.g. stereo, cars, gym equipment) inside their house? In this case, all those expensive toys happened to be a playful (and challenging) landscape.
This is like playing in a MMORPG/Second Life sandbox in your Xbox or Playstation, but now magnified to reality... but what isn't?
I agree with Chp Minnick: the flat ceilings are completely uninspired. Don't we architects think in 3D when we set out to design space - especially when it's for a 'crazy' house? ("Hey, our floor is like totally crazy - oops, we forgot about the ceiling...ugh...let's paint it green so it looks really heavy and totally crazy!")
I wonder where they store all their kitchen stuff. Do they need to run up a ramp to one of the random pods to get a spatula and olive oil from a crazy remote cabinet?
Well, if you make the ceiling undulated to be 'consistent' in "3D", you end up with a Hadid, and you'll probably say that it's uninspired as well. Nevertheless, the architects aren't trying to inspire you.
In my opinion, that will turn the space from some sort of a simulation box, into simply, a cave, which is less interesting. The contrast of a flat ceiling and a wobbly ground works for me.
Lighten up. This is no more ridiculous than half of the things that get published and this house probably embodies a higher level of legit intellectual rigor- even if that's not that much. I mean come on, 'practicing how not to die'.... Zaha, among others has uttered much more absurd things. And we eat that nonsense up.
Seriously, take a load off and revel in this house's absurdity. Maybe go play some Katamari Damacy while you're at it. If after that, you don't get this house, well....
Their concept of this house helping defy death makes sense, it's been proved time and and again that if we don't push ourselves to be alive, especially in old age, we will rot away to nothing.
This makes sense. If we still survived in the wild, we would encounter environments like this every day- and be better for it, or injured and dead. We don't live in the wild anymore, but that is how we lost our tails and stood upright back in the day. In evolution's scale, it hasn't been long since we were more like animals. We're here at the lonely top of the food chain because we were stimulated by, and successful at, navigating our environment. I am wincing at this things aesthetics, but the ideas are important. They should be commended for this silliness.
Come on, aren't there better ways to challenge yourself? All you have to do is leave your house and find something. Or find something to do in your house. If your looking for a house that really challenges you, wouldn't a house along minimalist lines be better. It would encourage one to look for challenges that exist beyond house. If you want to try rock climbing, go to a rock climbing gym or just do the real thing. This house is encouraging people to stay inside their homes - isn't that a huge problem in this country? - both health-wise and socially.
And who would wants to come back to the "trite" challenges/obstacles this house offers after a hard day at work or school? - facing "real" challenges. A house as a peaceful, relaxing place allows us to recharge our batteries so we can better face the challenges in our lives.
