":'111

PRESTEL MUNICH · BERLIN · LONDON · NEVV 'tORK

PRESTEL VERLAG, MUNICH · BERLIN • LONDON • NEW YORK, 2002

© FOR CONCEPT AND TEXT BY COURTENAY SMITH AND SEAN TOPHAM, 2002

THE RIGHT OF COURTENAY SMITH AND SEAN TOPHAM TO BE IDENTIFIED AS AUTHORS OF THIS WORK HAS BEEN ASSERTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COPYRIGHT, DESIGN, AND PATENTS ACT 1988.

COVER: DOUG JACKSON, CASA VERTICAL, 2000 FRONTISPIECE: SOFTROOM, TREE HOUSE, 1998

PHOTO CREDITS: SEE PAGE 167

PRESTEL BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE. VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.PRESTEL.COM OR CONTACT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PRESTEL OFFICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

PRESTEL VERLAG KONIGINSTRASSE 9, 80539 MUNICH

TEL. +49 (89) 38 17 09-0, FAX +49 (89) 38 17 09- 35 E- MAIL: SALES@PRESTEL.DE

PRESTEL PUBLISHING 4 BLOOMSBURY PLACE, LONDON WC1A 2CA

TEL. +44 (20) 7323-5004, FAX +44 (20) 7636-8004 E- MAIL: SALES@PRESTEL-UK.CO.UK

PRESTEL PUBLISHING 175 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 10010

TEL. +1(212) 995-2720, FAX +1 (212) 995-2733 E-MAIL: SALES@PRESTEL-USA.COM

DIE DEUTSCHE BIBL~~~~~~YL~:T;DNGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2002112194

DETAILED BIBLIOGRAPHIC DAT!~~S :v~~L~BCALTEION IN THE DEUTSCHE NATIONALBIBLIOGRAFIE; ON THE INTERNET AT HTTP: / / DNB.DDB.DE

DESIGN AND TYPOGRAPHY BY SMITH LONDON PRINTED AND BOUND BY PASSAVIA DRUCKSERVICE, PASSAU

PRINTED IN GERMANY ON ACID-FREE PAPER

ISBN 3-7913-2789-5

oos

006

o1AT ION .

House In Hackney Anti oedipal House seml-oysf\.mctional House

166 BIBLIOGRAPHY 16B ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I

TO~ urn EO l " '"IMA<>-

~'-• 1\ IS PA~t THIS

fl-'MfiOVAtil' J-fOME IN DAllO\S,

TlV'~ PfMO .. ~TR.ATESA

0(!>1Pt TO 811EM WITH T"E

C lTV S TUDOR AND COLOmAL

Rt~fDH~Cr!> THROUG~ TOPlCAt.

SfHlStiC Fl0UR15><£5

TOll' RIGHT •Hf TIN FACAOE ANO

P~(UOO DORIC COLUMNS ON

THIS "OUSE IN HOUSTON,

tfXA>. ARE CERTAI NLY O UT OF

! Ht OAOINARV BUT NOT NITES­

~A~ll\1 t: XTR(MF lN TER MS OF

FUNCTION OR SOCIAL IMPACT

IIOTTOM AIIC,.ITECTS AND

HOMEOWNERS ALIKE HAVE

MU(.:H 10 LEAR~ FR{)M THE

HUIBIUTV AND SPACE-S'IVWG

DESI GN CJF 'HE CONTAINERS

WI11Ck HOUSE TOOA' S

CONST11UCTION WOii~ER:S.

SUCH AS T"'fSE UNITS L'l

M V .. ICH GEPMANY, 2002.

we are curtous about what exactly constitutes a house, or in fact a home, since a "house" is all about an md1v1dual approach to shelter and "housing" IS about dwelling on a mass scale. ro us. hous1ng IS a blanket solut1on that treats everyone the same. n is homogeneous and ohen bonng. However, houses are unique and allow for one person's perceptiOn of "homen to be completely dtfferent from another's. sensmg that there had to be more than one pertect "house," we started to look at the rush of act1v1ty m domestic design. what we discov­ered m1ght be described as the leadmg edge of res1dennal architecture, although 1t's certainly not advertised-at least not yet-at real estate off1ces or 1n the property pages

The homes presented herem are extreme 1n the sense that they are exceptional, radical, and on the edge. certa1n examples may not look excess1ve but that 1s because we have concerned ourselves With content rather than style. Each house has been chosen because 1t poses a challenge to trad1t1onal methods or attempts to solve a problem rhere are plenty of homes out there that may look extreme. but for the most part these are mere follies wh1ch ennch the fabnc of the1r local communtties as cunos1t1es All roo ohen they fa1l to make a SOC1al1mpact when placed 1n a broader context

our choice of houses has been determined by the1r relevance to today's global commu­nity. The selection of homes that follows m this book represents an exchange of 1deas from the far ends of the mternational social spectrum. Many would have passed away unheard of 1f 1t weren't for the rntemet's capab1l1ty to communicate mformat1on from the ends of the earth. The global commumcat1ons network established by the First world has brought 1ts 1nnovat1ons-for better or worse- to bear on l1festyle, lncludmg hous1ng, m the Third world, and v1ce versa. In fact the Third world has demonstrated t1me and agam that necessity IS the mother of mvent1on when 1t comes to home des1gn. In countries of l1m1ted resources, tnd1v1duals, architects, and budders must look beyond matenals and methods typically asso­Ciated With house construction, an approach that 1s beg1nnmg to broaden the mmdset of arch1tects m the west . westerners wou ld do well to start lending as much credence and attent1on to. say, the temporary shelters that accommodate our construction workers, as to the build1ngs the workers erect

ments or extreme social situations. They also respond to extraordinary conditions, 1ncluding unprecedented mobility, natural disasters, war, population shifts, and homelessness. The homes selected almost always Introduce new or forgotten technologies and matenals appropnated from sources as d1verse as Middle Eastern engineering to the film, automotive, aerospace, and fashion mdustnes, resultmg 1n forms that engender new ways of mteract1ng w ith each other and our env1ronment.

An 1ssue that IS thoroughly 1nvest1gated is homelessness, which takes on d1fferent guises dependmg on context. rn western c1t1es, 1t 1s ohen the result of misfortune, negligence, or choice, wh1le m unsettled or unindustrtahzed nat1ons 1t IS the result of abJect poverty, CIVIL war, d1scnmmat1on, or governmental oppress1on.

Also looked at in detail is the impact of glob­alization and consumer culture on the housmg industry. m some instances, 1t is westerners who are lead1ng the way in affordable housing for Third world countnes-whether through the use of domes made of sandbags or the manufacture of portable shelters-but thetr des1gns are not always welcomed by those who need them most, people who want

rn certam cases, the houses we have chosen literally occupy the fnnges of soc1ety, wh1le 1n other cases they are completely

nothmg more than to live 1n western - style remote from It and located 1n extreme environ- bungalows w1th televisions. At the same t1me, we Are All Architects. courten.y smith and sean TOpham

globaliZation has also opened the door for imm igration and the world is an increasingly m1xed ethnic bag for it. This was always true 1n

urban cent ers, t he landtng place of foretgn workers throughout t he nineteenth and twen­tieth cen tunes. eut now smaller c1t1es are explod1ng w1th cultural difference and destre. rn t he untted st ates, th1s IS nowhere more obv1ous than the suburbs, where ethntc home­owners are steadily replacing, or dlsplactng, the "wh1te bread" settlers of fifty years hence.

Never before have we been such a mob1le soc1ety, able to communtcate w1th fnends and fam1 ly from any 1magmable locanon or to hop on a fl1ght across the world at the drop of a hat. Thts m1gratory 1mpulse, coupled With a sh1ft tn tourism away from luxury spas and " resorts to packaged vacations in "authentiC locales-whether a Masai- owned lodge In

Kenya or a Russian gulag-has increased westerners' understanding of how the other half ltves and opened a p1peline for the

exchange of cultural ideas. f Admittedly there IS a preponderance o

"extreme" creativity to draw upon at the moment, whether from architects. arw.ts collectives, or tnd1viduals. what we pr~sent herem IS a short list of what's our there a

f Or e~clUSIVt' samplmg that 1s by no means 1mte

1or fttnttt MH tiM·' W• fU

~~~ tl lt"M 'I o\ II)IJ ljf II

~~~ Ill IH'"'' t 1111 'I ll

>lt•lll I oH frli U \Ill< tr \~ t ill

llA~II' ,,, I !II I !I'll•! ljlt!

WltiiWt !liNt loiVlll tl'U

I•Ul rt p!P\NH•lll/ () I 1 l!WtUJ !If• ftltllll Ol

l•uilrlr1f, nlloiiHitlc:ltlitflY[}I ~ ltOIIIt'tlllllltlll 1 dtvtdf' hi'IWPI'II t!u• h,,,,Jt •,11!•11••1 .111d I lit• l . tvl'.lt dil t•~t 11111'1' lly I' ll'•liotlly lltlVIIIlllf' !i •l'f'fi,tllltl

1•'[11' II llll\11111\.1'1 Wr• oll'l'l tll'oll td lilt' lt.ttll '•jl.\f 11 ill WI lit illtl III.IIII'IIVI'I 111 ltV•' Wllill•'.tl lltltt1l111111111 y 111111"'' tllltl lil'•i•'.t•l pt11lloiY iltr• p•,(.tit• jll 11 I"• •.kytPI lll'llllljlllllll•.tiiii'II[I'J!•

Jill d 1'11V\IIllllil11ill oil, dil t'~tlillllj lt".ii lltj 11lillllld lli!• qiolw, lilt• 111 11'11 1!11 Jrlt•ljlltilt'

ljl!llllld 1<11 111'\111 idr1 t1' .!ltd llillllltdlillll'• ill II l itlll'•illlj fd tlliflld,tldr• ptlt I''• l'io plt''.'illllj, ollld

• l!oillt lltf' lilt•l!llllh11\llllill ll'dilllllllllllll Ill olll lllll'!;ir,, lllll,t, 111d llldiVtdltlll 1 IIC'

IH»II'.IIIIJ !it II• llltl•, (Hid tjlll".llilllllll' l1'l,11ttt11 ""•P"IIdliiiJ Willi WII 1111) 11111'11111111)11 !(lllli"l

!illlp of 11111111• t••' IIIItH• 111111 "'"•1'"11 , ,Hilt' Plll11•11 ~>•llllllccn, t'V['tl

'1111111(\CI\11 UWIIIlillloltllq"iullll!t til hnrdt11 tJIIIht• llllt'lrtli,l hill tltf'lillli' 111 H~pt lltllll lrhc ltVIIhl' Yldt'lll!t lllld llnW Ill 11111'1 I• til' ll<lt•lt "'''• lh'll(\1 bl'f'[l fJ<II lt ul,lr(y dt;!fJIIJLiliiiC

f0(')111'f Wtllllh,., llllf'oll I td lilt 111 tWd llltlhlltly l'l'•'Pil' lftJ Ollt•lt lure• d 1(1 111 tkl' lltl Willi

!ItO!! t'f I {Iff;' tl bltlltiiiiJ Ulllllllfldllfit•<,lltllll~ Sfl(l\ldy 0111' ICIQIIl <,(tllliO•o, ll' 11\lllrJ, turn Of t 11 tJHt 1 wtt ll Vdth It'•., 11111 t ''"'" 1 ucd., onrl 1 V1•rt tltc• 1 ,~lllllfY ltrt• ltii•ot d'li, or I Hut l:llllllll r tCiP\

tlf!ltl' or ctntilln '"Y'"'II<• '"' tll\tly 1o. "" tltlll <fl.,llllltr• • fWIL lit\ na Wtllld •r tit 11

111 Nl 1\ ''" ltttl'tllllt 1l1t AIIH''" "'' ""l!' 1111£.1 I'''""''' ll,J\'1' J(l,p011dl'd hy IIYIIIU rlttllllo ,,, 1\fll '•"Ill , 1\!1\tlldll it 1~(\,j IIIII • flllltll I t 111 lltll< f1 •(Ill f' iJS (1!{'\' 1 lfl Willi fl Ifill"• lllotlltll(;lt

1fld [11tlll•lr Htlllltlt l\,1\11 iltql 1111 "" 1111111' (111(11 jllli>lli hllllrlitlll'•· ttftlllltll( IIIIi h,llllj 11\1(

tnflilmH t!!i l11•tt ~t'''"'' tl 1111111 '"'' 111•111'1 h '" wtn(t,.w~:,, w hnllt'l!. wlt 11 !1 '~ "' k ('lll'IIIY ,111 IJ I' l\11 ltl•(l 1111'· '•llllol/olt 111(1'l l tl\) tllld l lt11fl1 1\j\if(ltq pPV\'1]1 •

1(1(111 t•t,

lli1ill/diltittht•) WCI •' lolllilllll·rilll lll •'ltl WI it'll tltt' tltlllll'~lh 1111 hi I (It I lilt' •lt'IIU ,., tll\t'

tlHII'IVW 1\ llll l t jl lllt•lo,n ly lt•t olll\ 1111\/t'l lt lq Willi lli'W ldi•, J•, tlltrl dt••.t'lllli lutliVIIItj, IIIII

lliitldtflil (ltllt'l IIJ til I•IIIIIV•tfl Ntl\11/,lt loi\'· ! lit'~•· "dll.ill 1,1 ,,j,, j)l11(t'tl~oi IIi\ flli1Vjdilltllflf'

Wtllt Jlnilllltllllllllllllo IIIIJIII, l r•tliii111111IV olilll '"''II vc•llh le flll "llr'W tjl!llt'lcllltlfltll till hili•• ,., fht~d~lilt It IVt'i, f'l'lljtll '•l'r'llllt•lit• '·Wilt ll111q rllil.vt'il l'.tpr,lt 1111(1111 I\ 110111 ttl itt 1 dl~tll'lillt",

IJII In !11~ lltllh}fl •11 111 l•thf' •' llYWitt•rt• iti)IIH' I 1 llllki' 1 ••ltill'tltCill 1t,,

111t (Ill\-\ \\1' ltvl

tllllllOIII h•)liii,Ollll!Y (Htd PI 1Y IL lilY Ill lloltlll'l th,llllll{'l(•(y l•"'~lliJ)lllrtll\) 1 l~ttliVI Ill 1[-.

tlu IHIIII uy thf'lltfl 1:'!! tltl' llo{ll'"' Ill tit• '''"'' front til '"'Ilk~ uf lth Ht' t Ktlt I dlf(' t c lion II li'IN PIt" Ill\/ Clt'l fo\ IIlii hll 111111 Uf 1 I

1 1 1 1 k 'Y fl! 11 lltlor fnr tlt~lr lN•I tlCI dt'\1 Ill In Jlh •tr llf~l! HI 1

illl 1\0W, ll11

(IIH 1 Jl hll(n\) Ill OWII lll.)llll'lo 1\ t•lll(.lt Ill! tJ lJ lht• I'Sp(Cl••tUfliJf

we are AU Art hltectt, coun.nar amtth end "•" tOphem

litlllll ' lllliJitlVIIill Ill fl'ii•Vi•,ftlll , lt oW•,,t•VIIIIIII)

r l.t'•'•l'!• Ill lt'lltJ ./1111, tiiHilllillt'lliV •.ttll~'• Allri

,,, "'' llllt•t "'· l!tl•ltllll •' ' II. I'. ''"I n111" wltt1t 1111' il •'V"Ii lilt h '·'""''' w.t•. ,,, t'tlll~ 11.111d~ lli'oll ltllc•1 lllttq' littiiL'Iiljl' ln1 II' dc"l'lll••t .111d til l

''"ntnlt.tl•· ,, ~~·~·.tilte p1odt11 '"" tt1,., nd ut,cr lit • 11'1111WI'd lll(i'll'f.! 111111diV11III.tl htlll •''

tl> .t IL'It£" .ln11q c_f VCitlflllll•rll h11 ullliC'IlliJ'JrtliY

llt.-1111 "t::llllf' Ill tl til(t'llllt oil Ill I' 111 MC:/1/(('Cf/1(,)/

H<'~/('H, t'dll rll llf'l('l IJ !\lt'Y Wlulfl, "tlmly 01

fr,, IY Y• <tr:. lllll It w I S Qfl!>ldl'l clef VIII f) r lrt f,;hltm:ttJf,JI 1 tr, lcr, 1 'I Hill: tltc1111 'llOITlt> th

w,1'ilf'll fft tltr', ollilllCittll f!IOVIII•·r~ oltotky ll'ptO SOIIII dt•(,l\ he•(J Vtllt!>" rltlt~ j110jflrl\ rn IIIII. houk •HI.! dtlyllttiiiJIIJ IJII hy, fill' MChltt•Cl

c •t lud,ty 11,. It• If 1111111 ,, v,tl,, hlo li''i\PII trom I liP "I Oltllllt'll lclllll llllildt l tllt'l)i Ill lfiVtn 1 (lf:'t•l•lc· wlt.tl I h~~ w,1111 1 IJI•, f!j Will Y•lll Wtl

,tl!itl 1111d" ··••l1•l til'"''' lltdii•,tt!.tl o;lt,•ltt•r~.

ltli'·.tvl,. "', '''•'•Ill t1·•, ·""' ~•·If llt11ld ,,,,s f1Pf11 11111\ldl• lilt' ll'oll.tl it'.tlill tJ I i.ltlllllt't flllt'

111\lilllt·d Ill'"'~ I•Ptlk 1\l litr' Sllllll' IIIII!', ltlr. llllf't 111.111110 P•"'"

Pflttflllt ll!('fC W I'• til IIIII' Ill fr>t I'll! h1~ll!l\ \\h l1

ill! ltrlt'l (t.; Wo~lt' l,llkiiiiJ ."! ~JI!;,tl (JI! llllbOlll

\-\11 II I lh..JIIIt' " htlll(d hr' Alld Ill tflr. op.ntOil

ur "~1ft:·'' whitt• ,,,1!11), ~11dl ft w.tltN roP 11

lll Mff'<, V{ill C({'f l!tlltC II Wo'l I' I th _, ' 10 ' 1

tlllllltry 1..'!\loliC:t 01 l1CJllflll'Oil! \I fOil II 0 °""

....

1\)f'\I!Jl " ~~~ '<IS 111 THE

h "' ~ ~l • ><Ill ltlfJR

!'tAli ,11!\ HA '"'-"'""

U: C'\:8 '> WOU~D l VEN~U

HOI"! '0

.01T004 L.lln PROTO>P(Or Tl11

rop RJGHT I'RUII I 1<.>0£ f'UIILIC

"''"' T OUIS, MISSOURI,

t<l<~ 55, flLOt" O~'NAMITEO IN

1"1]2 PuBLIC DISSATISFA.CIION

WITH ARCHITECT 0£5IGNEO

PUBLIC HOUSING BLOCkS

CONTINUES TO BE TliE CI\US£: Of

THEIR DEMOLITION

Plt£Jil8RICMEO WICHITA" BOTTO M RIGHT Mll S VAN OER

'tOU~l Ot!.IGNEO fl> R ROHE rARN511"0RIIi HOUSl

IJUC!\MlN!>T£:11 fULI.EH 1<l47 PLANO,lli!NO!~. U.!> A 1949

OIL ALUMIN\JM CHlNDCR NEXT THE CLEAN, CLASSIC LINES AND

TO lH£ 1-<0U"-tlS A R~U~EABLF TRANSI'ARlNl FA~ ADI ARE

CONTAINFR lN WHICH AIL OF PLEAS!Nu TO TH" (YL AUT WI· HI

Hit PREFABRICATED ElEMENT~ O!rFTCULT FOR THE CLI(NT ro WERE' TO[!( SltlPPEO IHC LIVE WlTfi

!IOU'>( Wll!i AN IMMlNSFLY

POPULAR All (RNA I IV[ fO

CO'/VlNTIONAL SUBURBAN

TRACT ttOMl~ .

stones of pre -ww1 Europe. For perhaps the ftrst time 1n htstory, the ordinary house became a focus of architectural theory and practtce AS little as seventy years ago, the Moderntst credo of pure form and "starttng from zero"!-wh1ch we typ1cally associate with severe, undeco­rated corporate h1gh nses. art gallerres, or school campuses-had already taken root tn

radical res1dent1al commtsstons. from Gernt Rietveld's schroeder House (1924) in utrecht. rhe Netherlands, to Le corbuster's VIlla savoye 11931) 1n POISSy, France. to Mles van der Rohe's rarnswon.h House (1949) tn Plano, rllino1s. Thts mzn1mal abstract style was transported into worker housing tn Europe and eventually recy­cled as luxury apartments m the un1ted states. e:ndemtc to all cases was that a theoretical 1mperattve had found tts expresston m the fundamental un1t of any soctety-the home­Signaling that huge mtellectual shtfts could JUSt as eastly take place on a small scale when e.xplonng the homes m th1s book, it ts Impor­tant to keep tn m1nd that thetr "extreme" ideas may already be well on the1r way to defmmg our greater c.ultural and soc tal landscape.

POP culture's obsess1on with all things retro over the last decade has delivered a blurry eyed nostalg•a for the commerctally manufactured dwetlmgs and mobile homes of

the 1950s and beyond, but nobody ts sheddmg computer- atded destgn and computer tears over the arch1tect-des1gned h1gh-nse numerically controlled production are makmg and htgh-density housing schemes of that our homes more expressive tf not more sculp-same era m the postwar reconstructton of tural, and technical advances 1n industnes as Europe, arch itects and urban planners 1mposed far afteld as the mov1es and aerospace are their grand schemes onto a society that was ftndmg thetr way into the toolboxes of today's never properly consulted about how tt wanted res1denttal archttecrs. ArChitect ooug Garofalo to l1ve . rhe common solution to housmg across has found that work tng wtth Maya, an anima-Europe was to build a box, place a family tn 1t, tton software, has enabled htm to design and demand that they shape thetr ltfe around house addtt1ons wtth radtcally free - flowmg tt. Is tt any wonder then that some tnhabltants curves never before possible with a Jigsaw of these estates dectded to use the elevators ukewise, Greg Lynn FORM 1s able to tailor-make as to1lets? otssatlsfaction w1th the dysfunc- homes on a mass scale by worktng wtth tional machmes for ltving was vo1ced loudly computers that communtcate d1rectly with the throughout the followmg decades, from grass- machmes that g1ve phystcal form to the roots organtzattons to rock bands, and ts most stud to's designs. Mass productton and prefab­poignantly summed up m the Lynes of rhe Jam: ncatton no longer mean bland untformtty, nor "rhey were gomg to build commun1t1es rt wac;, are profess1onal archttects the sole benef1c1 -gomg to be pte In the sky. aut the ptss- aries of the new technologies. w ith computers stenched hallways and broken down ltfts satd be1ng as mtegral to every household as a tete-the planner's dream went wrong." Thankfully phone, potenttal homeowners can now the architect's role In the prov1ston of homes custom1ze, order, and, tn some cases, even appears to have swttched from that ot dictator download plans for their dream homes vta the to more of a facilttator. Archttects are Internet Sites such as Etekt.com offer becorntng tatlors and the house a bespoke su tt everyday folks the chance to "co-create" their for livtng 111 . MaJor contnbuttng factors to th1s home by browsmg a vanety of archttectural shift are the recent advances In construction f1rms and custom1zable homes for purchase. • technology and the unprecedented role of the After selecting a model from a ltbrary of home tndivzdual in the destgn process. destgns, buyers may use Parametrtc des1gn we Are All .vchltec:ts. courtenay smith and sean TOpham

software to add on rooms or change matenals before settl ing on a final plan whtch an archi­tect then 1ssues-the entire process mediated by the web

For probably the first time 1n recent archr­tectural htstory the md111tdual ts playing a leadtng rather than suppornng role tn how houses come into betng. TO be sure, 1n the years tollowmg ww2, pnvate tndtvrduats across Europe and Amenca assumed a vartety or tunc­tlons, from cltent to end user to self-bUilder but tn all cases at the subordtnatron of etther a vistonary arcl11tect or developer Throughout the 1950s and 1960s pnvate chents bankrolled the severe wh1te cubes 1m posed on them by archrtects who knew better" and watclledtd thetr ever yddy needs and possesswns rece e qutte literally 1nto the background The dtsputes between Edith Farnsworth and Mit>~

d f ·ate areas In van der Rohe over her nee or pm .. ll "de$rgn are hts otherwtse exposed art ga ery

legendary. aut what she got out of the dNl were two hidden bathrooms whtch dtdn t

e wht'nnn Interrupt h1s plan. And thts, at a um d explos1on of ltterature on homl' styling an_

d ·e ~one) a profuston of furn1shmg., an acl ~ bltn.9 (from dinnerware to wallpaper) \\ere ena Amertcans to search for thetr ldt'nttttc:­

through product~

TOP RZOHT Ml\ IIIHtiUilAI

~[NOEIII'H• )r ONI" (II HI(

MODEL!> or IHt: CAP[ CO!I

HOUSE BUilT IN L£VtrT0WN

LON(; l'>lANO, 1947 Tt<IS

VERNACULAR STHl CONTINUES

~ A~FOROA6LE. t.RCHI· TO PREDOMINATE A~ AW£SI£RN

~ URAL PlAN>llNG DOC\J S¥MBOL OF rHOME""

,._[NTS tOR Nl\'1/ IIES:DENCIS

THE 'SHES tUSTOMlZEABLE BOTTOM UNFORTUNATELV. THE

MODELS ARE ruN>,V AlTERNA• c 41'E COD W•\SN'T SUI' <0 TO A

11V[!> TO "i[ lAf'[ COD OR VARIETf or Llf fSTYL I NH.D<,

RM•CH HQUSlS MANY OF US AND THERHOf'E HAD 10 Ill

SIILL HIIN~ •JF AS HOME. P[Rl ODIC.ALLV UI'OAIHl Willi

EXTE.N<;IONS SUCII AS HIE~~

on the suburban front, thtngs weren't much better Developers ltked to matntatn the tlluston that end users were really cltenls betng provtded the servtce of affordable, attractive houstng. aut the realtty was that the cltent was merely the "user" of what the developer provtded. Although prefabrication allowed vartous elements of the homes to be produced off srte, tt also left ltnle room for changes outstde manufacrurer-deftned lrmtts. rhe typtcal tract home cons1sted of four rooms, regordless of how large or dtverse a famtly mtght be. In many cases, home Improvement was needed before the house even htt the ground, a developer-programmed "detatl." whtch cost the user more money tn th~ end and latd the foundatton for the DIY phenornenon

roday, homeowners have fewer knee-Jerk reactions where archttects and developers are concerned. rn today's global service economy, the terms ''client," "end user," and "self builder" have taken on new meantngs connoting control and leadershtp not subservtence dw buymg power of the consumer, good or bad, can no longer be 1gnored. and for a "provtder" to do so would be to ltmtt hts or her client base to bankruptcy The term cltent now tmpltes that people wttl pay only for what they commiSSIOn. An r.nd user w1Ll bnng the product back to the

source tf 1t doesn't work or sutt hts needs. And century, a house was made up of rooms. each those who self-bUild are aktn to the new with a preordained purpose. Although many VISionaries. striking out on the1r own, both people still live in homes bu1lt during that era, aestl1eltcally and technically. the permanence of the structure tn these

The stngle prevatltng beltef expressed by dwelltngs renders them difficult to adaptation most of the archttects in thts book ts tn a and change. The people behtnd the homes tn collaborattve approach to the destgn of the th1s book have adopted the bel1ef that the only home The architects we consulted have thtng we can be sure of JS change and mcorpo afftrmed ttme and agatn that cooperatton rate future-proofing elements tnto thetr between destgner and end user is essenttal to designs. For some, thts means eltminating productng a successful bUtldtng. This collabo- rooms altogether to make way for an open. rat1ve approach appears 1n as many dtfferent flexible space with whtch the mhabttant does guises as the homes themselves. rt can take as he or she pleases. as can be seen 111 shigeru the form of workshops with homeless tndtvld- san's Naked House and ooug Jackson's casa uals. as practiced by stud to orta and Krzysztof vertical. others, like Alles wtrd Gut and offtce wodiczko, how-to semtnars such as those of MObtle Des1gn, have adopted the foldaway offered by the Monol1thte Dome Instttute or IngenUity of the swtss Army Knife and brought E.arthshtp Btotecture, hands-on, three-dimen- the utility of the multtfunctlon toolmto the sional tools to commun1cate tdeas, as devel- home. rhen there are homes wtth a ftntte ltfe oped by coelacanth Et Associates, or a studto span, such as those by La eaton Et vassal. rhese dynamic structured around the collis1on of h

are not t rowaway tn the same sense as was tdeas, as In the collecttves FAT, PO D, N55, 1 h openotfice. and Atelter van Lieshout The popu ar tnt e 196os, but they are responstble archttects seem in agreement that they arnve to the envtronment and have a low Impact

when tt comes to dtspostng of them. at the best posstble solutton by worktng Wtth the end user and tnvolving that person tn the auymg a house ts one ofthe biggest dectslon-maktng process. expenses we ever incur, but need 1t be? one

Flextblllty ts another key factor the houses area where costs can be reduced and IS under-here have rn common In the ntneteenth got~g great expenmentatlon IS the domestic

we AreAllAI'dlltects. courten•y smith •nd Han,:,~~~:tton of butlding matenals usually

reserved for industry. Fewer of us work tn the manufacturing mdustry than ever before and the tndustrial era ts now tn vtslble decltne Heavy industnal machinery that once seemed threatening and even dehumantztng ts now Looked upon with nostalgia rhe extenstve search for new spaces to tnhabtt 1s partly illustrated by the number of archttects w!lo are maktng homes from d1sused fretght contatners and shunting industnal consrructton tech­nology mto the home. If the work of LOT/E!\

ooug Jackson, and Jones. Partners: ArChitecture is anything to go by, then home· owners today are willmg to ltve amongs• great slices of heavy tndustry. LOft apartments '~ the d1sused factones of New vork were an early mdtcatton that dead tndustnal space could be remolded tnto a domesttc dwelltng r11etr success is a perfect example of how attttt..de' to liVtng space can change drastlcully

rn contrast to thts, other projeCt" r~vlve materials that have largely been torgon~.:n _ stnce the onset of the industrral re~olutton ~Y bales as used tn sarah w lgglesworth s g :.CO

' . l bli d orchard street are cheap and srmp " to · ope With and also have excellent tn ulauon P

ties other archttect<: have taken such tradt · v. th n~

ttonal techniques and updated them san " matenals. Rural studiO and sh1geru

I

r e s

.. I i (b)

-~

I (a)

ay

II ll•n111 tl Ill 111 ''Hid l'liltlll

www ""' ''"~~Ill\

tlrr• piurt••r•rs ol•'•llly V~'lfldtttllir .111 I rill'< IIHP,

llt'IIIVt",flq II III'! ,tilllllrfolllllll.lltll. lhlllt• p.apt'l,

wlri< It wurrld IJIIH•rwr•.t·IJ' c nn!.ordt•rt·d rl'·

Wd'•l•• . .tlld t·~p.rt1dl11'i tilt' !Jt Ufll ' nl tri ll '. I I lit flt JII

It·~ l1rtuloqy wtllr rt·rrlrll k.lbli• n·~llll':l f-.1lllt'llVt'l,

c vlll't trV<'~ hill l1 o~<, r ,,1 I .rt111 01 1 dl thbhrp fii!J it'l IIIII' Ill' 111111111<1 tPitltl t'cllllr IISt•ll .rttd tl'iiii(J l,clll<l'• I ' 1J<;Id111dlJlt•, tCddlly dV.trl.tiJl,.

I)Uii(l ltlq lrhiiCIIUl

lltC fltoll()l riY Of ll'• 'pr·rrd IIHlSI of \llll (lVI"

worklll(f 111 (Jtdl'r I U I'VV lor .t tl<lllll' dit' 1.11 k 111

C.IIOrC HI rlt••nwlnstrco~rrlllfllt!illlq lllrHk••t mL' IJI<> th 11Oft "11 WI' lidVt' Ill r Olllfli<Hill',t' Wr lll

0 J)OOI df1 1!1!)fl IIIO!dt•r IU pill d l Oil i llVt'l fllll hl'IHJ• W illi ilt IIIUCh IIH)IIt'Y ol llrtc·llnrl I h.rll n ·lc(ltntntlw pllrt hcl!il' <)f c.1 lton11•. on•• h.r •. to

cJ k why tl rS tlr 11 su l!lrtiiY n ltt'J du nut o ht.llfl

(')( rCtiyWitotl Wf' W.tlll , Wl11•11 Wl'lluy d C .11 Wt'

don t b11y u !JI''''n 11111rlc I wltt•rt W•' Wt~nt 11 111

rc(l, h•rt wit t 11 WI' l11ry t1 hnrrtt• Wt' .rrr• plt'jltllf'd

to ov••rlnok 'll ll h "' rtlt•ts "'· 1111• bc~thr11nrn b tn!J toO \ITIIltt ( ll t1 WindoW bt'llll) lltlltt•

wron 1 ptac c M roy o l tire pr nl''' I r; w,. havt• lnciUdf'rl fH{' <Jtfl(tlllft.'d !lilt nf • IIPf'( lrUslrol l lotl 11 lhrla k u l qu l11y, ,rllo rtldblr holl!lt''> wht·rr· the rmph 1 1 f, on U~i:th lll!y rathPr than

mifXlmiJrrlJ'rofUs lord property d(•vf'lopt·r rt 1 dl t rrcl ta'k of choler· 1 n rnator

rr ct•an on our per OniJllrt•t-d<Hrl

tullt•r llvr", ~lie It .1•, N'1 ~J r~ntl/\lt•ltf'l v.r11 uy opllii!J 011l of rn.Hn•,ltPtllrt sn< tt•ly Y()IJ

IIP~IIottl ,,,,''"'I''' lofHJIIll out 11to11 lito; till' IH•t orrrt• dll ortl'.irlt•r, <.1 frr•.rk r·vt•IJ NOrn<Jdtr ·.t.tlt• .u rllt ur tilt", rJilrl r olnrrtf'lt t.rl dt•VI'Iup<•r•, 1 orrurrtllrltrL''• 111 P•ll tlrul.rr, l1y tlw n.rllrrt• ul wl111 qnVI'IIlllrr· w.rywr· llvr• rltt'Y ll tCJ ••t r•. lo llw tr w.ry o f ltfr•, .rrt· forrurl to IIVI' o~llltt' vury cp~t·•.ttonll i" dftltliHtl ol ltt•t'do 111 WI', .r•, r 111 t•dql' olthr· rr•qul;Jtton•, l,lld down to qow·rrr c1

Zt'll' Ul Wt·•,lt•tll dt111101 rrHII'',, .ttllltilly hrtVI' lldiiOII'.,! 111/1'11'> liH• lltJtnddir ('Xr·,ft•IICt·ll.r•,

Wllt:rll l t Ollll''• to r IJoor, lll'l I toW Wt' I lVI' WilL• II lonq lJt'l ' ll " ' IJIIH'd li PClrl Ill I Ut1JfJC'c111111',1ury, tfllllllt". lt1 t~r.qrllriiHJ" IHHIII ', Ollr lrt·l'doii11JI tit•· <o l.r trc '•Citlf'll t "'> rJf tlw •lntll'nl r,rt>f'k~ ,111cl clint< e l'.i qtlt"·IIOII.rhlt • Allton olterrlrc•t!dorn IS Hont. tltc. .rrP qr•nt•r<Jlly consrclrHt!d to !J,. tilt· t.rkr•llltfllllllifl!it' who IJ.tvt• r lto•,PfllU l.tkf' "qi!'.J!" fiVrll/dllfJrh, wht>lt•.r s the IHJtrt.rdt( I OllllfrliJVI'I tltl' fiHI'ol imporf.tlll tJt•C I',IOil ., llll ll't.,lOD'il'ly t,Jbe!Niol'i lhfl Rdrlltlflrtr1S, rH1 1

tlft'CI1119 tlrflll llllltlf'dlrlll' t'tiVIIOilllll'lll Li lt' 1:0 WIOIICJIY lhouqllt Of d5 ptlllllllV~ S.JVc i<JC!.,

tn.trlt• v••r y clrfltcult lor thP pt•l•,on wilollll'dkc; I.Jrqf'ly dtu• to tfwre berng no t oW~>IInCJ storlt' llt l' Cllnlrl ll•'t•dfltrl lovtnq 1\lllllllr.rn«, dtt• cprlf k llllllllltrlt'lll<; to tlwl1 f'Xt•,lt•ncr• 1111 nqlrtnd, to lnnwt tlll·lf pron••f'llfl!-J, norri.Jdtt p.1St wl11•n tit<• tCJ<JJ! Ulflllrtdl HJ:;llt;e .1ncJ r>ullltc orclPr ACt t'll,tf.IIIIIJIIIY ntdiiJ.IIH f'!i ·I<Jl'llrl'•l bt• c]Cj dl '• ,lfld t'lll't IIVt•ly nu tlttW!'d the nornrHitc WrJV ollrfr •.• tllf• IICIIIH'il"·" ntl••rtllllllt• ldllljUrllJI' dltd •,tyll' till! AC I Wd'i tllllodltC.f'clln Pill <l o.,tnp to illl cd Wolt , A'. ollllllllr Mlkr•IJ.tVI'• jlllllllt•d Clllllltlllo, ntqllt IIIVt• r.trtlt"• rJIHI f'f1C,lll1ptn t'llh o l NCW

JC)<JO l111oh , rt/y of CJIIotr/1, City tOilrlt 1h lt.tVt• ACJI' IIJVl'lt•r·., buill\. llllp.H ton qypo,l!:''> •lltrl

'• fl rllf'rllltJ I o•,l 1111 hdlfl'l •, lrtlpt•d hi'Jir 111•'>1 diiYOift' l'hl' Wl~:ti1111CJ IO .tdnpl d i\Oir1ddlt.

'lfltltiklt•r •,y•,lt•n l•, , .trrd proll!)l'd l ro~•, l t c .tlj f''> lill''>tylc• I'> ciL'Vcl'.l . .ttlrrg I hell prnl!tbll •HlY llll'•ll '>pt•c IJrtq W,ltld~·rf'r I torn Nt•ttlrt'l of ll'> dll:' Spt•li .Jil<o t s ctnd Wl' .til·'

liVIII!J Ill dll ,!ltt•rtl<IIIVI' WrlY !Ill publiC propPr 1 y. llllllkt•ly to ll!lJloHt ,Jr1y clropiPh of diVIIH'

AS rt·c.Pillly ,p, [,,., t yl'.~l, Nr•wvnrk tlly •. t ttl l r11d whrlon r tt cilly lhtng wro a">k quPSlHHtlo rtl t hPr

rlllll horr11•lt"i'l lrlW<o Ill pi.H t' thdl for htd JliPq,tl lhotrt o flt•r ~oolutronc, we l!,we liikt•rt the libert y UIIIIPIII!J, tlr&t n,, tlu• tO II'>lrttc: trntt or IISHol •lilY to '>Pt'rtk r~bot1l how ho1neo; .rre, or t ould be, <;lflllltHP rTliJI(' than ltllet' lllld •I hrllflt•f'l dt•':tltjtlf'tl, frorn Ill!:' pornt of VIeW O! tWO people l11qh llw Sllr· fJI ,, tt>nl on tire c tty's s tr t't'l :. who ,1ft' "hou:.Pd "Al though both a t U<; .m:-or 1n ,,.., fltlrk~ from W('!iiPrn, po'itllldustnal democ:rar1es, w e

we Are All Architects. courtenay amtth and aean TOpham

lltJV•· rornplPtr•ty diffrorrmt biJrV.qround~ .md Vl('WpOint•, r OIJrtPni:ly Smith'•, potnl of VII'W I'>

tlrt.tpolcJg<'lr• cJlly rnlomwd by llw htghWrtY r.ullllJP r11HI r>dCJt' r1ty •.nrawl of IJtJild'l, '''XtiS,

wllh d ltrrdl rross ovror 11rto old world dPnStty vt.r Mrtntrh, c.Prmdny c.~>an l()flh<~m', Ollliook

l1.r•. ~JN'Itlor rnPCI by flt<, l1le tn tlw rndtJ'itrrrJl north of rnqlc~nd and now 1 onrlon, J rrdrc:ulously t:xpcnsrvr> wy ac; far CJ<' the hou 1111J markr.tts lOrH crnr:d rog.;thec WP draw on our expNr· enr.r•s ciS travelers. be1nq ouro;p('J£" produrtS of tiH• mcrectSIIlgly mobrle global economy

111" wuy th1s book ll.ts b•)"n il revr.liHIOil of o r tr <>llbconscious beli••f, 01 rP!:rqn.Jlton, that Wt! would never own n horn''· wr> cann> to this

( OrtdlJ!.IOII tndept:"nrlCIIIIy cHid tlwn lO')Pttlf>f

bil l o1IW,1Y'i fOr tile Sd iTif ' 1Pd'i011!> riiSf, Wt' Clff!

c.,llnply too poor to own property. SP< and, and IJIOI>oJbly bt•t riiJ'>e WC tlf (' poor, Wf'. demand 11101 P IJdnq lor our lmf k .rrrd '" t' rwt w1llrng

to urnrprurnt'it' 011 quclll l V

Prior to rl~'>t' cHc hrnc')thts book, the tdea o f ltV IIl\.J out our ddy!-. rrt r~.:rrltJ(J tp¥trm nts tn l1vcly urbi.ln c entN<.. ~ecrned morr t!1un Just a pmcllc al solu tion. but a gtvcn NOW each of us rc: r orr~mh•rrnCJ a lrttll! home tmprovernent of utH own. A dome 111 tile country? An mtlat bl sheltf:'r 1n the ct ty? A fr rght contarncr tn tht:' suburbs 7 1 he po">Stblltll s arf' rtr

....

Running the gamut from the idiosyncratic and expressionistic to the commercially _abetted, the homes in this chapter demonstrate the wide range of currently available and evolving self-build strategies in an equally wide range of contexts. There is still a frontier spirit of wanting t o strike out on one's own, and in all of these scenarios the parties involved are dissatisfied with quickly obsolete prefabs, boring floor plans, or the lack of affordable housing period. More and more homeowners desire custom-made dwellings that suit eclectic tastes and needs.

on one end of the spectrum are individuals who, for varying reasons, are taking the matter of housing into their own hands. In certain instances, the need for self-expression in a market dominated by look-a-Like homes with thirty-year mortgages assumes precedence over practical considerations or traditional materials, as in sculptor Robert sruno' s steel House and .Jessica stockholder's proposal for Houses x Artists. In other cases, the desire to inhabit a home that is crossbred with another function provides the impetus for experimentation, as in artist vito Acconci' s House of cars #2.

Related to this are the efforts of architects to bring housing back into a more collaborative, open-ended dialogue with homeowners. often this means working closely with individuals who lack technical know-how but desire a unique solution to their living situation. This can take the form of fantasy additions such as Koeppel a: Martinez's schlafhaus or radical extensions to existing homes as in ooug Garofalo's Markow and Manilowresidences. The synergistic nature of these commissions paves the way for better communication and exchange between client/builder and architect/provider and often results in new-fangled shapes, proportions, and angles.

Architects themselves are also going it alone in order to arrive at the kind of dwellings they themselves would like to inhabit. London-based sarah wigglesworth risked financial and physical bankruptcy to try out the viability of sandbags and hay bales as alternative building materials for her home/office at 9 stock orchard street in London. Likewise, the UK

collective FAT do not compromise when it comes to envisioning their ideal quarters. Their homes are fantasy driven and indulge taste over space.

At the other end of the spectrum are self-builders in poorer countries for whom DIY

is not luxury but necessity Aero th b d · · · . . . • ss e oar , these 1nd1v1duals require immediate shelter and se~k out bu1ldmg ~atenal~ that are readily available, durable, and cheap. xn Lesotho, south A~nca, German engineer Michael Hoenes incorporates tin cans as the primary building block of h1s one-room houses. while in .Jamaica, Richard .1. L. Martin, along with the not-for-profit Global

peace containers organization, is turning First world industrial leftovers-freight containers­into quick and safe homes for locals. rypically, the people who need shelter the most don't have the time to w ait fo r t heir homes to be built and therefore physically contribute to their construction. This is nowhere more evident than in Amman, .Jordan, where residents of East wahdatworktogetherto upgrade each other's shanties.

Between these two extremes are companies that provide the tools and supplies for the layman in any context to house himself. Florida-based American Ingenuity holds classes and publishes instructions on how to build geodesic domes, while the Monolithic nome Institute in Texas has patented an inflatable balloon that enables any self-builder to design and construct his own concrete shell. Both types of home are flexible, transportable, and strong enough to function in environments ranging from beach fronts to fault lines. This is also true of the sriggs port-A-Fold shelter system, whose incredibly sturdy modules can be conjoined endlessly and, with a little imagination, transformed into tailor-made homes in war-torn nations or peaceful

backwaters. starting from zero no longer means departing from someone else's point of

reference, although it does have different connotations depending on one's context. In_some cultures, beginning at the beginning can result in the perfect house in the perfect locat•~n. In others, starting from scratch yields homes that many would never have dreamed of own•ng.

N< IDI N IAI>DING GilES 'HE

IMPf!rS$10f.l UF ATI1f.AT!li(Al

tON~TIIU{TfON SUCH 45 4

I(MPOF>Aitv MOVIC SCI OR

WO LY ON SfAGl !.C£f,(RV

NOUN In #Uidcney, a.ondon, mgland 2002

Al'lfl oed#pM HOUM, prototype dweWng, 2000

~HOUM.ptcADtype dweWng. 2000

FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste>. London, England

RIGHT S£/<I!I-OYSFUfiiCT!OfJAL

HOUSE TWO TYPICAL,

SEMIOETACHEO HOUSES OF THE

19305 ARE RE STRUCTURED TO

fi<TTER SUTT THE NEEDS OF A

TYPICAl FAMILY IN THE YEAR

2000 FAMIU I~ EMBERS ARf

GIVENTHElR OWN PEF!SONAL­

IZEO STP! POF"LIVI NG S PACE.

FAT urges us all to kill the Modernist within . Anti oed1pal House is armed with an acid1c w1t that targets the Modern 1st tenet that form should follow function. Anti oedipal House is the result of form following dysfunction and is des1gned to accommodate a married couple and the1r teenage son, wh1le also satisfymg each tnd1v1dua!'s respective fantasy. The parents are able to fulfill their shallow lifestyle asp1rat1ons by holdmg dinner part1es m the1r pnsttne glass house Meanwhile, the son 1s free to rndulge m his adolescent obsessions away from h1s parents' repress1ve gaze 1n the voluptuous, p1nk "mastabatonum." rna similar proposal, sem1-oysfunct10nal House, two suburban, sem1detached houses are remodeled to g1ve each fam1ly member his or her own stnp of private livtng space. rhe family has to come together only m the reception area when a d1splay of un1ty is req uired to please vls1t 1ng friends or relatives .

FAT (Fashion Architecture raste) believes the house is not just a mach me for l1ving in but a home bnmm1ng w1th sent1ment and a sense of place. The inhabitant makes it hrs own by decorat1ng 1t to reflect h1s personal taste rn the bUilt proJect House in Hackney, the architects take a swtpe at the Modernist sensibility of "less IS more." Here the

ornamental detailing, which usually would be stripped away by a Modernist architect stnving for purity, IS given prrde of place in an all- out assault on abstraction.

Artistic statements such as these, and the group's proclamation that "taste not space 1s the mechanrsm through which architecture rs engaged by 1ts users," are of paramount Importance to buddrng self- builders. FAT are rescurng architecture from the grip of elitist mtellectuals and encouraging everyone to have a go.

rhe group take a cut and paste approach to architecture by collaborating wtth practitiOners of fine art, pop culture, and commun1cat1on technology. rhrs serves to blur the boundary between the different visual discrpltnes and deliver archrtecture to a broader audience. FAT's working methods are inclus1ve and imply that collaboration, rather than the mandate of a creative genius, is the key to propelling innovatron in architecture

a ...

rnstructions: cut out, fold along dotted lines, and glue tabs together

------__ J

~·

-

n

·­•••••• 1 ••••. •••• 1 ..... ,

I I I

D! !!..-

®

a I I I I I I I I I

~nbqucuod

a

FR CFBShion ArChitecture TaSte), London, England

n -- n IL --

Ul l

-- - ·- - -- -- -----·

mastabatorium Q J

. -___ -___ ___ -r

The parents occupy the arch-modernist glass house where they fulfil their

neurotic passions for dinner parties and

obsessive cleanliness.

-

The children lounge and romp in the voluptuous mastabatorium free from the

repressive parental gaze.

--chlchn

steel House, Ransom canyon, LUbbock, TeXaS, USA, 1g]8-2002

f Aft l",.- T t (IIAI'I'f'.ltl( rJrll

'IIIII I '''til IJII I >I II II 1'[111

I~'JfJIIH flJHIII'/ H II r I tlllf

<( II 'II f•N I 'Ufll/111 f.ll

ll(oMf l'llt•Jt I) ltl<oltA IV /o

1.11 1 IIJ II OU U IJI'Il I I

TM./0111,

PIJIILI IlL p IJII[

rou.owwc PAQ£s ,,.. Hln

ttl'oll f J JrU· I/ A

II IH•AIIIJ I PAC 1 11'•11 ,

IIIWIIf) 111 AI tlf 1J 'II' •WII

Vl'oi<HI Nil II II• [I 11 I 1 '' tJJIIr,

, pJII I ',f tJIJ fi'J' tfl '•'•l<JIII'.oTtr

I IIIU~.

one of Lhe most rad1cr~l a!;pe( ts rJf Robert aruno's !.elf-bu1lt home 1'> t~li1l 1t IS m,Jd(• entirely of stPel, a blunt anrJ phys1rrJIIy demandtng matenr.ll more commonly cJssowHed wtlh sculptur~> or the frames of skyscrapers th<m the sk1n of a domPStiC home In response ro a t10usmg Industry m1refl1n the product1on of fl1msy, clry -wc~ll~d squares. aruno has taken the m<~tter or sllelter Into h1s own hands, blettantly empnaSillfl9 funtriSY over pruct1cal assembly

rreaung h1s marendl us thougllrt were a r>lrdble sheet of paper, sruno s1ngle handedly cut, folded. and welded tog,.ther more thc.tn one twndred tons of steel pldW rnto em ed1f1ce both organic. and orgrcJstlc. srnce steel does not c orne 1n prefabrrcatPll elcm~rlls, the house IICJ(, been quite lrterally molded rnto be1ng. resultrng in a consr>lcuous liH:k of rrqlll ilngles. unusu.Jlly shapE'd walls o1nd wrndows dhound, evokrng 1mages from the n.11ural world CJS d1vcrse as eyel1ds. repul1an scules. plant sterns, and arthropods. Althc Sdrne trrnc, soarrny rHCS

and vaults r~fPr to thr> rom ... ntlc, mon mad,., GOlh1c cath€drdiS 0f yore, l(:ndrnq thr> hornP a sprrllualtsm nQt I YP" ally found 1n 1 hr· 'buri.Jr; And wh1le organrc.1sm I> a tra1t aruno's homt> shar.:os wl!h Greg Lynn's unbryolog1c House 'P 160) or ooug G<HOf(llo's Manti ow ReStdence {p

36). rn hrs vers10n, 1mag1ned shapes travPl from m1nd to hand Without the rned1atron of a computer software program

In a fascm;wng cross-pollrniJUOn of ~'-arly rwentl!!th cen ury vrs1onary thrn~rng and con emporary speCicJl effects. aruno conJUres up 1mages of back to-thl' future u op1as as much as the JOinted armor at Robocop HIS

horne IS a ciPar, uncornprom1sr:d ol terna11ve to the two-car garage. bu1lt-m cabtne • show homes that develope>rs would hdve us th1nk are nfe w1th C:Jestheuc and psyc.:llologJcal experience vel, rroniCdlly for aruno, the dt•srre to 1M~ apart mean1 mdkmg do w1th il conventiOnal Ranch styl' home unltl h1s dream world-constructed for one-th1rd of the cost of a manufactured llome-was complete

oPPosrn rHe rRoNr GATE rs standing at the threshold of 9 stock orchard AN UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF Street iS a gate fabrJCated With the UnUSUal MEDIEVAL AND tNousnuAL combmation ofw1llow and galvanized steel. It MATERIALS ABOVE IT STANDS establisheS a pattern fOr the WhOle building, rHE ouurrow11LLOFTHE which is a mixture of medieval and industrial ~l'lcHTTEcT's OFFicE technologies, or as wigglesworth herself

describes 1t, "the sl1ck and the hairy." TOPU!" THE INTERIOR OFTHE The prOJeCt iS aliVe With ideaS aS tO hOW L'BRAR~ roweR 1s uNEo wrTH houses could be built Wigglesworth and her aoo"~HnvesANDTHE team have ra1ded the techniques of other STAIRCASE. •VH!CHlEAOS TO A diSCiplineS-many neVer before USed In an SMALL RETREAT, ... ARBORS REST Urban Setting-and dragged them tO the sToPs MAR• ED avrHe attention ofthe architectural establishment. occAsraNAL cusHION The use of straw- bale walls 1s a revolutionary

techmque for an 1nner-c1ty building, a method ToPcDrTKRAHDIUGHT rHe that the arch1tect IS developing for the self-, ..... .-..v.o.No v.rTcHrN ARE bu1ld market. straw bales are s1mple to build LOCATED BfHIND PROJECTING With and have high InSUlatiOn propertieS. They snEL nNs. wHICH PRovroEAN are also sustamable, being made from a AP.<A rJf ~~tAm tN A GLAZED surplus, mexpensive matenal. rhe interior of WAlL Tt-IAT IS DESIGNED TO the Straw-bale WalliS COated In [j me for MAY£ rtif Mosror 'IAruRAL fireproofing but on the outside the straw is

IGHT protected from the elements by corrugated

sheeting. rn parts, this casi ng is made of transparent polycarbonate to expose the raggedness ofthe straw bales beneath .

wigglesworth intends 9 stock orchard streetto develop and mature continua lly. rhe sacks used 1n the building's sandbag wall are filled with a m1xture of sand, cement, and lime. rhe sack cloth w ill disintegrate with the pass1ng of t1me and the contents will seep out and harden to form what the architect describes as "a nppl1ng wall of concrete."

9 stock orchard street 1s not only provocative in its use of materials and techmques, but also 1n the architectural styles applied to the different domestic and working quarters. The architect questions the common assumption that an office has to be hard and shmy by wrapping the stud1o space in a soft and cush ioned fabric. This button- down quilt serves to dampen the noise of passing trains on the nearby railway line and adds another rich texture to a remarkably tactile build ing.

sarah wigglesworth Architects, LOndon, angland

TO,. I H I /oN I I I[Jftl 0 rc ·~II Nl' WI IIlii IOU fH[h

Ill"' <INfALLV" llfl Ill 1"1>1"1 ~

1\HI W ov(llll ullill~ IN Ill

.............. WIGiho.IOIIthAflla, ............

tl1lih' t1fWnlllQ !iequcnce ot 1am1e uys' 1981 film rlu u,d, Mu'c 81:' < rdt\, ,, p1lot fly1ng over tile Kdl,lhdll dt'Sl'l t CJfl'lt">"lY d1ops <l 1-0Cil-COl<l butllt• horn tl1e w1nrlow of lw, plane Retrieved by a Jtlnl wast trll>eslllill1 the bottle ln!>tantly turns h1s world up.,ldt down cl'> tilt: rncrnbers of his lorm~rlv p~c1Cetull.un tv fight dmonq'>l 1 h~mselv•~s tor ownerstup ot thL '>leek c.ontamer trOIIIC,llly, tw"ntYY~diS alter this lllltonal but <:iltll10nary t 1le of western 1ncurs1on tnto mt,1c t cultures, coca cola (along w•th other brands of SOUd)IS rn 1k111g a poSiliVt! clrChttectural contrtbutton tn Allie a thanks to •ts un can pat I< ~g1nq and" II Hit• Genmm t>ngtneermg

ll all Sl<Hted 111 191)1 when MIChclel Hoenes, ,1

tutt~art student ol ntectlaniCtll en9rnt•enng, VISI!t \1 "Oillll Alil\.<1 rnsrmed by natrve ct11ldren's toys III;Jtlr• OIIWil>tecJ Wilt'. he dewloped il llrrpltr.P. of un cans held tugettwr wnh wne to t.tkt•ll\1< k lo llHOJH' Wltllllllll . .ls P•lf l nf IJt<,

Sltldrt·~ Alit' I butldlllq tht•lw.lr tit, rt hec arrk' pp rt•nt tl1a1 SlllOl and tab\<! wttrt' net~dt>d to

CflJIJY It, Willi 11 ht• tllSo COilliliUClt?Cl f\Ut Cll C,ln$.

oon r u~tuhbor s bt!tlrlll cJSk1ng <tbout 5heltcr to J>rOit l t the•r watt hdoqs, qUick I\ bccornmq .wrd I rns of t'rocrws tm um duqhouses 1n 1996 when WOilliln reqti('Sted a hut tor her guard, ·~ot-nes cone pt took oft among the local:..

Michael Hoenes, lives •nd works In south Afrlc•

Although I he sl1ack measured only fifty square feet enough for a un can bed the guard was <;O pleac;ed Lhatlw expanded 1t and moved in hrs r arntly of five

roday the biJsiC one room module IS easrly produced clltd Jsscmbled by anyone. rhe cans t~re cleaned, punctured. and then strung together l10r1zontally and vertrcally wrth wrre, lt>ndtnq the walls an elastrc quality that can Withstand tensron and pressure once erected, ttlc Inter 10r room rs lined wrth board panels. whrth r11.1y be detorated tn any manner rhe tlousE's <.1t on Simple pre('es of lhrpboard whrch hnve bt'en mr1de w,11er ttqht and warm by found<lllons ot cans ltxed with lement and covert>d wrtll fotl

1n AfiiCJ, tiW IIIIISIWd homes are typttally coa ted w1H1 deep r ~·d. arHit orro~1on pamt whose lwe rs 1101 unlthe what nuqht be tound on a HcliH hltoml' 011 tilt' west coa<;t ot Amerrca. However, when<~ clu'.>ter ot the houses made their debut Jl 1 \po ;ooo rn H<HlOVE'r Germanv, tlw c..111s Wt're lt>llt'xpo.,ed to sullsty the l'XPt't t.1t1on<. of .1 western ,1ud•ence man owr due tur n,1round lll err cumstances It was l"tlrzens ot rhe west who eagerlv clamored around to le<~rn from ~trange and shrny cwr~1s1ttes from .liar.

TOP LEFT WORKERS ASSEMBLE

!NOIV!DUAL WALL SEGMENTS

INTO A FINISHED HOME

TOP RIGHT EACH HOME COSTS

ABOUT S800 TO CONSTRUCT, A

QUARTER Ot WHAT IT COSTS TO

THE BUILD A COMP'IRABLE BUT

LESS WELL-INSULATED HOME

MADE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS

BOTTOM A VILLAGE Of THE TIN­

CAN HOMES WAS CONSTRUCTED

IN THE AFRICA HALL AT EXPO

2000 IN HANOVER GERMANY.

MarJetica Porrc ts an artist and archttect who reinterprets designs of real workrng homes rn the form of gallery rnstallattons. often these homes are based on tndivrdual housrng m1t1at1 1es tat<en from self-build schemes found in shartytowns all over the world. Her work looks at the farlures of town planning and h1ghlrghts s1tuatrons where the members of an tmprovtsed communtty have taken the develop­ment of thetr dtstrtct tnto thetr own hands.

shantytowns are a common development around city fringes the world over. These unregulated and 1mprovised settlements form a large proportion of the world's housrng. rn an tntervtew with Hans ulrich obrrst, Potrc states that "TWenty years ago, shantytowns were not even drawn 1nto ctty plans. The planners thought that they could JUSt erase them and relocate the populatron to public housrng. Today, tt IS known that 1nhabrtants don't necessarily want to move to such hous1ng. shantytowns can be upgraded and be functional communities." one example of this is the cast wahdat upgradtng Program, wh1ch Potrc recreated at the Museum Moderner Kunst, v1enna, Austria.

ouring the 1g8os in Amman, Jordan, around

a quarter of all new housing took the form of shanty dwellrngs. A typ1cal response to such a situation would be to bulldoze the site and force the squatter community to move elsewhere rn Amman, however, the residents of East wahdat were given the opportuntty to build the1r own homes around a core untt supplyrng electnctty and clean water. Each res1dent was g1ven a plot of land whtle the urban Development Department provided road access, electrictty, water, and a sewage system. Netghbors helped each other move thetr existmg shanty structures to the corner of each lot and these were then used as temporary shelters while the first room of each home was built, and later moved into.

Potrc communicates the success ofthts program by re-creattng examples ofthe self­butlt homes tn the context of an art gallery. The result of the program 1n East wahdat is a refreshing alternative to the formaltty of concrete tower blocks, where Similar fluctuattng populatrons can somettmes be housed. The homes are the tnhabrtants' own creatrons and can be altered at w1ll This 1s tn stark contrast to the usual mass housmg programs, whereby a person far removed from the situatron of the end user des1gns the homogeneous dwelltngs.

sOTTOM pott<t nrt>,..,, .. •

(XAMPl £' t!F HOMfS Hl)ll I 1\

PART OF lHE EAST WAHOAT

UPGRADING PROGRAM, AMMAN

JOI'DAN

''"'"''-•''"' v• fiN fJ MMtll"f I ( ~MIJllil Jltot fiLW

l'l'lfllll Willi II lUI 1111

...,._CNOUMfar•a.•plngL ...............................

I Of(lriyrlo~llll( I [IJt ,tdj••C(IVI'liltJI '>fJr1119'> 10

llliftdWitt II cJr •,rrtl!lrtlj t<tiUfJpl•l f1 MrHIIrw;'~ :.,t./Jfdf{J,I/1'., ,, lt<Jtnt• 1/JI•HI ,1cm f1f0J''I I I ha t rornplufS l"fllll 1111 If·< IHtiJfr,qy, I'• ron•,lfuttr•(f ld'(t>" rrtnrlt I Jlrplt~n•, •Hid look•, lt~r· oJ uro

lt!IJrJr•lr•cf IJIIII rllriWt/1 f.IJIJ',IIl, 1/tf• rflfiCJtblr•, •,r_/J/~If/Jdi/~ 1& d r ll}df ~hdfJPd pnd fO!JSI~llrl'iJ or " lrqlrtwctrJhl woodPn ·.kclct r111 wr ••Pr>erl wrt h <J

fV·11bl• sk11r (Ill tl11s r<~'r>, 1 tJiton) wller~'tJS I he IJ!rmp Wt~!> dr·srqrwd lo l1•' kepi dlolt,

sr.lt{ til IiiilS IS dt•c ldt•rlly 'JIOIIndr>rj by four SlfiPf

l~>ns anrl., hard r1111er •,J,•ll AS wrth lr1y plofl"!., tl'r'' rllus1on pi fltqht I'J rnctrrlt.rrrtr·d liy !leveral fOe~ I!> r1l lrctrr~llltr•nt latrptt•r, whrc II h Hdt·n and SliJ!Jrlll(~ II II• rJI her Wl~l' ' '<tSrly drJirliHJI'f'f

rruJrniJr.urr· . t. frn.ll C0ii l o f <ritlltiiiiiHrt Vclllll',l l IJII;<.ks dcllrt<t{JIIIff UV lt~y•, oillrl rpvr-,; I lit• hOIJSf' a

r.tr~>rnnlittl:d, dflf'n dfJfJCCtrdfl(;l1,

IJI~C,!tjllNf for ii fJctlf Of SpiHIISh <lrt1Sl5 WhO

ltVC anrl wor~ In dll olrlrltrdl rr11ll, c..ch(,lfhtJus IS

dll Of thr· fiiOirlf-lrtl, tl', fJI'rtfldllf"Jr!l i.JC.. YOU

WrHil II C/lf.!IISIC)(t or lhf"tr fJN~Orltd ltVtnq

•,p.rr.P tr11r• 10 Its n.HnP, IllS tt'ied prtnCipall'J for r;lt•eptrHJ c~ttd r:onlclltiS only IWO l..lerlrooms, a bullt, rHld an l'nl rywt~y

sep,Jr.rtr• sleeprng qu;rrters are nothtng rlf'W, e:;p 'C.I<Jtly rn Wctrrn rC!'JIOflS where sc..reC!nl'd 111 pc1rdH:S or prtched lcnts prov1dr•

rP(ref on st"'"'IY surnrner ruuhts HI thts tnSirtrlC", Koeppel ft Mcrrttne1 htJVC updated thr• Opt lOllS Wtlh cllliSIIC lrnaglftiJIICifl and ttfford,JIJIP :.1 rttr.turnlrrrVt::rtl 10n

....

OPPO&ITI! AN UAMPlf Of ONE

fJI llVI II I 11 IV •,roc.~ FLOOR

f•l 1\1~5 I llOM Wlltc· H A OOMr

HIJM! CAN Ill Cfll AHD

THIS PAGE ti[ O<JM~ AfiRIV~ S

A' lo ~It H I RIANGULIIR

I'ANUS IN HH FOIIM Or II

S! If ASSEMOLV KIT H•£

PANCLS 111'1( Mil DE FROM A

Mll!IIJRE ()F GOtiCREH AND

I! [l rOR STIH.NCTii ANO

llUJlAOILil> IH( 'i.(AMS

tiT tWHN THE PANELS ARE

S£ALIOTOCOMPLCIC THE

TOUC,H C<JNCRLTE ~HEll,

WIIICH 15 fNT HC.Y H I IC.IENT

MID ltlW MA!NHNANCf

self-assembly homes are nothtng new what d1st1ngutshes the Amencan mgenu1ty construction kll from others avatlable 1s that 1t's based on the pnnc1ple of suckmmster Fuller's geodesic dome, an approximate sphere made wtth a framework of triangles and hexagons.

Durtng the 1960s, numerous Amencan counterculture groups embraced the geodestc dome. rts dtstlnctrve form became a symbol for those who reJected the square houses of suburbta to establtsh htppy communes, often tn the deserts of the western unrted states. Perhaps the most fascrnattng aspect of Amencan tngenuily rs how thts once radical approach to dornest tc architecture has been repackaged to su1t the regular m1dwestern fam1ly w1th an appetite for DIY, JUSt the sort of people the counterculture movement was reacting aguinst

oropouts In the 1960s used the geodesic dome to conduct an all out assault on the typ1r al subut ban home. rna btzarre cross fertilization of tdeas, those same revolutionary

bUtldtng techn1ques are now betng sold as an extension to the mass1ve range of DIY products available in any large home Improvement store.

The geodesic structure ofthe American rngenu1ty system IS self-supporting, energy efflctent, and tnherently strong. The dome bUilder IS able to crea te the home they want, where they want tt, and how they want tt, provtdtng it f1ts rnto the flextble pattern of the geodesrc frame. However, thts approach appears to be a little too left field for some of the dome owners rhose who are not qutte ready to fully embrace dome living can d1sgUtse the unusual shape oftherr homes by addtng elements to make them Look more like regular houses. such alterations to the dome's facade also ensure tha t It w1ll not upset any conservative neig hbors . However, should a hurnca ne hit their community, t he dome owners' homes wou ld stand firm while their ne1ghbors' regular dwellings would be left in dtre need of repa tr

American Ingenuity 1nc., Rockledge, Florida, usA

"-..J ~ SEal fiiD R.OOR PLUI

SPEaAL FEATURES:

FIA!RRooa

• Ill

• ill

II

•

• KIT OPTIONS INCLUDED IN PLANS ~

\\1, iDOl\ DORMERS:--- - - --­A Stngle 1st floor v.~· can be Installed in almost any location utiliz.mg a wmdow dormer You can place 2nd floor window dormers m

SKYLIGHTS: You may place skyhghts many full triangle paneL Skyliglu panels are a\atlable tn clear. retlecti\e, or low-E glass to su1t your clunate and directton of orientation. Eacb kyhght comes mstalled in the panel and provides over 8 square feet of glass

You may choose to mdude a cupola at the peak of your dome. lt provides mdirect hght, excellent \;entilation. and additional headroom for aloft.

any ofS locatJons in the 2T. 34' 40' 4'' & 48' d • • -' omes.

GARAGE ENTRVW A YS: Overhead garage doors are placed in garage entryways spanning 3 nser wall panels

HIGH PROFILE ENTRYWAYS:----' Y 00 ~gbt want a high profile enbyway for 8 dynar~uc entry ~ taller glass features. Spanning the wtdth of 2 nser wall panels, they may be in as many as S tint floor locations.

8' ENTRYWA YS: Bring French doors. sliding glass doors ~ banks of windows into your home • WI~ entryways. Spanning the wtdth of 2 nser wall panels. they may be in as many as S first floor locations

1ST FLOOR DOOR DORMERS: Single doors can be installed in a I st floor door donner. They may replace almost any nser dll panel on the ground floor. Ubhze them for • separate oucside entrance for a krtchcn. II!JidY· or guest room.

OPPOUTll TH( MULTIPURPOSE

•Ill Ltl ~ h Of.SWNED I OR [AS~

IRAN'o f'O~J, HANDLI NG. AND

ASSEM!JlV I I 14AY Bf u·.w

OVF.R AND OVl R rOR OlfrE.RtN I

APPUCATIONS WHICH REOUCE:S

HtE INITI"L INIIESTMlNI,

COMPARED 10 F'~fO

STAIJCf\JRESi

TOP lttt SHE:l l(R SkiPS FLAT

BUT CAN BL POPPED lNTO

PLAC£ 8Vf01JR PI!Of'LE IN

APPilO)(lMATE~Y F'Jf lELN

MlNI.ITI!S

A pop- up metal box assembled rn fifteen mrnutes rs not what typr c.ally comes to mrnd when speakrng of a "home" proper. sut, mcreasmgly, shelters such as the Port-A- Fold are home to thousands of people who have been drsplaced by war, natural disasters, or over- populatron.

eoastrng 'srmplrcrty rn desrgn," the Port- A­FOldrs a collapsrble, hard - walled box- w1th a burlt- rn door and wrndow whose polystyrene panels are faced w1th preparnted, embossed alum1num or steel and edged wrth Pvc channels A unrque hrnge system allows four people to fold the one- prece structure into a f1fteen -mch-high, flat rectangle for shipprng and then expand it again once on s1te rhe shelter IS so slrm and lrghtwe1ght that frfteen units can easrly be transported rna standard shrpping contarner at one time.

Already In use as drsaster relief enclosures, refugee shelters, and f1eld clinics, the POrt-A ­rold's rndustrtal common sense and know­how IS s1mply warting to be transported rnto the realm of accepted domest1c architecture.

on a pract1callevel , the POrt-A-FOld's standard equipment rs what most prospective

homeowners, as well as mort gage banks and insurance companres, seek out in potential dwellings: durable construction, frreproof and watert1ght materials, and good 1nsulatron (not to ment1on that the Port -A- Fold is stenle, easy to clean, and made of recycled matenals whenever possrble). Theoretically speakmg, archrtects and designers have been appropriating concepts from the commercial sector s1nce the early twent1eth century. Without the balloon frame, the Ranch - style house would never have evolved wrthout the steel- f rame skyscraper, h1gh - rise apartments would still be hypothetical.

whrle the 1dea of growmg old 1n what appears to be a stenle whrte box may be dauntmg to some, the fact remains that most suburban homes- and mobrle homes, too, for that matter- are little more than conglomeratrons of square, wh1te rooms w1th doors and windows 1n need of a human touch. with a little decoration and some penodrc home Improvement-you can add on modules endlessly-the Port-A- Fold could go a long way in supply1ng people of all walks of l1fe wrth smart, low-cost housmg.

- _ ~ • • II h t. cks" took to the cou r an e cdpr: The maJonty of proJects featured an Move tot e 5 1

• f d th ountry as free rom no an smell-t-

from the noise and smell of the city. NOt because e c . . . dr from it- but because its remoteness offers freedom from the order of the c ~· ang 1" an urban

. . d t · on the state o r a uttl ty company fa th locataon usually means conforming to a grad an re yang r ~ · · · rth h · and Monolithic oome dwellers the provasaon of energy and waste dasposal. FOr Ea s IP . . '

services provided by the grid are far from satisfactory and rather than comp YWith It, they ~reject it outright, choosing instead to fend for themselves. . .

The natural environment provides a situation to try out new ways of ltvt ng that would not be possible in ordered, industrial cities. The homes presented in this chapt er explore alternative solutions to finding a home in the country. These dwellings try their best to work in harmony with their location and whether it's the desert, a forest~ or coral reef, the houses are designed for minimal impact. some achieve this by either hoveri ~ng among the trees, as in oawson arown Architecture's "Tree House'~ studio Pavilion, softroom's rree House, and Lacaton ft vassal's Individual House or floating on water as in Jean-Michel oucanelle' s Les Anthenea and

Herman Hertzberger's watervillaand semi-waterhouses. Trying to build a home on a virgin, rural site, in the UK at least, is fraught with

complications. Rarely is permission granted to build on such sites and planning authorities seem especially hostile to any building that is not in keeping with a traditional style. ~onathan sell, writing in slueprint, remarks that "Neoclassicists, whatever their rank, rarely have to struggle through the planning system, regardless of scale, grandeur, and competence."

In the same magazine, James Heartfield writes, "since the 1970s, the historic population shift from country to town has been reversed." rt appears that the smell and noise of the big city is proving too much for some urban dwellers, and the growing use of the Internet means fewer people are restricted to living in a location dictated by their workplace.

what will happen when all these city folk descend upon the country? If thousands of them opt for a rural existence then it will force house prices up by a ridiculous margin. on the other hand, if thousands of new homes are built then there won't be any remaining countryside for all the other city folk to come and look at on a sunday afternoon. clearly there is a problem.

,y find me out in the , . ~ d n _ ountry' ang a Jolly cliff Richard in 1966 but if .r i r • -· n one of th . .. ' · ~

e ountry retreat 1n this chapter, he could not w -Y he found Ka - 00 te 'h · , .. . ·

~ · r Ul vartomattc House, for instance, can be c moufla . J J • r •nto any urrounding . The ystem employed relies on cladding the hou e in a P• tt rn ° ultthe surrounding area, but other dwellings, like Earthships, are hidden by be ng burl d In t he ground. owelling uch as Rural studio's corrugated construction, shigeru aan' Nakecl HOU e, and La eaton ft vas at' Minimum House don't try to mask their existence, but their tyle i I neon picuou and unobtru ive,. These examples acknowledge that the countryside,

e pecially In maller countries, is rarely an unspoiled rural idyll.lihe three homes resemble

agricultural outbuildings and respect the countryside as an industrious working environment.

Moving to the stick.s presents an opportunity to start afresh. The projects here

demonstrate that it is not just about a simple way of life away from the city but a provocative

exl tence that challenges the accepted norms of urban housing with real working alternative

dwellings.

.,,.,.,,., r• ltf~ft r hj I •tWIHtt

f',Aif•l ''' , 1ft

/1'111~ /filii• 11111111 IPI!

11,1 ltl f I tlllf,/ IOIJ"'ft J;

:Jean Mlc;hel ouceneu •• Uvea and worka In ,,.nc.

'"''1111 ,,,,,II! kl II[IJ,,, •I'· l/1 II {J' llll•lJ .II II dlfll 111111 '• •1f klitltt /1, W lllfltJJIIrJIIIIl'J, 1111rl d

111111111 I 111111 fllflfltf/ Ill ,,',II Ill litl'ft•l• lti-.11 I

tjlort •,J,tJflrJifl, 111111 lttljJI'II'• I itt lftfr 1/IJ/ ll1 !lit•

111111111• ''11/illllfllltlflf ollftfJt••lillfP', t•tlt tfi1f

tlltllllllllllfllll ''II Ill Nlll'JIIrldl fVbtl"l lilt• 1l1< Alll/lt'/ll1o/

1• flt'IIJIJI'fi,JJJ[n I( lu J)l•

ffrlr)j;l•r)lfJI IIJ 1,111 I Al/110 1 /dlt'/t 1 {(;JillrJ ftJiff]

Nl111lt llt•tlllll<j ''llrllllllltillt'S. 1)111 ilrttllt

• n !I•,I.Jtft L11 ~~ lr lllt ,, .,,fl "' JdL f lltlrt ly ol All//it1flt' /1 Ill fl I J[ltlfll I flll•Jill .JI \ I llfl

t:'-1' I] wn ,,, 111 t Willi' I .rrr •llt·.t 11111 an<l rvlr: 'Jill tl11 n' 11d IQ IJIJJI!ltlll dr '/lt111d Allh 111'11111'111 1 JIII 11111/tl /It II, II ,t•(J JHIIII HI[~ •J

'''' '' ''''HI rl '' ''""'"''tl,tfr•11111111 ll fJif ~··Ill~ 111

flit''"'''''{ r l1111< ll'tn pl'ijllf'illlrlfii'JI on .rill,, ,,,,, lilt ,,,,,,,,,,,,ll'.tlllj

.Jean-Mtchel oucanelle, lives and works in France

H OUSE "1j

Tiff: COI(TI!. ICY e~Er.

LNTC~ie?. t.HO E;t7£1!1IO= SP.>CE

OPE' Ft.UlD SPACES ~I:LER A

~E..COtiTl, OUS 11001'

o'"'e o< the mos~ remarkab,e aspects of sh geru sar s NOrK ·s hrs rework f19 of the rradrtlonal Jaoanese house With contemporary methods a'"'d Ta<:er a s. Tne exter or of case swdy House •o£ s coated m translucent white s11eers of pl aSLrc, v.,rh c., .satLrate o:he house Vv th l ght d.Jr . .,g :he oa1 and cause It to glOw ltke a la"':e~,... a"'e~ oar,. The house, howe .'€'. does no~ -:'::"ude upon ti:S locanon becawse t s car.ouftageo among the nee padd1 & e<ds by ItS simrlamy to a green house. msulat on IS orovroed by an rnner memorane, ..-. h ch s made :ro,.,... :"'e same nylon &aonc commonly used .n t"e r12ru~acture of tents. ThiS skm-on-frame st·uct.Jre follows 1n a long tradmon of domes: c architecture rn Japan and IS 'Ef"' rrscent of the wood ana paper consr run1ons that date back hundreds of yea•s

..valls have never been regarded as a necessary structural element 1n traditional Japanese dwelltngs, as a strong wooden framework was suffrc1ent to support the buildrng. rhe introductton of movable screens

5higeru aan ArChitects. TOkyo • .Japan

to act as interior walls made the homes more flexrble wtth the except1on of the bathroom there are no d1v1d1ng walls 1ns1de case srudy House 10E. A series of portable box-like rooms on wheels serve as the sleeping quarters and update the movable part1tron screens. The mobile rooms can be hooked up to air conditioners or even pushed outside when the Neather swarm. This mterchange between the mter•or and exterror follows yet another Japanese tradition whereby the screen d1v1d1ng the home and garden can be removed to establish an open liv1ng space.

The Paper House is an outstanding example of shrgeru san's commitment to expenmentanon wrth different matenals. A lme of paper tubes, sim1 ,ar to those used to roll carpets around stand s1de by s1de 1n a loop1ng format1on on a 1,100-square- foot floor. The arrangement of the tubes creates a large crrcular space With a freestandrng k1tchen unrt as the only Incorporated fac1l1ty. ught filters mto this space through narrow gaps between t he tubes rhe tubes are protected from the elements b}

a series of movab.e. transparent screens that surround the perrmeter ofthe house and open out onto a terrace overlooking a lake. Movable closets and sl1d1ng part t1ons render t he space complet ely flexible. and rre open terrace removes the barrier betweer exterior and interror livmg spaces.

rn h1s earlier oroJeCts, san often used fabrrc screens as movable drv1crng •'liaus and It was tre tubes on w hrch rhrs fabnc was del1-.ered that 1nsp red h1s Paoer '-'OUse. whrle v s•t ng a facto,.,. san discovered ;:ha;: -.:he tubes are mexpensrve t o produce rn almos~: any length and d1ameter and are made from recycled paper. He collaborated With ;::rofessor Gengo Matsur to expenment further w1th ;:he tubes as a srructura~ mare- a· . rhe resul<:mg technology was g1ven the name " papenube structure (PTS)" and has appeared 1n much of san's recent work. from the luxunous lakes1de Paper rtouse, where the Japanese Mlntstry of construction f1rsr gave 1t their approva,, w the basiC relief shelters used to house victims of the Kobe earthquake.

TOP I "AWIN S>I OWINv Til(

I lAN• r n A AU ~I'<A~El'l

I AIIHI5H/I' TIH II HI WI\I.L

M T5 AS ALlAIILR~ 10

IIE .. lii AH Till ti()Ml ~

INT I RIOH If MPt f>lll UR( V[ A~

R(JlJNO

I.Ln A.., £~RTk HI P llNOtR

N~tRUC'TION IN nn

l AND 01 CAROl 0 STEEL

0 fiR£ ARE RAMM£0

W H J\AIH I Ill ( ME THR£[

H NOR 0 POUND Ill " !'>

TAn O ONE ON

O I'I'OUT'I OMPL llll

At Earthship a1otecture, garbage-in the form of tires and cans-Is the essential building block of sustainable, orr grid pr ivate homes. w1th roots In the anli establishment 1deolog1es of the 1960s and 1970s, these self­built houses are 111creac;1ngly the preferred dwell1ngs of those weary or susp1c1ous of bemg dependent on the ut1l1ty systems ("gnds") of ex1sung Clues.

tor more than th1rty years, Earthshlp founder and teacher, MIChael Reynolds, has been toutmg the benef1ts ot do- lt-yourself, recycled housmg. HIS EartiJShlps are completely mdependent biospheres whose east, west , and north l1vmg areas recede mto the ground and are wrapped by a wall of used steel- belted auto tires rammed w1th earth The three-foot tl11ck buttress acts like a battery, stormg rad1ant and solar heat, which 1t releases at night and m Winter to keep the Interior at a constant temperature year round Without us1ng foss1l 01 nucll'ar fuels Each carthsh1p prov1des 1ts own electnc1ty, v1a a photovolta1c power system mounted on 1ts roof, as well as ItS own water, wh1ch IS

collected from run- off, stored 1n Cisterns, and fr ltered for use. Allmter1or non- Load bearing walls are constructed of matenals most people perce1ve as mere throwaways: alum1num cans and glass bottles.

However, beauty rs m the eye and social consc1ousness of the beholder. nue, rhe homes aren't ava1lable m colon1al, Ranch, or cape cod styles, but they do come m Hut or "u shapes, soft forms wh1ch may be mregrated mto the landscape rather than plopped down on 1t. Plus the forms follow the function they are Intended for : harnessmg and conservmg energy.

A p1oneenng des1re to live m harmony With nature by disconnecting, literally, from a conventional, forced-air way of l1fe 1s what bnngs all Earthshrp owners IntO fellowship With one anotl1er rn bu1ld1ng and mamtammg therr own, un1que homes, Earthsh1ppers buy mt o and earn membership In a global commun1ty of lrke minded bel1evers who test1fy 1n an almost rel1g1ous way to the merits of self-suff1ctency

Michael Reynolds, Earth ship alotecture, Taos, New Mexico, USA

softroom, LOndon, England

rf we cons1der the role t11at nature plays 1n shapmg today's domest iC md1eu, It is usually 1mages of well man1cured lawns, flower beds, spnnklers, and sw1mm1ng pools that spring to mmd ol1ver salway, chnstopher sagot, and oan1el Evans of London -based softroom offer more rad1cal1deas about how nature m1ght Intersect With culture.

Refusing to l1m1t the1r work to purely practical appl1cauons, the f1rm produced a senes of concepts for the des1gn magaz1ne wallpaper. rree HOuse was one such 1mag1nattve exerc1se 111 how architecture and nature m1ght mteract 111 relat1ve harmony w1th only the words "tree house" as a gu1de, the team developed a hypotheucal. l1ghtwe1ght structure that blends mlo tl1e trees Allached to a large trunk w 1th bolted collars, the rree House's ultra-min1mal form suggests botl1 a b1rd's nest and a h1p temporary base at wh1ch to meet and eat before departing for other parts of the forest when 1nhab1tants aren't loungmg on the deck or d1nmg at a bUilHn p1cn1c table, they may coast freely about the treetops 1n a sleep1ng cradle, wh1ch IS winched along lengths of cable to adJacent trees. Lest anyone take the1r newfound an1mal freedom too literally, elastiC webb•ng hangs below the home's penmeter to catch any false steppers

softroom's Floattng Retreat on th~" other hand (another concept for wallpaper), pushes nature mto the realm of product. A tongue-m­cheek simulacrum of a real beach, th~ 1nflatable 1sland IS pure recreat1on eoth stowable and towable, the streamlmed retrea· resembles a bl1mp on wheels or a 1950s Airstream tra1lor once ItS top 1S popped d

generator mflares over a m1le of po yuretha " Into any eJosnng body ot water, leavmg ·t.e emptied hull to become a groovy float '19 beach house wnh all the accoutrements o tr.e swmger: bedroom. bar. and hvmg area sound system and fiberglass so as orce t e party 1s over, bUilt 1n f1remen's hoses de a·e the g1ant a1rbag so that 1t may be stu••cd ba mto the pod for transport to a new toe t

uke 1ts real l1fe doppelganger, t.£'• A"T e (p. 6o), Floatmg Retreat's yet anotht> luxunous way for the act1vt' 1e1,euer to g out for a few days en p/em at \\ltho l g up CIVILization or comproi'HSIOQ n t

C'~M\IA TOTH g,,nk. HliN,

rHONIIH I I'll 1\ 1\f\! II CAl' ,lflf

CONIATNTNI, !Ill WI AN() A

~111RM•l \INII IIIAI Al(ll I

111( 011ACHo\~LI Ill(,< •\C.l

fROM THl f LOA TlNl 11f HLAI

RJGHT fRCf H

:.oo£R N

r IIIHICH I~ IRE

;Wl AN BE RnRAI; 1 0 R

SE,URln

I I'HtSI'A<II IN hH

llll Ill I I Nil'> (;IN{> I~

~tJNIIN\1111 1\ ollrl AIM I II It\

ljU ~ · ·\ lJUft..\. Nltl'~.tn

Itt IIM I\111111 HI Ht ~1 .t U Hfl•,

Il l h i<oNI I' I 1' 11\lll>ll'l' t

IHIII11 /II,.,11 <111 1H

MliN II 1 1'~1111 <II Ml l\ lll llfUII\o

((.l~H'I\ll ANI' Mt)R t 1\R ~ I '~

t VliNl\ UI\ Al lN !\1-4!\1'[: HH

IIOML I~ AI rt !.~C!l VIA A

fOQTIIfll liGI lt1Af Ml:I'S T•ll

H< tu•.t rROM nlllf'Tlll;v 1\ H£"

O[S HLO, Ttll IIOtJSl MAV 8l

UllNf 0 Al,.OST A f Ut l Nl ... £'1~

0 R[Cf;Wllt<IH[tltlf'd A

WIN( II 10 ~IA•IMilf Till !>UN~

JN I< \

Mot~ lh<tn we illtly li kt• to .ldtlill . nature'" ,1 [OICl' t O IW l t'C KOIWd Wil /1 W/1C'Illl CO IIH'S l O

S<' 111 rHJ u Jl hou ... c•, e<.p<H 1r1lly 111 i/1 e Nclh e rlr1 ncl<> wht•re lCJIId 1s ftHI'Vl' l bL•Inq tc:~ke n awr1y by llw Sl'J 1\ typlct~l tl''>POI1!.L' to 1 1 11~ crnliJriP<; old llll.l of Wrll w11h w.tt l't /w; bl'en the househo.1l. il c;o!UIIOIIIhiltiS "too rllUth bOd l rJnd tOO lilllt' houst•" to1 Ht•rmt~n Hcrllberqer m a radltcll rrclnrnauon or dotlll!Sltc '>Pilce, he has plOppPd down cl ptOIOlyJ')e, three <;tory, detached hom!• Ulll'Ctly 11110 the port or Mlddelbur!J

Ill cl prOC: f'SS ll'lcJlt>d lO the lnflktng Of ShtpS rl fld ydctll'>, tht• W.11l'fVI/IrJIS C011StrUcted Of i:.l

prt•fc~brrcclil!d Slt•el skt>le ton Wilh i11ow IT1 dlr!l t'rlctrlCl 111L'ldtllc; <,kfrl dlld Sll' e l pl<Jle roncrL• I t> floor ril l' IJqhtwetqltt <; lructure re .. rs on cl tn.nlqtJI.Jt IOitlld<tliOII of hallow, offsiHm·. <, fp('( PlfH">, WltH.h l'llcdlk' It lO drilt i'lt Will

WIIIHlllt I lie IOC klll(j tnOIIO i l nf n huil1. rn (.O tlllrl•,t to tlw I illtpu t lnll qltclt Lt>l'· ..rnct

rlp plid11Ll"i Of Olf H'I hliOyrJn t dWt>l/ings, the hOII'iC' flri<,(IH• l.Ctllt• ,JIIcJ fl't•l Ol tl tOilVt'llllllfldl

one thr ouqh till• 'JI'Ilt'IOtJS U'il' of 111turror wood cHid r lll ll'llllle ~ Slit II d'> clrt cltrrurn nnd roof tt• t r t;t• oc c lljl;lrl l c; n I elY l hoose f I 0 111 scvc>r ell flOOI plcH1S cllld t•Xtr'II OI fllltSfr es, tiS Well cl'>

clectdf' Otl Wft.rl k111d Of ,Jild hOW mrHly I OOrrt!)

tltL' l o IH' lnrlttdud. rile llldtr1 illl rc:Jctlon o ltiH• illl11ll' h lilrlill C:tlfl l l c1ll l l''> 011 Will('r'c; llurd ptOIWt l ll'!,. NOI Ui1 ly dOl"• Weller act i.IS cl

roo linq .lCJl'lll to llt•lp tPCJiildLL' Ll1 <: rnslt:.fe ll'II1[Wttl ll11 (1, ll111 II 1.1(!.0 l'lt.lb[e<; li1C /10mt• lo rot . lll' cJlrno'it ,, fttlln~rwt y dPS)rees wrt11 tlw

luq ol "wtrH 11, or tlw push of a button, r L''>tden t '> rnc1y lllOVl' tht• llonH! rn whatever drr ~ctron tiH•y pll'tlt;L' , tow.Hds the sun or lWilY l ron1 tt c1 fll'Xtbrllty th<ll rt•sults rn substanual L'ONlJY S,IVIriCJ<;, gr C<l[Pt pr!Vd( y, and better Vll'WS

111 vpenburq, HL'r llberger lla ... qone even lwthf.'r 111 rL•rt.lltnrnq rnhc~brtable spilce from ti lt' Wrltl'r by l'X I l'lldtny tlH' l.'XIt; llng land His l'ICJI!t "c'nll w,Jtetlltlll\t'~ rt'sl on Jn art lire ld(

l•,l.tnd ul tOIHtt'lt' 1r1 t lw ror rn ol ,, box, who<;t· sunkl'll hot l llill t(''>l'i Clll tlw t,f'rJbed Lo provldt• trn clrtt)IOt ll itl P•li l~ lltq . lll c opc rt ''top'' ts l1llcd Wl111iht• ho11<.e ~ lht'l lt st'lvL'!:., WI IO'ie <li .H)OIItll liVIII<] llltl lll '> jliUVIdt• 'iflt't ltlCUidr VIeW<; of I IlL' OC.('cl f1 .

111 bot 11 '..!I' ll til IO'i, till' ilOIISL'S <ll L' pl"r tndllf'11tly

c OtHll't lNi lo llw '> i1 or!' and 111t1Y be ll'Y•IIdt•u •l '• 11111T10Vdhlt• PICljH>r ty, lcl C: tlltcHtng the cr Ci.l t 1011 ol t1 1nor t t]dtJt• c1 clever iliHJ bt•tt•toi<HL' uncl••rutrlfll'd lllcthod of colorll!rnq W.llt>t ,

Archltectuurstudlo Herman Hertzberger. Amsterdam. The Netherlands

I ~

TOP COMPUTER RENDERING OF If DaVid 8 SOUth haS htS Way, the WOrld Will THECENTRALliVlNGAREAAND COnVert and find ItSelf happily at home in STDF ELEVATION OF CLOUD domeS. AS founder and prestdent Of the HIDDeN rN ASHEVILLE. NORTH Monolithic Dome rnstitute, south envisions a cAROLINA future tn which much of human ity will be

encapsulated tn global dome networks, the prototype of whtch he calls Domevtlle, u.s.A.

rn fact, Monolithic oomes are so easy to construct and so baste 1n structure that he JUst mtght get hts way. Anyone equipped with MD's patented Airform and tnstructiOn manual (first-timers can also take classes at the rnstttute) ts ready to set up house with a handful of commonly manufactured building matenals ltke concrete and rebar.

The method ts simple. find a spot, lay a concrete foundatiOn, tnflate the fabric balloon, support w1th rebar, and spray concrete into place. one or more humps may be erect ed virtually anywhere and are seemmgly at one with the landscape-In fact, many are also butlt underground--huggtng the earth in a low-slung way that doesn't obscure the vtew or dtsturb the surrounding plant and animal ltfe. sut what endears homeowners most to the dome's pnmal form ts how welltt protects them from nature's forces, namely, tornadoes and hurncanes. In the Midwest and southern

Monolithic oome 1nstitute, rtaly, TeXas, uSA

united states, there ts no safer place to be when annual twtsters and tropical storms begin whipp ing through town. secause w1nd passes around the dome's rounded body, it can withstand gales of up to 150 mph and forces of up to 400 psf, thus servtng as a sanctuary rather than an emergency shelter after the fact.

That ts exactly why Jim and Melante Kasltk erected the sleek cloud Hidden in Asheville, North caroltna, where the elements routinely pose home matntenance problems. Resembltng an alien craft, the house has large, curved opentngs wh1ch allow wtnd to surge through dunng a storm, preservtng the home's livtng areas.

rhe big advantage of dome building 1s the chance to be one's own archttect, so perhaps MD's promtse of quality lifestyle and free expresston may gel into an earthy, everyman's utopia. stnce south introduced his system in 1976, Monolithtc oomes have sprouted up in forty-ftve American states and many other countnes because they are safe, energy effictent, and affordable alternatives to tract homes. Most tmportantly, for dwellers l1ke the Kasliks, they represent a realizable way of thtnktng and living "outside the box."

IN lUST A rew STEPS !i!YU!

CAN BUIUI A DOME nu·n

EA.SV ON THE£ Vl"'"-'A<r

• LA• rQiJND.t\l'l(tc

• INr ..ATE THE ""TEh"£:1 AIRF"OR~

• SUPPORT WITH P£8A!1

• SPRAV WITH CONtA£TE

OPPOSITE ( ~RV£0 INTO A

FOR T'V fJV£ DEGREE SLD"t!l

MOUNTAIN, JIM 41<0 MEL~Ii!1

KASL!K'S Ct OVD H/DD£11 SI"S

F!VF HUNDRED rEEl •SOI'E ·-:

VALLEY Tt!E DOME lSA.>n­

SEGMf.Nl CATFRPI •• AR VOH 5£

THREE.' L[\I£LS HOUSE 5 jDO

SQUARE FEEl OF .IVIN .. S~

AS rtU !\ALJ"S POl Ill OUT N.,.

OTHER T'IPE OF HOUS£ \,.,.

GIVE THEI-l' T"E IMT£1!."0°

SPAC.ES WIDE-oi'U. &Cro'

TO VIEWS AND A J"UU!<i

SECURllV 011 A ~loHP!

PRLC!f'lTOI.IS S:'L

FOLLOWING PAG£5 J,R"l$T '

REND• •I N WHAT I ~

Li:\0~ liKE 1r 'I'H[ COV;'TIIY~

Wt RE PCIF't.ILATED I'

COMMUNITJE~OF [lOME

OWHLCRS

Most of the projects presented under the heading "a ring vour own auilding" acknowledge that the most attractive aspect of life on the move is not a sense of freedom, escape, and adventure but the special moments when isolated travelers converge to ~orm a temporary community-the occasions when a fellow nomad is invited to bring his or her own building and gather round to form a new common space and social grouping.

It doesn't matter whether it's New Age travelers at an all-night rave or haulage drivers taking coffee at a truck stop, there is a tremendous sense of camaraderie among transient folk from all walks of life. This feeling is strengthened by the suspicious attit ude mainstream society holds towards nomadic outsiders such as asylum seekers and t raveling salespeople. Attitudes and phrases such as "trailer park trash" have certainly contributed to giving life on the road a bad reputation. It may be too Late for the traveling salesman, but t he ideas presented in this chapter attempt to improve the perception of transient liv ing for individuals.

office of Mobile oesign's Portable House revisits the original objective of the mobile trailer home, which was to provide high-quality, affordable housing, often for those in a period of transition. The very term ''trailer park" reeks of negative connotations, but this type of portable housing may well prove the ideal solution as western society becomes increasingly mobile. curing a visit to a Florida trailer park, the journalist chiori santiago commented how II personalities literally spilled into the street ... anonymity is impossible." Her observations highlight how privacy is abandoned to allow greater freedom for many oftoday's nomads. The potential ramifications of performing private activities in the public domain are explored in valeska Peschke's znstant Home and Atelier van Lieshout' s sportopia, whereas the need for an intimate and private space while traveling through unfamiliar territory is explored in the po.o's Nomambule and iNSTANT eGo.

several other projects featured here demonstrate ingenuity born out of poverty. sean Godsell's Future shack, studio orta's Refuge wear, and Krzysztofwodiczko's Homeless vehicle are all very different approaches to the basic human need for shelter, particularly in the extreme situations of war and natural disaster. Each aims to alleviate the suffering of refugees,

the homel nd other displaced peo l stay alive. p e Who have been forced to take to the road in order to

. • A nomadic existence is not solel the • s1mply a lifestyle choice. Alles wird t' Y preserve of the world spoor. For some it is

• GU s Turnon-urba h" . . eas1er for the young, upwardly mob .l b n sus 'un1ts are antended to make life

1 e ur an dweller who sk· f The super-wealthy have also long rec . d Ips rom town to town and job to job. ognlze the advantages of bl r . h . millionaire avoids taxation and k .. mo 1 e lYing. T e Jet-setting

eeps a grip on h1s or herfortu b t l · country to country. offshore b k ne Y cons ant Y mov1ng from

. . an accounts and the global communications network enable this act1v1ty and governments seem powerless to prevent it.

. The ide~ of a nomadic lifestyle conjures up many contrasting images encompassing everythmg from tra1l ~lazers to astronauts, hedonists at music festivals to their counterparts at caravan or RV conventions, the Bedouin to the Gypsy, wealthy tax exiles to poverty-stricken refugees, and the close-knit circus family to the loneliness of the long-distance trucker.

Mobility is a powerful weapon. sam Peckinpah's movie convoy(1978), inspired by the c. w. Mccall song of the same name, demonstrates perfectly the inability of a static nation state to deal with a mobile community .. In the movie, hundreds of truckers simply take to the road and form a massive convoy. The law enforcement authority's response to the truckers' provocation is to curtail their freedom and retaliate with violence. In many real cases governments simply ignore or outlaw the mobile way of life. NSS and Atelier van Lieshout demonstrate how mobility raises important issues concerning personal freedom in western democracies and how moving

en mass presents real problems for those in charge.

oPPoSITE ... aAzs-6-oR6Mns All of Atelier van ueshout's burldrngs are free ~" B! e .. o,..EoEotcArEo~o offoundatrons. Mobrlrty IS a powerful weapon ,,..c ~>uFisvn of Pu.<.suRE T!-jf rn AVL's explos1ve arsenal of w1Ly provocations ofltNo<otsPENSERS.t.REortLvA armed at the state. Governments often seem so.toRr REACHAwAv FRo~<~ THE threatened by nomads who live on the fringes voLuPTuolJs. BED of socrety, and AVL are no except1on. Joep van

Lleshout, AvL's founder, and h1s collaborators, roP . -vrLlC,ATEUEr<vAN manufacture portable bu1ldrngs to quest1on

... ur'sowN Fr<EE sTAT£ state control of CIVIC fac1l1tres, such as the E.STAiiLIS.HEO lWTHE PORT OF prOVISIOn Of Water and San1tat10n. RonE.RoA~<~ n EvEN HAo ... rrs Atelrer van ueshout create real working ow" coNsnruTior. oP.Mm uP alternat ves to the servrces usually provrded by avoN< of HOLLANo'STo"' governments. rn the project AVL ~ ville, a mrnr~ cPIMIN-"L LA'M'ERs state established in the port of Rotterdam, the

group challenged the outch authontres to plan .. ouoWIHo PAou less and allow settlements to develop by

""' o roPJA .. e~· themselves. AvL~vllle was a vrct1m of rts own vEGETABt.EGM<OEN success and was forced to close 1n November ltJCOFIPOPATfO IIHO ITS 2001. All the elementS Of AVL-Ville Were mobile, srPoCTIJ~<~,wrtERrAs includrng a farm, so the group were s1mply able sPoRroPrA rEATuP~sA to pack rt all away and deliver the message Pf<.lSON U,(ftAGF BOTti elsewhere .

ONSTPIJCTIONSR£StMB EA The majOflty Of AVL'S buildingS are a~-m:P.v fAfiM fOR PEGPLE designed from the 1ns1de-out, a method wh1ch

results rn unusual projections and bulges in the exterror of each construction often the bed provtdes the startrng point, as IS seen 1n La aaJs-6-orome, a mob1le home ded1cated to "lov1ng "At 1ts core IS a voluptuous bed l1ttered

w1th ultra~soft p1llows and besrde 1t a mrn1bar stocked w1th mood-enhancrng dnnk. rna s1m1lar project commune aed (1gg8), AVL produced a bed large enough to hold a full scale orgy. Lining the sides ofthrs bed were holsters carryrng a selection of pornographic magaz1nes, an assortment of sex toys, plus an array of drink and drugs to help cajole things along.

compostop1a features a large bed with the capac tty to sleep at least ten people, but here the bed looks very utrlitanan and 1mpl1es rest rather than recreatton. AS well as providrng sleeptng quarters, the compostop1a construction comprrses a small vegetable patch, a makeshift gym, wash1ng facilities, and a compost toilet, the produce of whrch can be used to feed the garden. rn sportop1a, a vanation of th1s assemblage, a cage was added for the practice of sadomasochistic sex. Here the effluent from the toilet can be recycled by channeling 1t rnto the cage to sat1sfy any visiting coprophrliacs. rhe bas1c structure is made from scaffoldrng poles allowrng it to be eas1ly erected at any locatron and 1n many drfferent combrnat1ons

sportop1a embodies one of AVL's most prom1nent themes of the good, the bad, and the ugly: good in that 1t IS self-sufficient and

Atelier van Lieshout (AVL), Rotterdam, The Netherlands

promotes exercise· bad n that It can be used to perform dangerous sexuaL acts; and ugly in that 1t 1s made w1th scaffold1ng poles. This un1ficat1on of the good, bad and ugly 1n AVL's work rs a reJection of utop1an ideals, a stance confirmed by Jeep van ueshout: "r don't believe 1n utopianrsm I'm only interested in th1ngs 1 can realrze. utopran ideals rule out violence and cnme and that's not realistic."

THIS PAGE THE INSTANT HOME AS any homeleSS perSOn Of today knOWS, TRAVELS tN AstMPLe MoviNG lurktng about someone else's property offers eoxANDTAKEs oNLvrwo 1mmed1ate lessons on the difference between MINUTES TO INFLATE INTO A belonging lO the grOUp and being On the PITCHEo-RooFHouse outstde, personal freedom and public coMPtnewrrH FuiiNnuRe vagrancy, pnvate nghts and trespassing on

pnvate property. vet as serlm-based artist o PPosrn: PescHKe HAS sn uP valeska Peschke demonstrates with her TNSTA~ HOME IN LOCATIONS tranSpOrtable InStant HOme, Squatting and TVPtcAttvcoNsroeReD lottenng may also be mantpulated to merge UNINHABITABLE, FROM CTTV prtVate deSireS With publiC SpaCe. PARKWG tors. ro suBuRBAN Without a permanem home of her own, DRIVEWAYS, TO THE DESERTS OF PeSChke haS been traverSing the U.S. and THE WESTERN UNTIED STATES EUrOpe In a piCk-Up trUCk, Setttng Up "hOUSe"

whenever and wherever the urge se1zes her Rather than put up a tem. however, Peschke tnflates a 150-square-foot vtnyl parody of the conventional, landlocked suburban dream wtth all1ts amentttes. Ready to use 1n two mtnules, her rnstant Home contams all the comforts of a mtddle-class bungalow: a sofa, lamp, coffee table. fireplace. and televtston­all ofwhtch are blown up. literally, tnto soft, squtshy caricatures of thetr former selves. And whtle overstuffed furntture has typtcally been a stgntfter of adult. mtddle-class taste, here the stereotype ts exaggerated to a ch1ldl1ke extreme

That the home resembles a chtld's playhouse 1s perhaps why Peschke has been allowed Lo linger longer 1n the otherwtse off ltmit spaces where :.he has dropped anchor, from I he dnveways of suburban residences to the parking lots of downtown offtce dtstncts. Her house IS a nonaggresstve, fun place to "hang out," a valued act1v1ty in western cultures where frenetiC mobtlity ts tempered by an emphas1s on letsure ttme.

even so. publtc ordtnances do not necessanly keep pace wtth changes 111

contemporary ltfestyle, whtch 1s where Peschke's proJect upsets the delicate balance between mftntte freedom of movement and soc1al decltne, hangmg out and droppmg out. In thts respect, her proJect shares affin1t1es wtth that of act1v1sts tn aerlm who squatted empty bulldmgs througt1our the late 1970s and ear ly 1980s 1n protest of the city's lack of adequate housmg

Ltkewise, reschke approaches the tdea of domestt<. space from the perspective of intervention to open up some very fundamental soctoeconomtc and architectural tssues. what constitutes a house? what form should It take 7 And, most importantly. why should tl be "pnvate"7

valeska Peschke, lives and works in aerlin, Germany

I

--------------~------~----

TOP LEFT A SERIES OF With INSTANT eGO and NOmambufe, PO.D have ELECTRoNrc:seNsoRS LocArEo created architecture-on-demand: buildings tNTHecocKPnoF tNsTANr that are there when you want and packed away ec;oeNIIBLETHeseAreo PrLor when you don't rhe two proposals give instant TOSTEERAPATHTHROUGHA gratifiCatiOn and bnng arChiteCtUre intO line PROJECTED CYBERSPACE With SerViCeS SUCh aS pay-per-VIeW teleVISIOn LANDSCAPE. or pay-as-you-talk mobile telephones.

INSTANT eGoISm many ways a similar TOPRIGKT THE OVERALL FORM prOJeCt tO NOmambU{e bUt OnCe the USer haS oF ovsTANrec;o IS GENERATED entered the mner chamber of this dev1ce, he or FROM THE RELAnONSHIP She IS plunged IntO the unknown and infinite BETWEEN THE BOOYAND SPACE. realm Of CyberSpaCe The dwelling attemptS

to answer how it feels to travel1nside your own aorroM •NsrANTeGots pocket rt starts out like a foldaway hood on a e•.cAPSULATED wnHrN AN ramcoat: vou unz1p the contraption from your INFLATED MEMBRANE. THE Jacket pocket and 1t expands to eventually PATTERN oF wHrcH ReseMBLEs swallow you whole However, once you have A CHRYSAUS OR THE GOSSAMER diSappeared InSide INSTANT eGO, itS COnfined WINGs oF A DRAGONFLY space is made 1nfinite via the endless realm of

virtual reality, wh ich IS projected onto its inner skin. vou can then travel into this infin ite space while remaming seated by a series of electronic sensors that man1pulate the projected image to follow your movements.

Nomambule IS a take-anywhere inflatable structure that performs a function not diSSimilar to that of the sony walkman. rhe sony walkman provides its user With an anchor to a fam1l1ar expenence when the listener plays

PO.D, Paris, .. ranee

back the1r own cho1ce of music while pass1ng through an unknown location. what the sony walkman channels aurally the Nomambule gives spatially and at a moment's not1ce can be pumped up to form a fam 1liar personal space for 1ts user. PO.D describe Nomambule as an "affectionate contamer of the self," and l1ken its purpose to a child's teddy bear or security blanket. Nomambule IS a protective bubble intended to make 1ts user feel at home wherever he or she m1ght be. rrwas conce1ved 1n response to the specific need for an 1nt1mate and fam1l1ar space when traveling to new and unusuallocat1ons. A nng of tnflated pillows forms an 1nner chamber, ms1de wh1ch the user IS able to relax 1n an a1r-cush1oned realm of fam1l1ar space.

INSTANT eGo and Nomambule are both Inflatable accessories to facilitate a nomadic lifestyle. Po.o Identified that, in general., people spend a significant amount of their time on the move and consequently many hours are spent m limbo, for example waittng for a train to arrive or a plane to take off. INSTANT eGo and Nomambu/e, were conceived to fill these moments of lost t1me soth structures are extens1ons of the body and materialize from a backpack or pocket to prov1de an tnt1mate space where once there was none.

TOP RIGHT POD ARE HEAVILY

INFLUENCED BY RADICAL

ARCHITECTURAL COLLECnVES

OF THE 196DS, SUCH AS HAUS~

RUCKER-CO AND ARCHfGRAM

SEE ARCHIGRAM'S CUSHICLE

ON PAGE 11

LEFT THESE COMPUTER­

RENDERED DRAWINGS

DEMONSTRATE HOW THE

NOMAMBULE CAN BE CARRIED

IN A BACK PAC I> A'ID INFLATED

ON DEMAI'<D BV A CYLINDER OF

COMPRESSED AIR

~PAGEANDOP~

REFUGE WEAR CATERS FOP THE

NEEDS Cii'THE SOUTARV

NOMAD

I"'U.OWIHG PAGES MODULAR

AI!CI-fiTECruRC CREATES

P><VS!CAL-BONDS BETWEEI'I

l'JDllllDUAL~ AND ENCOURAGES

COlltCTIIIE ACllON

stud1o orta demolish the boundary between architecture and fash1on. rheir nomadic creat1ons can be def1ned as both "buildings to wear" and ''clothes to l1ve 1n," underlining the beltef of Lucy orta, the studio's founder, that "clothes are fully entitled to become architectural dwellings."

Refuge wear IS Similar to Krzysztof wodiczko's Homeless vehtcle (p. 118) m that it prov1des a surv1val system for people of no fixed address. Refuge wear began m 1992 as a senes of drawmgs m response to human catastrophes that caused the displacement of whole populations. These sketches were fabncated mto a collect1on of bodysuits, wh~eh rap1dly transform into tent-like shelters by a system of Zip and velcro fasteners. rhe realized art1cles represent the tdea of architecture as an extension of the body and resemble the bodysu1rs destgned to protect against chemtcal weapons In lhe theater of war. The pac-a-mac technology employed 1n Refuge wearlater provided l1fe-sav1ng mob1le accommodation 1n Situations as diverse as the Kurdish refugee UISIS, the hornfic war 1n Rwanda, and homelessness on the streets of Pans.

MOdular ArChttecrure updates the system used m Refuge wear, wh1ch essentrally caters

Lucy orta, studio orta, Paris, France

to the individual, to accommodate collective act1v1ty. rhe system dev1sed for Modular

Architecture allows for its users to t ravel freely as individuals, but should a group of two or more nomads converge on a single location, they can zip their bodysuits together to create a warm and spacious temporary house.

solidanty and collective action are maJor themes of stud1o orta's output. The early project Refuge wear functtons as a survrval toolm extreme cond1t1ons, but the person weanng the outfit remains tsolated from fellow users Modular Archttecture bridges th1s Important gap by bUJldtng phystcal connecttons between displaced people. This lmk recogn1zes that soc1al bonds and shared expenence are almost as essential to surv1v1ng 1n extreme sttuattons as food, water, and med1cme.

-I

TOPANooPPOsrn sTuTTGART Gtven the choice between erecting a making the technique quickly adaptable to ""'-'71£ r.~RNYG Ror ... .v..,o skyscraper and scraping rn the soil, Nader populations on the move slowly but surely sruoiEDuNDERNADEP KHALru Khalilt would gladly accept a day tn the dirt. rt governments are getting the picture. Following IN cALIFoPNrA euiLTTHe takes a lot of diggrng to construct his the uan-rraq war, for example, forty ooMES oN rHese PAGEs usiNG superadobe shelters, which consist of superadobes were constructed in rran, and -..te suPERAooBnect-tNiaue. sausage-skin-ltke coils of earth-filled there IS talk of the concept being tmplemented EACH ooMr 1s MAoe oF LoNG sandbags held together with barbed wtre. in Afghanistan. -rusES o• 1-iATERIAL FILlED originally a designer of corporate htgh The concept ts so fundamental and flexible WITH EARTH, WHICH ARE HELD nses, uan1an-born Khaltll sold his practtces rn that even NASA has cons1dered ways 1t could be ToGeo'ieR w1rH BARBED wiRE Tehran and LOS Angeles tn 1975 to embark on a used to populate the moon. The bags would Slv<>Le wooDEN Foqr.•s '"E"E motorcycle tour of rural Persia that would last stay the same but would be f1lled w1th moon E"'-"Lo-vEo ro GivE e.c.cH five years what he redtscovered on that dust and held 1n place w1th velcro tnstead of O~etm.!O A ur,tOUE SHAPE homeward trek haS already led to InnOVatiVe barbed Wire. 50 far It hasn't happened, bUt in

and safe temporary houstng for the world's the meant1me Khalili 1sn't wasttng any t1me. one btllJOn homeless and may soon determine This year he obtatned permiSSIOn to construct whether, and how, humans might live on the a model lunar colony 1n Hespena, fifty m1les moon. north of Los Angeles.

m uan Khalili aga1n encountered the age- se1ng a modular system, the potential old method of mud-bnck building, whtch he exists for superadobes to multiply across the updated and simplified for what he foresaw as planet, forming neighborhoods, even c1t1es. 1ts broader global applicatiOns: refugee, And this is no coincidence. uke other emergency, and rel1ef houstng sack 1n the u.s., vis1onanes before h1m, from Le corbus1er to Khal1l1 transformed elements of war and LeVItt, Khal1l1 sees a bigger p1cture tn which contatnment-sandbags and w1re-rnto places whole communities of h1s ecological, organic of refuge and peace. capable of withstandtng domes will spnng up-wh1ch explatns the earthquakes, the domes are cost-effective construction of a coiled, three-bedroom, alternat1ves to shant1es cobbled together from two-car garage compound alongstde the lunar plywood, ttn. or plastiC sheets Plus. the bags prototypes. can be dropped at or earned to any locatton,

Nader KhaUU, cal-Earth (california mstitute of urth Art ftArchitecture), Hesperia, california, USA

l

TOP THE METAL NOSE CONE

OPERATES AS AN EMERGENn

EX!T, A CONTAINER FOR THE

WASH BASIN AND TOOLS AND,

WHEN OPENED, CAN BE USED

AS A SINK FOR WASHING OR AS

A BARBECUE FOR COOKING

SN OW CO~.E CARTS USE GLASS

ON TOP, AND FOR \'OU FOR VOUR

~AFETV, FOR 'IOU TO SLEEP "

K " vou RE SAYING ITS BETTER

lfVOU RE VISIBLE SO PEOPLE

KN0;'\1 YOU liRE THERE, RO.THER

T11AN >il00 EN 7"

A VES W HAT ABOUT IF

SOM(ONE GET!". MAD OR

SOMETHING? AT LEASTTHn

COUL 0 SEE THAT SOMEBOOY1S

IN HtERE •

An affordable, archttect-destgned ltve/work space in the center of New vork is ltkely to be an attractive propositiOn for any upwardly mobtle professtonal seeking accommodatton in that crowded ctty. This was certainly the case for Alvin, " A," oscar, and vtctor, four members of Newvork's homeless scavengtng community.

Krzysztof wodtczko conceived the Homeless vehicle PrOJect in response to the specific needs of this small congregation of homeless tndtvtduals. who allltve outside New vork's dormitory shelter program. The four tndiv1duals earn money as bonle men They walk the streets collecting recyclable bottles and cans in return for a small cash depostt. m a c1ty where uniformed off1cers are deployed to keep the publtc parks and plazas free of homeless people, mobtltty has become an essential survival tactic for the scavengtng communtty.

A need was 1dentifted to destgn a vehtcle

that mtght help Alvtn, "A," oscar, and vtctor to travel eas1ly from one place to another, wh1 Le also providing a place t o sleep and carry securely their personal belongings and their haul of bottles and cans. wodiczko developed a prototype verst on of the vehtcle tn collaboration with the four bottle men. m a series of discusstons, the group determined that their new live/work space be safely and eas1ly maneuverable, include sleeptng, washing, and cooktng fac1l1ties, and have plenty of storage space for the collected bonles and cans rhe prototype was then tested on the streets by the four men and modtficattOns were made tn accordance wtth each of thetr suggestions.

wodtczko believes firmly that this collaborative process ts essent1al to the project's success He states, "only through such cooperatton can the vehtcle funct1on usefully otrect parttctpatton of users in the

Krzysztofwodiczko, Uves and works In aoston, Massachusetts, usA

construction of the vehtcle IS the key to develop1ng a vehicle that belongs to tts users, rather than merely betng approprtated by them.''

The working veh1cles resemble street vendor's carts or street cleaner's trolle)'s, and therefore conform to the util1tanan nature of other portable strue1ures seen on the Sidewalks of New vork. Moreover by mak1ng t he act1vit 1es of the bottle men v1s' ble, the Homeless vehicle takes an act ve part tn

altenng the public's percept1on of homeless tndlvrduals. Alvtn, "A," oscar, ard ctor a'ld others smce, can no longer be Ignored or walked away from. The nomadic bottle men stake a legitimate c .a 1m to thei r Citizenship of Nev. vork city by performtng a useful funct1on within that soctety.

___ , ....... -~J

-~- ... - --.. =·- -- -- ·; - - ;: . - ·--~

THU PAGI! PORTABLE AND

I CONOMitAL , EACH A Z LIVING

IJN1TI5 MOOf.lr DON A

STEAMER TRUNK AND, WHEN

UNFOLOfO, I S MEANT TO

fU NC T!ON AND IH USEFUL IN

E:V(fl 'f'DAV LifE, AS OPPOSED TO

BEWG A MERE DESIG N OBJECl

"EvtN THOUGH OUR l.liES ARE

INCREASlN GLV TRANSIE NT," AS

AlAS STATES, " THE N!lEO FOR A

Stt.SE OT HOM!l R£MAHIS AND

OUR RCOUlREMCtiTS FOR

PRDTECTION, COMFORT, MlO

ltiDI'IIDUAUTY ENDUI'!E "

~U'B TWOVHISIOtiS or

· : r A- 4' FSCAPL VEHICLES,

A CO~I~EMPORAR I WA'I f O FIND

I> f. rtiGE m•r r 1 H N T TUHNED

t t£ 'IEHICU ltiTQ A PIHtJr es s•

JK£ 0Ut4GE Y/tUL[ /•NO IHH<

PPlffJIA£0 A M ORE SCtiOLARLV

li PlAT

operating 1n the gap between art and s1m1larly A-Z Escape vehtcles are factory-architecture, Andrea Zittel creates mhab1table built, recreational enclosures wa1t1ng for a sculptures and mstallat1ons which she personal touch. currently customized examples advertises and sells through a mock company, include a Joseph cornellesque study with A- z Adm inistrative serv1ces. rna parody ofthe wnt1ng desk and a cinderella - like carriage automotrve Industry, Adm1n1strat1ve serv1ces w1th wet bar. The possib ilities are endless and routinely releases new lmes of furniture, no matter what the own er chooses to do homes, and vehicles for today's trans1ent mside, absolute privacy IS ensured by a lockmg consumer. wh1le many of AZAS's products are hatch. uke the tra1lor park homes on wh1ch mnovat1ve examples of transportable domestiC they are based, the capsules may be hauled to architecture, 1t IS not necessanly freedom of new locat1ons and parked for long penods, but movement that 1nforms their des1gn Rat her, fundamentally they are about a secret inner their cozy forms cater to consumers seek1ng world "[where you] won't have to answer to secunty and the 1llus1on of home when on the anybody else's laws, rules, standards, or move. Even so. AZAS Simply prov1des the form. expectations." vou must supply the content The somewhat earl1er A z Livmg units offer

md- user 1nput IS essent1al to the proper a more conventional take on personal liberty. functioning of the A- z cellular compartment Modeled on a steamer trunk, each unit unfolds units. Each home 1s a network of chamber- like into a forty- four- square- foot module equipped boxes which may be stacked or moved around w1th necessities such as a kitchen, bedroom, l1ke toy blocks The down- to -earth cub1cles or van1ty. ro counteract the somewhat resemble the1r plastic versions 1n playgrounds 1mpersonal s1de of Its industnal manufacture, the world over and have rounded crawlspaces each m1n1 flat must be retrofitted, modif1ed, whtch lead occupants through multiple and 1mbued w1th gesture and content by its carpeted compartments and da1ly tasks, from occupant rhe result IS an instant home sleep1ng and eatmg to worktng and work1ng authored as much by the end user as the out. aut aga1n, AZAS merely bu1lds the shells. des1gner How bas1c or decadent they are ent1rely wtth over ten product lmes to choose from, depends on the personality of the owner there IS a format and funct1on to su1t any taste

Andrea zittel, A-Z Administrative services, arooklyn, New vork, and .loshua Tree, california, usA

The most d1ff1cult part of l 1v1ng on the loose IS dec1d1ng on what model, make, and accessones su1t your needs. sut by logg ing onto AzAs's web Site and perusmg the poss1b1ltties, the convenience and purchase of a personally defined un1verse IS just a mouse click away.

OPPOsrn!AN D LEFT ZITTELS

A-Z CEllULAR COMPARTMENT

UNITS Al-LOW EIIERV NEED.

TASK. OR DESIRE TO HAVE ITS

OWN SPACE AND TIME.

lNOIVYDUAL BOXES MAV BE

CUSTOMIZED AND llNKED

TOGETHER TO fORM A ttlGHlY

PERSONAl COMPOUND.

TOP RIGHT IN DEVELOPING

THE UNITS, UTTEL TRJED TO

I MAGINE WHAT IT WOULD FEEL

L.IkE TO FUNCTION lN SMALL,

STACKING ROOMS. MOVING

THROUGH A SERIES OF THESE

SPACES tS SIMILAR TO WHAT

PETS MUST EXPERIENCE IN

THE TUNNELS AND NESTS Of

HABITRAILS.

IUGHT srLHouErrEs o• ufe ts a senes of ctrcular mottons, so why not TURI>i-ONS IN ALL THEIR go With the flOW When It COmeS tO hOUSing? DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS The adVantageS Of Spinning 360 degreeS are

many, whtch Is why AWG_Alles wird GUt, a five-oPPoUTE ·A sERrEs oF member design collaborative working in REvoLviNG MoouLrs-uKE vienna, propose that we all ltve in wheels. GrANT HAMSTER wHEeLS- The concept behtnd their turnon-urban coNTAIN ~<LLuvtNG sushi unit is that multtple l1vmg functions can PROGRAMs THERE 1s No be compressed 1nto a ten-foot-htgh wheel and o1snNcnor; ANYMORE accessed at w1ll by stmply rollmg 1n place. AS eErwew wAu, •LooR, oR evidenced by the prototype, which rests on a coLrNG-Jusr oNE steel frame and floats on magnettc ratls, a TRANSITIONAL sP;.ce • .ALL[N qu1ck push will take res1dents from the couch oue,ALLAT'Tt1HAMEn~e in one arc to a table and two cha1rs 1n another ~ovrtiLE coo,..rNG, THE coucH to a chatse longue in a th1rd. Every surface can sEcoME::. THE ceiLING, THE be ltved 1n and on. when different modules are omrr.G TABLE A wAu rHE Jotned together, the result is a giant tube of INTERIOR SPACE CHAIIGES endleSS lifestyle pOSSibilitieS. CONSTANTL't' NITH THE ENDLESS What haS InfOrmed awg'S deSign more than Pf'r!.mor~s oF rAc.H fliNG-A anything else is the automobrle industry, "rwn111 evERv oAv''-ALtes where advances 1n prefabrrcatron, mass-wtRDGIJT production, and accessonzing have reached a

level of sophrsticatiOn unequaled tn the engmeerrng of housmg. AS the European smart' .. car has demonstrated. autos may be qutckly and rnfrnttely upgraded or changed with clip-on parts 1n d1sttnctrve colors to suit any taste. ukewise, turnons are available tn a wtde vanety of matenals (metal, wood,

awg_.Alles wlrd out, vienna, Austria

fiberglass, or rubber), functtons, and styles to mtx and match, as evidenced by the "spice," "carefree," and "Avant-garde" series. The most popular module at the moment is the "wet cell," which incorporates bathroom and kitchen into one rotation. All of the opttons are detarled 1n a catalogue which reads like a contemporary car ad: "restnct10ns van1sh, dreams come true."

of course not many people live in the1r cars, so who would be willing to occupy a wheel? According to awg, the target customers are young urban singles who move around a lot and don't spend much time at home. rndeed, the wheelts an opt1mal way to tncrease the amount of ltvtng space 1n a cramped inner-ctty flat After all, 1t was the need for small an1mals to have a change of scenery and to get enough exercise wrthtn confined quarters that led to the inventton of the hamster wheel.

TETRIS.SETUP

ntllllf e

TRIPOD IBIIIII e

HYGIENIC ••••

BUBBLE -·· PCOOK II 11111 8

~

I IIIII

WORKoSI.E£P ·-·

I

(~ .. ... ,

aaaa

FENG-6HUJ ••

-

awg_.Alles wird Gut, vienna, Austria

• • • • •

I

oi'POsrn rHerNTERroR oPHe snail shell system IS a roll around, rnhabitable sNAIL sHELl rs LINED wiTH conta1ner constructed from an inexpensive, mAM mRAooeo coMFORT AND polyethylene cylinder. rt enables its user to tNsULAnoN THE LAsHINGs oN change h1s whereabouts and live in different THE eouiPMENr soXENsuRe environments, includmg on water and THAT ALL rHe roots ARE HELD underground. rhe compact system measures tN PLAcew•merHe uNn 1s IN JUSt over thirty nme mches in height and sixty MonoN inches in diameter and takes up very little

space wherever 1t IS placed. rhe material used TOI'IuoHPHe sNAILsneu is non-tox1c, low in we1ght, and sturdy to allow s.~ 'E~t.s DEsiGNee rose for the umt to be partly buned where the rAKEN ANvwHERe, eveN oN ground permits or to be floated on water. snail w.r.reR oR uNDERGRouro~o. shell system can also be used as a comfortable

space or extra room ins1de an ex1st1ng bu1lding. ltO'I'TOMIUGHTrwo RusseP. rhe technology beh1nd the device rs clever 'A'E~P!, c.AP TRACt<SArD yet practiCal EVery COmponent haS at least tWO MANF.uVERABturvwHEN THE functions in order to max1mize the limited sNArL SHELL 1s ROLLED FRoM space. rhe cyl1ndrrcal contamer can be rolled PLACE: ro PLAce easrly from place to place. Maneuverability 1s

further enhanced by two detachable caterpillar t racks that are made from rubber doormats and protect the shell ofthe container f rom damage whrle in mot1on. rhe unit also floats on water, and in this s1tuat1on the caterpillar tracks funct1on as protective fenders when it is moored. ro move the vessel on water one can erther row 1t with a paddle, use a k1te to act like a sail. or hook 1t up to a motorboat for towrng.

snail shell system comes complete with its

N55,copenhagen,oenrnank

own equrpment box, which contains a bilge pump that doubles up as a vacuum cleaner and a shower, hoses for the pump, kitchen pan, kettle, and alcohol burner, and foldable water containers that can be used for ballast as well as the shower. rn addition to this, the equipment box 1tself can be emptied, lined with a plastic bag, and used as a toilet.

All k1nds of extensrons can be added to the vessel dependrng on the s1tuat1on rt 1s placed into. oynamos or solar panels can be added so the snatl shell system has 1ts own power source. unks can also be attached to combrne several units, but because polyethylene cannot be successfully glued to other matenals, any add-ons must be connected by bolt1ng or lash1ng.

N55 have developed a system combining the suit case on wheels w ith the mobile home. rt is a useful traveling compan ion and affordable motel in a srngle, attract ive pod.

D

The homes in this chapter offer both playful and aggressive solutions to the ong 1"9 problem of finding and keeping residential space in crowded cities. since the Industrial Revolution, the options have tended to polarize around making do with cramped, noisy, and oft n unsanitaryflats in town orfleeingtothe surrounding countrysidefor f resh air and room to roam. In t he nineteenth century, this meant living in a tenement or commuting to a garden city; in the twentieth century, it was the choice between a high rise or the suburbs. with the onset ofthetwenty-first century, the preponderance of edge cities in the u.s. and elsewhere has demonstrated that in-between alternatives are greatly desired, ifnotyet ideal or satisfactory.

It used to bethatthe inner citywasthe unfortunate domain ofthe industrial worker who could notaffordto escape to nature. Nowthatwe inhabit a postindustrial landscape, urban hubs are cleaner, safer, and more attractive to the middle and upper classes, who deserted them for lawns and gardens. People are returning to the center in droves, pushing rents up and lower-income residents out, and increasing the need for in-town housingthatfulfillsthe needs of people from varying socioeconomic brackets. The homes herein represent a yeasty cross section ofwhat' s currently on the market-or coming soon.

Architects, collectives, artists, and individuals have responded to the problem of less space for more money with highlyfunctional city homes that range from the wittytothe parasitic. In many instances, skills that children acquire early on-stacking and hanging objects, inserting blocks into slots, or blowing up balloons-have allowed homeowners and designers alike to approach spatial problems from the liberating perspective of play.

In Germany, for example, artist stefan Eberstadt is experimenting with homes that hang by straps. His Rucksack Houses are intended to dangle gleefullyfromthe chimneys of existing apartment buildings to provide extra living spaceforthe students and guestworkerswho inhabit Munich's numerous one-room studios. In .Japan, coelacanth It Associates have t raded the blueprint forthree-dimensional cubes, which they encourage their clients to rearrange into combinations that suittheir needs. The final configurations become prefabricated homes, called space slacks, whichmakethemostoftheowner'spersonalfancyaswellasthelimitationsofanysnugsite.Piercy conner Architects' Microfl.at proposal for London is an exercise in placing rectangles into t he right-

siz w h fro t thE shi

re~

Mi~

of ho

wl wl di' k be fo SL

Sl f1J

ker ~)an

m for

m

sized hole s . Each Micro tlatis an el when several u its are stacked o otngated box intended to ho

n op ofo use oneworki l · . . from parking lots o rooftops .c0 . neanother, theymayb . _ng-c ass•nd•v•dual. , 11 rm1ng an· e Inserted 1nto un d b

theupperend oftheeconomicscale . lnstant,adhoccommunityALongth use . ur an gaps, . . ,ISLOT/EK's · esame l1nes but on

shippmg contamers which have been stacked o:::man Penthouse, a private home made ~f In all of these cases pla . pofafactoryloftinManhattan

·b ·l· b , y IS not to be equated "th ~ . respons1 1 1ty ut with achieving pers l" WI 1ooling around or shirking

ona lndependen h" . Michael Rakowitz' s inflatable parasiTE h l ce. T IS IS nowhere more apparent than in

. . . ome ess shelters wh· h tt h of public bu1ld1ngs. Their squishy memb , IC a ac to the exhaust systems ranes and funky shapes sh ffi ·t· . however, each pod is a private and inter" L • • • • are a 1n1 1es w1th beach toys;

h b b h lm a ternat1veto l1v1ng 1n a church basementorthevMcA T e su ur s ave not been · · · . . . Immune to overcrowding either, particularly in Japan,

where land IS scarce. ushlda Findlay Architects have responded with their Truss wall House whose free-flowing curves open up an otherwise rigid, square site. The situation is somewhat different in the united states, where tracts of inhabitable land-those islands of grass commonly known as front and back yards-are routinely wasted in the service of keeping the neighbors at bay. california-based ~ones, partners: Architecture is aggressively reclaiming the extra square footage with their Prot con Package Homes which spread across every available inch of standard suburban lots. ooug ~ackson, on the other hand, has left the yard intact but capitalized on the space above. His casa vertical soars three stories above its tiny lot and is accessed by a hydraulic

floor plate, minimizing the building's area. . . Innovative solutions may also be found in the variety offlex1ble and ~ob1le border

· . . · here These include N55' s spaceframe, a latt1ced structure dwellings wh1ch fit 1n anyt1me, anyw · . f ll car and Martin Ruiz de

. . . ll l cation for the pnce o a sma , Which may be erected 1n v1rtua Y any

0 . ly a gust of wind to inflate its four walls.

'* 1 • f b · be that requ1res on AZua s sasic House, a Simple a nc cu TM. dl·g·ltallydesigned to fit the most unusual of

1 b l gic House© IS Likewise, Greg Lynn FORM s Em ryo 0 h needs no fixed foundation other than the

fflcels N EWPAD , h sites and openoffice Et copehageno ..... claim life among the masses doesn t ave

. nywaystosta~ea ' box in which it is packed. w1th soma

to be an either/or scenario.

There 1s no segment of today's populat1on more mob1le than the homeless. who by cho1ce, 1llness, or wcumstance fmd themselves constantly on the move and 1n desperate need of housmg and who are d1scnm1nated agarnst Simply because they have none. Artist Michael RakowltZ has responded w1th temporary 1nflalable shelters, called parasiTES, wh1ch he d1stnbutes free of charge. Made of plastiC bags and tape, on a budget of $5 per unit, the shelters are conspicuous v1sible protests agamst the condrt1on of homelessness and help to prolong the l1ves of those affected by 1t

rn a manner s1m1lar to b1ologrcal paras1tes, Rakowitz's shelters glom onto the HVAC outtake ducts of publ1c bu1ldmgs, "suckmg" 1n otherwrse unused urban a1r. 1nsp1red by tents rn sedourn encampments, whrch are constructed rn consrderat10n of wind pntterns, the shelters have double membranes. wh1ch harness the warm exhaust to Inflate and heat

therr livrng spaces. All of the shelters are custom-bUill, With

herght and shape be1ng the d1rect result of pnvate consultations w1th rnd1v1duals The f1rst prototype, constructed 10 cambndge. Massachusetts. out of black trash bags. was 1n1tially rejected by Bills . a homeless man who

d1d not want to sleep m a completely opaque shelter for fear of bemg anacked As he po1nted out. "homeless people do not have pnvacy 1ssues, but rather secunty 1ssues ... WP

want to see and be seen " rn New vork c1ty, the structure was

redes1gned for Michael M. 1n d1rect response to then-Mayor Rudolph G1ul1an1's ant1-homeless laws under GIUl1an1's mandate, any s;.ructure hrgher than three and a half feet was consrdered a tenr and therefore an acto; 1llegal camp1ng. Mrchael M 's shelter Circumvented Grul1an1's ordmance by oemg lower to the ground l1ke a sleepmg bag Although he was ticketed tw1ce for usrng tt>e enclosure, 1n both InStances the court threw out the charges, agreerng w1th hrs argtJmert that the structure was a "body extensron

For Rakow1tz, whose work rs "shaped by

[hls] rnteractron as a c1trzen and art st W1th those who l1ve on the street," only a cornp ete redes1gn of sacral programs and mumc pd serv1ces combined w1th 1nnovat ons n affordable housrng would beorn to ~owe the problem of homelessne~s ror the mea t ~ h1s vrsrbly parasrt1C dev1ces ensure that t ose affected wrll always be m the pub c. se a "seen" rs hall wa~ to bt:'rno equa1

roP

If I I I

1/Jr It I I fl I I t I I fl(j f I ~.

/~tilt II fA l•lt 1/1 ~~ Hllf IAL lfl

I All

/<rjl Hf114

I II ~II

liCifTOM A NO OPP05lTI!O

M II M 1<1 I I fiiAII

Jfltl f! t~[!I)J I' ill

MMIJf/1 A I All I I U AI !0

Rill ~HH f< Ml~ 1<1 MillO!. fll(

PA IR I!VIliAlill lilt

ttl IlL

Michael Rakow ltz. llves and works in Newvork. u sA

~paceft a me ft Fioatmg Platform, copenhagen, oenmark 1999 ft ongoing

N55, copenhagen, oenmark

TOP r1E $PACEFRA.,..•E IS A

"'-A CvST UGHnvEIGHT

CONSTRUCTION FOR THREE TO

FOU~ PEOPLE WITt-< THE

~DO: nON o= "-FlOATING

PlA11'01H•' !T MAY BE MOORED

l!HVATIR -'"0 EASlLV Tv!NEO 81

B:IA! TO A ~EW lOCATION

- ~ ·s CO\'EPED WITH

lot lS!URE-:.t;.SORBING

PLASTER >lBERBOARD PL#,TES

IVHEN TliE W~LLS ARE

P PERLV liiiSUlAi£0 THERE IS

!4 tlEED 10 rlE.Ao THE. ROOM, AS

tGHl AND NOR MOIL ACTIVITIES

PROVIDE SUfFICIE T V.>\P Mil-1

T~ r~ lS MADE OF BlP.C.;

lr. 000 THE 'IU•DOWS A>W

~ I 11~ ARE lAAOE' OF

P1l APB(;N4•E ... NO THE

S.APU-r F

Accordmg to the members of the Rotterdam­based art collecttve NS5. "concentrations of power" such as the government and the butldtng mdustry have as much a beanng on the form and function oftoday's homes as architectural pract1ce. rhe group refutes the commonly held notton that home ownership represents success, secunty, and stab1l1ty. on the contrary, they suggest it represents the repress1on and control of tnd1v1duals by greater powers whose imerests are best served by a monopoly of standardized h•gh­

pnced houstng. man effort to sk1rt the schemes of

developers and keep the means of production ftrmly tn the hands of the people, mgv1l Aarbakke, Jon s0rvin, Rikke Luther, and cec1lla wendt have designed, constructed, and now 1nhab1t the spaceframe-a pon:able, low-cost, mamtenance-free house that can be bu1lt dismantled relocated, and enlarged numerous

t1mes by any layman-which costs as much as a small car.

rrue to 1ts name, the spaceframe 1s a lattice-based structure whose strength and integnty depend not on gravity but on rad1cal geometry, wh1ch IS typ1cally reserved for satellites and space platforms. N55 have brought this technology our imo the open compnstng two tetrahedra and one octahedron. wh1ch form the basic frame the1r house 1s faced with plates of ac1d-res1stant stainless steel and lined w1th mo sture­absorbtng f1berboard. when nor n use the house breaks down IntO neat stacks, wh1ch can be easily stored beneath a fnend's sofa or 1n a box ThiS lends the home a flex1b1l1ty and mobility not possible w1th conventtonal housmg and allows it to fit 1n virtually anywhere: behtnd an eXISting home In an alley, or on a rooftop. With the additton of a buoyant Floating Platform rhe home may even be

moored tn a pond lake reservo1r, or harbor How b1g the home is, where 1t IS located, and for how long are entirely up to Its owner

uke 1ts commerc1al contemporar·es. such as The Monolith c oome rnsmute (P. 8.1) Amencan rngenwty (p 44), and Earthshrp BIOtecture p. 70) N55 prov1des complete rechn1cal specrficatrons ana nst~ucr,ons :or

construct ng the spacee-'ame and ~·oa~ '19 pfattorm in manuals located on the1r web Site.

aut because tl-te groJp be. eves •n shanng knowledge and Know-ho'A the; re\ler charge for the tnforrnatron They even re:use :o patent their work, preferr ng 1nstead ro acnvely public1ze 1t so that the1r product' rema1ns free and available to everyone. unLke other nomes on the market the spacefrane IS 01ot for sale, so if you want to l1ve 1n one you must literally take rhe matter mto your own hands.

TOP IUOHT THf BA!i/C HOUSE

CAN Ill ,CRIINCHtO UP SMALL

ENOIJ[,H 10 ffT IN "fOUR

POC!<. I r W~ltN Rl OUIREU VOU

JUS I UNRAVfl II, INfLATE IT,

AND tHROW IT ON LIKE A

!iW!AT[R

aOTTo"' IUGHT bASIC HOUSC

t A ~I II' r CvATWG

Wl T.t GOLD ON ON£ SIDE ArJO

SILV£ >I ON THE OTttER -GOUt

TO INSULATE AGAINS.TTH!: COLO

AND SllVER TO REflECT TH(

HEAT

OPPO&JTW" AZUA 15 INS.PIPEO BV

I ,.,. HtAIMAINTA!NA

MOR£ lllf!LC I PI LATtON'>Hff'

WllH TH£Hl fNIIJI<'JNMfNT ANQ

HA~ PAll[ !1 UCJIIJN /iA~fC HOUSE

'";:) JN• lllr:Jf (>lilt Tllr.

(~5£tlll"l Cl(MENT'i OF

NMc HOUH, prototype dweUJng, no fixed addNa, manufactured by fi8TTfllo, 1998

If you have ever wondered exactly how difficult 1t 1s to f1ght your way out of a paper bag then a sparring sess1on 1ns1de Martin RUIZ de Azua's Basic House m1ght g1ve some 1nd1cation. Basic House, as the name suggests, strips the very fabnc ofthe house to 1ts most fundamehtal elements. It IS simply a self contamed, cub1c room that obviates the need for any structural components other than a1r

Measuring only seventeen cub1c feet when fully Inflated, eas1c House w1ll fit 1nto the smallest of spaces. rn order to erect the dwellmg, one Simply unravels the revers1ble polyester fabric from 1ts pocket and dec1des wh1ch of the two fln1shes best su1ts the current cl1mate. one s1de 1s f1n1shed 1n gold to insulate f rom the cold and the other SliVer to sh1eld aga1nst heat A sl1ght breeze IS all1t takes to mflate the house and render it 1nhab1table.

Martin Ruiz de AZua, urcelona, spain

ouring the daylime the house remains inflated by the action of body and solar heat, whereas at n1ght it slowly deflates to form a protective blanket.

The swollen cube of metallic fo1l, with 1ts myriad reflections in the cnnkled surface, 1s s1mple and bedut1ful The metallic fabric has a fin1sh s1m1lar to that of the mater1al used to protect satel11tes from the extreme cond1t10ns of space rndeed, aas1c House has an extra­terrestnal presence due to tts loommg, floattng form and 1t bemg tn constant mot1on.

With BaSIC HOUSe, Martin RUIZ de AZUa urges us all to reconsider the amount of clutter we fill our homes w1th. He quest1ons the need for so many cumbersome possess1ons and suggests 1nstead "a l1fe of trans1t without matenaltles. HaVIng it all wh1le hardly having anything "

.,bryolog/c HOUse~ ' ", prototype dwelling, 1998

TOP THERE. APE" ENDLESS "Blobular" IS probably the beSt term tO POSSIBILITlES FOI!Tt-iE t.AVOUT deSCribe the b10m0rph1C Shape Of Greg Lynn OF EACI-i HOUSE THE FORM'S EmbryolOgiC HOUSe. ThiS digitally INDIVIDUALLY SHAPED INNER deSigned and manufaCtUred dwelling iS ci"iAMBEI!s ARE sHowN HERE IN extremely flex1ble and can be sculpted to fit A VARIETY OF ARRANGEMENTS even the mOSt UnUSUal Of SiteS.

Greg Lynn FORM used computer numerically BOTTOM A MODEL sHOWING controlled (CNC) machines to manufacture a THE HOUSE SITED IN A prOtOtype VerSIOn Of EmbryologiC HOUSe fOr the LANDSCAPED GARDEN THE Venice Blennale Of ArChiteCtUre, 2000. ThiS COMPLH SHREDDED WINDOWS model WaS CarVed OUt Of a SOlid blOCk Of foam ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY USing a robOtiC m1ll that allOWS for total ROBOTic I"ILUNG prec1s1on and custom manufacture. The

production process employed 1n th1s prototype marks a radical change 1n the way homes are commiSSioned, designed and bu1lt. Greg Lynn FORM pushes the boundanes of construction technology to demonstrate how homes can be prefabncated on a mass scale yet st1ll reta1n a tatlor-made mdtv1dual1ty that means no two

Greg Lynn FORM, venice, california, usA

houses are the same. The dynamic of the Greg Lynn FORM

practtce IS structured around a collaborative approach draw1ng on pools of expert1se from different dtsc1plmes. The stud to belteves this approach to be the most appropnate model for contmued success tn the future. rh1s represents a preva1l1ng attttude and ts in accord wtth other contemporary practtces, includtng FAT (p. 22), PO.D (p.110) and AVL (p g6}.

The free-flowmg form of the Embryologtc House ts a departure from the nght-angled boxes most of us thtnk of as home. The curvy dwelltng wtth tts system of shredded wtndows would have been prohtbttlvely expenstve to produce even as recent as a decade ago. Thts made-to-measure productton process sweeps as1de the notton that prefabncat1on equals homogenetty and has a real potential to revoluttOntze the whole construction tndustry.

TOP MAKING THE MOST OF A

rtNV P!ECC OF LAND, USHIDA

FINDLAY CONSTRUCTED A TWO­

STORY HOME THAT RESEMBLES

AN ORGANIC SCULPTURE.

OPPOsrrE CURVING WALLS, AN

OPCN STAJRWELL, AND A HOST

Of BUJLT• IN, CUSTOr_,

FURNISHINGS GIVE THE

IMPRESSIO:J THAT THE HOME 1S

MUCH LARGER TtiAN IT

ACTUAUV IS THE STAIRS LEAD

DOWN TO A BEDROOM AND, ON

THE MAIN FlOOR, A LONG WALL

lEADS TO A KITCHEN AND A

ROUNDFD SEATING AREA

BENF.ATH A DOMED CETUNG

'OU.OWING PAGE GLASS

D lOPS OPLN ON fO AN

11.-.IMATE COURTYARD WITH

Tl £5 MADE fROM COLORED

MOI<"IAR p,$1' IN BALlOONS

TrUss wall HOUH, nurukawa. Machida-city • .Japan, 1991-93

one way of maktng space IS to carve it out, a concept that mforms the design of this house on a zero- lot-line property in suburban Japan. Like other commuter "bed towns" outside Tokyo, the suburb is a rather unattractive mash of mundane, detached fam1ly homes crammed onto tiny slices of land. However, by thinking sculpturally, ush1da Ftndlay ArChitects have transformed a small plot of land into a remarkably tact1le and emot1ve env1ronment which enables 1ts occupants to tune out the visual and audible noise of the chaotic c1ty and tune 1n to a tranqUil pnvate realm.

constructed for a young fam1ly, the home is a revolutionary departure from the cookie­cutter houses In the surroundmg neighborhood whose facades face the busy streets. The house prov1des an enormous amount of seclusion by foldmg 1n on 1tself around a centra l courtyard. uke a sculpture, it tw1sts and turns, prov1d1ng an Interior landscape of peace and seren1ty and enveloping and 1mmun1Z1ng the residents from the s1ghts and sounds of the nearby elevated commuter l1ne 1n many respects, the house looks as 1f 1t could have been rhrown on a potter's wheel, however, 1t IS the hand of computer-aided des1gn (CAD) and cement-til ted, w1re mesh walls supported by trusses

ushida Findlay Architects, Tokyo, .1apan

that account for the home's precisely planned, free-flowmg curves and abstract forms.

For all1ts openings and voids, the home contains a surpnsing amount of living space within its 1,100 square feet. Part of this is the result of super effic1ent space planning and custom-designed furniture, such as a curved sofa which hugs the rounded wall in the l1v1ng area and a cantilevered d1n1ng table. sy far 1t IS

the opt1cal arrangement of space that accounts for the feeling of openness in such tight quarters. Dynamic curves lead 1n and out, back and forth, from the ground-level bedrooms to the f1rst-floor l1vmg area and kitchen, out tnto a pnvate courtyard, and along a curvmg staircase up to a grassy roof garden. Simultaneously econom1c and sensuous, the rruss wall House demonstrates that it is possible to achieve both individual identity and personal space within the modern anthill.

CHAPTER 1 SELF- CONSTRUCT

u tu £ "East wahdat upgradmg Programme. Amman, Jordan "Aga Khan oevelopment Network, www.akdn org, 1990.

• rant LUcy, Pedro Gadanho space mvaders. London· The arittsh counctl. 2001. m ro tmstt. "Livtng on the Frtnges." Metropolis Magazme, New vork, August september 2001.

o Peter. "The sl1ck and the Hatry." ArChitectural Rev1ew, London, January 2002

y earbara M. Expand.•ng the Amencan oream: euildmg and Rebwldmg Levirtown. Albany: SUNY, 1993,

gw Edward, Karen Marta Modern oreams: The Rise and Fall of Pop. New vork: The clocktower Gallery, PS1, 1998

Kevm. "sarah wigglesworth Archttects "Archrecord2, www.archrecord com, January 2002.

Potrc Maqettca. East wahdat: upgrad1ng Program, www.potrc.org, 1999.

r Jamte, Manuel Gausa. single Family Housmg: The Private oomam Barcelona Actar, 1999. ag rsmail, ed. The

Architecture of Empowerment· People, shelter, and uveable ewes. London: Academy, 1997.

oeyan. "The straw sale HOuse." oomus, tssue 843, Mtlan, oecember 2001.

T Jeremy. sarah w1gglesworth. 9110 stor..k orchard street-A GUide Book London: The sank of Ideas, 2001

Kann, ed VtCO ACCOnCJ: The City rns1de us vtenna: MAK, 1993

CHAPTER 2 MOVE TO THE STICKS

'' Archiprlx International." Architectural Rev1ew. London, september 2001

erizzi Marco, "Kas oosterhu1s. rllato selvagg10 dell'archttettura." Arch'lt, www.archttettura. supereva it, rtaly.

"case study House 1oe" Archrecord2, www archrecord.com, January 2002.

Ibelings Hans, ed. o1e gebaute Landschaft. MUnich: Prestel verlag, 2000.

Migayrou, FrederiC and Marte-Ange erayer, eds. Archdab· Radical Expenments m Global ArChitecture London: Thames and Hudson, 2001.

Niesewand Nonte "Architecture Ct: Imagtng: softroom." wallpaper Magazme, New vork, september! october 1997.

Nuttgens Patnck. rhe story of ArChitecture London: Phaidon, 1997

Parker Freda. "ufe Above the rreetops at cloud Hidden." www.monol1th1cdome comt gallery thomes/kaslik

Richardson Phyllis, Lucas oietrich, ed. xs: Big Ideas, small BUildings. New vork: umverse, 2001.

Ailey Terence. rhe un-Pnvate House. New vork: Museum of Modern Art, 1999·

steiner otetmar "Lacaton Et vassal." oomus, 1ssue 803, Mtlan, April, 1998.

CHAPTER 3 BRING YOUR OWN BUILDING

Allen Jennifer 'The New sarbanans." Ate iter van ueshout at camden Arts centre London· camden Arts centre, 2002

· ll~ 11 Jennifer ''vtenna Mealtime." Atelier van ueshout, schwarzes und Graues wasser vtenna· BAWAG Foundation, 2001.

Art• 11 Alltson "we oream of Prefabs .... " owe/1, san Franc1sco, Aprt[2001.

Benjamin Manna. "sags of Potent tal." rhe mdependent on sunday, London, Apnl 9, 2000.

c•11 HyoungJin, Remt Feghalt, and Adrten RaOUl. "INSTANT eGo." www.geocities.comtinstantego, 2000.

crosllng John. "aody Architecture." ArChitectural Review Australia, sydney, spnng 1998.

rcrreira Anton. "sandbag Homes May ee shelter Breakthrough." www.reuters.com, July 30, 2001.

o hAnlualn oatthi. "rry LIVing tn the wheel world." w1red News, www.w1red.com, February 18, 2002.

Heng whooKtat, Lotft stdtrahal. "Nomambule." www.geocities. comttnstantegotnomambule1, 2000.

Lerner Kevin. "The New Nomadism." Archrecord2, www.archrecord. com, october 2001.

van Li~shout Joep. Illustrated Talk, camden Arts centre, London, Apnl 25, 2002.

Luria Rudolph, Krzysztof wodtczko. "Homeless conversations.'' Homeless vehicle proJect, New vork, 1988.

Mestre Marte-E:ve, stephane Magnm, chnstoph ooswald, caroltne Maniaque, Laurence Flazon, and vves renret . Alr-Atr: celebrating mflatables. Monaco: Le 27e stratageme, rnflate untt Research and Gnmaldt Forum, 2001.

Mills Ktndon. "Holiday Ramblings." Ten by Ten. volume 1 tssue 2,

chicago, Falltwtnter 2000.

r.:r Lucy "project summanes " http://stud1oorta.free.fr, 2002

s.n • .:J, Mark "Lucy orta." Blueprint Magazme, London. May 1998.

sar , ch1on. " House Trailers." sm1thsonian, June 1998.

-o""l.,.._.>ini Mana crtsttna "corporal Architecture, surv1val clothes." oomus. tssue 824, Mtlan, March 2000.

..-· ·=' BIJal P. "otrt oomes: Breakthrough in Emergency Housmg?" news nationalgeo­graphtc.com, Aprtl3, 2002.

,.;rmo Paul. "urban Armour,'' Refuge wear. Parts: Edtttons Jean-Mtchel Place, 1996.

CHAPTER 4 SPACE INVADERS

www.elltpsls.comtgu•des,tojlyo buildings/ tokyo.truss.html

JOel Edge c1ty· ufe on the New Frontier New vork Doubleday, 1991.

Ptlar "shelter.'' sectton F3, House Ct: Home, rhe New vork Times, February 14, 2002.

Ha christopher. "rhe Lodtown on Lottek." Meuopol1s Magazme, New vork, August 2002

.Jc wes "rewards a Loose MOdularity " PraXIS, ISSUe 3, cambndge. Massachusens, pp 16-27.

Greg. Animate Form. New vork: Pnnceton, 1999

"' Eva. "Michael Rakowttz." www.mindspnng.com, New vork, 2001.

oavid. "Future shock " North aay aohem1an, February 14-20, 2002.

John. Modern House. London. Phaidon, 1995

Antonta "sutte oreams." nme out, London, Apnll]-24, 2002.

• AVcmt Garde curdled by r<Mgo " sho ~-:uro~awa, dod oenn. sharp,

A AP h 'e ~ 'eGa lery, London, England, t 9-November 18, 2001

r ma d FOrum MOnaco, sep•,mber 2ooo

A en forme MU oac, Lausanne, swltz,.rland, Apn -1uly 2000

ACelter ViJn LJeshauc. Cdmdf!n r.rts centrr•, London, England, Apnl 26 JUnr:: 16, 700?.

Hausschau, oas Haus m der Kunst (I'IOuse show. rhe House m Ml) cur(fted by zdenek f••lw, oetchtorhallen Har:1ourg, Hamburg, vermany. May 12-sep·ember 17, 2000

LeSS AeStheltCS, MOre EthiCS curated by Mass mlltdno FU~sas, The 7th mternatJonat Arch tecture e:r.-;tb.tton, ventce, naly, June 18-octobef 29, 2ooo.

uv1rtg m Movon curated by Mdthras schwartz­c auss. vt ra oes1gr. r.wseum, wetl am Rhc•m, Germany, summer 2002.

sc1ence Fatr cu·ated by sally o'Aetlly. camden Arts cent·e r ,...con, E.tlglcsnd, :JUne 15, 7007

space mvader' cJrated by L.lJCY eullrvant and Pedro Gadanro. -'"!e :entJsh c.ouncrl. e..<hrbr­tJOr. tou' opened at c.at!:na central l.ejO-IIIUSeU de Ele~trtCidadt:. LISIJ!.In, portugal. september :woe

rhe way w.e uvf:. PJBA ~orthrtec:wrr- uall(;!ry, London, tnglafi d. June 2'1-30, 700/

rhe un-Prr.late House c.u'at!:d by~ere~c.e Rrley, Muse Jm of Mode-n t~•t, t.ew vorti', U.:>A, ~999·

~<lies wtrd GUt· www altesvwdgut cc Arnerccan Jnge:nUity www ardomes com Martin Rurz de Azua· mrazuaa,teiPIJne es shrgeru Ban ArChitects. Nww dnp co Jp rmggs Port-t:-~=old shelters ltd.

www uwvrs1on.com oawson arovm t.rrhtt~cture·

dboGKarolinecas~y corn,;w ROt.H:rt aruno: rober bruno1o®yahoQ.COrn c:al Earth. wvvw.calf:'artll.org coetacanur q_ t•Ssoc1ates· www.c- ;md a.cu.Jp copenhagenoff~ee: w .. v N cop,.nhag,noffru• dk Earthshlp arotecture www earthsh1p org stefan £berstadt

stefan Eber"-tadt~adbv mhn de FAT www.fat co ul-Garofato Arc.hrtecrs· uww garofalo.a-nod~>.nnt Global Peace c.ontatners: www.gbs-gpc com sean Godsetl Mc.hllects.

godsell®netspac.e .net .au Mc.hrt<>ctuurswdro Herman Herttberger

wv:w her~berger.nl Michael i·toen~s: www.tesotho-tourl. de ooug Jac\tson, li·RGE LA_RG£~)hotmarl.c.orn Jones, P<~rtne:rs. Arc.tutecture·

www Jonespartnert> c.orn ~:oeppPI Et Marttnez

www.koepp.elmartlnf:z com tacatr;n Ct: vass;;:JI Ide at on var.sal@'.vanadoo.fr L"S Arlthenea: www watr:rventtH' ~ com Atelier van ueshout· www avl v1Ur• <:orr• LOTIU WWVJ.lOt-ek.com oreg Lynn FORM' w Nw.glform com MonolithiC oome tnStltu ·e.

WW'IJ monoltthtC.dome rom r.155 NIIIW 055 d? oosterhurs.nl www oosterhuts nl.

www vanom~nc nl opPnofftce www.open-offrce.net s udro orta www stud1o orta c..orn Jalesf.a Pesc:hl-e: ·Jale!.¥ap~>wgm' net PICfcy conner Mthrtec.ts·

w "''"' thernrcroflatc.ompany wrrr PO 0. II N N r;eoG.•tteS CCJJri/Hl!itarl!eCJO t"af J"'W>3 Potrc 'IIWW IJ0t.rc.: or g MIChael r{akr;miZ

WWN.pr~c..s b ~u · r;pra t:OIIt/rrll~e Rural !>ludro

NWW corrugatr•dC.fJOStrUC:IIOrl Wrrl J' nnrfe; sc•·gal. www.de~rgnrnobr(l• com s~ftroom www.softroorn com uf.hrda Ftndl~y .t-rch•tecr~

rnfo~u:;htd.,fmdlc~y corn Safdn Wtggi"SWOrth MChrtr-c!S

w nw '>tlrJrdctt co LJ~odtczko' ... mtl ~·du vrzy- ztof wo CLYO Arldre,a zntel www ZJtt"'l O!g

r

'II reasonable efforts hate be~>n made to obtatn Wp~rrgnt p~>rmtsston for thr• tmages thts boov If tve have cornrnmed an OVN'irght, w~> mU be pl~asecl to rec. trfy rt rn a subsequem edrtron

r rontrsprE:,P.: sofuoorn p ~· connrt;; smrth (trJv lt>ft), Jurgr:n rP~<.h (top

right), stefan rb,.rstadt (b'.)t1orn) p HJ" ::.tefan Eberstadt (top left), ~-~rrn,gram

Arc.l'uves (top ngt•t. b!Jttorn left) p 1 ~. wllect•on 0f stefan E'berstadt (to~ left),

st LOuts POSl-Dtspalh !top nght), courtesy, The £:.tate of~ euvmtn!>tPr ruHer (bottom Left)

p.15· courtesy, .c.shley scha;e·, PraxiS (top ~>ft) r-:assau cou'lty Museum collectHm, LOng Island stud es InStitute, Hempstead New 'fOrk ('op rrgrrt)

PP n-75. fAT

pp 76 29: RIJbe•t aruno DP 30-5 3· sarah 111199 eswortn pp ~4- n. ooug Gi.lrofalo pp 38-jg· r~~tchanl rlOenec; pp 40-41. wunesy MarJetrca POtiC eMatrya

p;;vlov~c ({eft1, ~Jos(: P.Odrtguez (c:enten pp 4,-43. I'Oeppel Q. M<Httnel pp. 44 47: r.mencan mgenurty p, 48: arrggs POrt-A mid Ltd p 4g. 1arw·s w1nrow pp 50-51 openoffrce PD s1-?~ RIChard J. L Martrn pp 54_55 sarbara Giadstone Gallery PP 6o-6 ~:water ventures, callforntts PP 64_67 co•.:rres-1 shrgeru ean Mthrt~'cts

CIHitOYUI.I Hlrat PP 68-6g courtesy ROI:iert erown I'P 70_7, courtesy eptcscottand, QASh ey

coombe.s, ATOM HOP left!. earths~up erotec.wre {.all others!

pp 77-75. s0firoom PP 76 77 Herman Hertzbetge,. pp 70_79. Kas oosterhurs pp 80-83- courter;y Li.ICdtOn Ct va'iSill

CJP11t[tppe R<;ault P 84 Jtrn ..:aslrk (tc..p left .,nd rrgrrt) IADr101lth'c

uornr•JwtJtutP (all others) p 87• Jrrn r.a<,,Jk DP ar, 87' Monolrthlt oDin! Hl£tltute PI) 88 g1 cmmothy Hursley PP c;G 99 courtrosy Atelter van lle'ihout

~l beeldrecht PP 100 Oj sea"' c;odsell PP 104 0 7 va eska Peschke DP 10g 09 Jenn•fer stegat pp uo n PO o pp 112..-,s srud1o orta

pp 1•6- 17 C'*' 'I gPO r PP 1'8-19 t0!Jr e~'/ va e· e e .ng PP 120 23 courtesy .t."drea Poce· (;c .,. t pp 1/ll-77 A lt; 'lll(d CiUl

PD 12a-1g ti'5S PP 134 55 Ov!Jg Jat~S(Jr PP 136 ;3 '"OJrresy coel<ttan•n ~

r-~sr;crat<>s, esatos!'t A~ilfiJVJa

pp 140-4f MtChi1"1Ra~owrtz fJP 144 45 ~'IP.rcy c.onnor A•cr. tects PP 14&-47 cau•tesy r.oc~.et Gal~>•y, Qndor

cstelan Eb<>rstad pp 148-49 courtesy LOT/EK CPa "'arr"" PP 150-s·· U55 PP 15i-53 Marti~ IW z de AZ.Ja

PP 154-57 w~s Jones pp '58 -sg. courtesy op,.noff ce,oM:l•eas

Pauly pp.15o-6· u·eg Lyrn pp 167 65. Allt'i.ages cov~~>sy us" da rwd~y t.'chttects. c~c:~tsur rda ;qda, c.shr:ll-<:nch•..-u. and c;;re:nJ i"..!Joayasht

TH. COMPUTIIR AG., • NVJRONMIINTAL CONCERNS, OVERPOPULATION, SUBURBAN SPRAWL, AND ECONOMIC BOOM AND BUST HAVE AU CONSPIRED TO IIIUNG AaOUT IINORMOUS CHANGIIIN OUR EVERYDAY LIVIIS, AND P ERHAPS NOWHERE MORE SO THAN IN OUR HOMES. THIS COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, PLANS, AND ESSAYS FEATURES EXCITING, NEWLY DESIGNED AND BUILT D~ELUNG SPACES BY ARCHITECTS, ARnSTS, COU.~S, AND INDIVJDUALS THAT RESPOND TO OUR INCREASING AWARENESS OF ARCHITECTURE S ABIUTVTO SHAPE THE WAY WE LIVE.

WHaTH•It THIIV ARII s • LP- CONSTRUCTED, SEA-WORTHY, PORTABLE, INFLATABLE, OR WEARABLE, THESE HOMES PUSH THE ENVELOPE OF WHAT' 5 CONSID•It•D "NORMAL" IN DOM.S'nC ARCHITECTURII. YET EACH WAS DESIGNED IN RESPONSE TO A VERY REAL AND IMMEDIATE CONCERN, BE IT KONOMIC. S PATIAL, ltU OUitC.- It.LAnD, OR AESTHETIC. INNOVATIVE, BOLD, AND S O METIMES SHOCKING, THESE HOMES SIGNAL A NEW WAY OF THINICINCI AaOUTWHATOUit HOM.S CAN 1111. THEY WILL NO DOUBT SET THE STANDARD FOR WHERE AND HOW WE LIVE, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

PIIA'I'UitiNCI DW.LUNGS IIV:

a wtth the ttunstraum NQnche.n In Munch eermany she was formerly Associate curator at the un versity of ~ smari·-...um Art and has written about ~rary art and design tor a variety of publlcattons ncluding ARTfltlWS, mForm ,_.,nN u .wd as fot the book 1cons of oes1gn (PreStet

tor on architecture and destgft whose rec~tnt profects mclude slowup Inflatable Art. ArCh tecture and oes g .,.uy Gr p a documentary on Attion Min He l ves n London england

J