10 Crazy Exteriors Gone Outside the Box
When cookie-cutter planned communities are the standard, it takes balls to step outside the box with some seriously daring design.
A crazy concept can become the trademark of the neighborhood or the bane of the block. Here are 10 monuments to end the monotony, built and owned by those not afraid to buck the trends.
1. The Tree House in Cincinnati
Architecture professor Terry Brown aimed for a whole new box with this livable art. Dubbed “Mushroom House” and “Tree House” by Cincinnati locals, twisted metal features really make this building stand out. (Credit The Rocketeer)
2. The Dancing House in Prague
Fred and Ginger have nothing on this wavy pair. The Dancing House, a project by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry, is an icon of the modern Prague landscape. (Credit Giuliagas)
3. Eco-conscious Roundhouse in Australia
Owner-builder Tony Clarke fought hard with local councils to build his eco-conscious Roundhouse in Ballan Australia. This monolithic dome bravely withstands the sometimes vicious windstorms of the Australian countryside. (Credit pengo-au)
4. Conch House in the Caribbean
Isla Mujeres hardly needs anything special to enhance its perfect Caribbean vibe. Nevertheless, the seashell-inspired Conch House has become the subject of nearly every drive-by photographer. (Credit notanyron)
5. Stone Age home in Portugal
Fit for the flintstones, this Stone Age home in Fafe, Portugal makes a big statement on the wide open plain. (Credit Jsome1)
6. UFO-style houses in Sanjhih, Taiwan
Good things don’t last forever, unfortunately for this development of UFO-style houses in Sanjhih, Taiwan. Left to disrepair, these stellar wonders were demolished in early 2009. (Credit cypherone-Taiwan)
7. Space-inspired house in Chicago
Whoever built this spacey space clearly consulted The Two Gs (Roddenberry and Lucas) for tips on design. Ready to take flight, the Oak Park section of Chicago will never be a boring place to live. (Credit Paul Goyette)
8. Forest Spiral Apartments in Germany
The legendary Waldspiral (Forest Spiral) apartment building is a landmark extraordinaire and helps put Darmstadt, Germany on the map. (Credit your_teacher)
9. Crooked house in Poland
No camera tricks needed here. The Krzywy Domek (Crazy or Crooked House) of Sopot, Polland has curves enough to give you vertigo. (Credit magro_kr)
10. Cheetah House in Chicago
Another Chicago house proves the Windy City isn’t afraid to blow away all expectations. Rogers Park plays host to the infamous Cheetah House. Even with zero architectural budget, the determined artist can make an exterior go to the extremes. (Credit ChicagoGeek)
Wow - those are as advertised - crazy. I particularly like the stone age home. Anyone interested in strong statements (maybe not THAT strong) should check out the modern house plans at hometta.com. The Wall House in particular is pretty out there.
This is crazy.. I love the how outside of the box these designs are..
awesome! I wish more houses were like these
It’s amazing how Gaudi is present on almost all of these.
Oh man! I am so going to get a house like the conch one.
Dont forget about the Haines Shoe House in Hellam, PA
roadsideamerica.com
Wow! These house photos are jaw dropping! Can’t wait to send them to my friends.
You missed the Beer Can House in Houston!
beercanhouse.org
I think it beats the Cheetah painted house in Chicago.
I think you meant Gene Roddenberry =p
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Roddenberry
Who is George Roddenberry?
I was hoping that this one near Lubbock, Texas made the list: alt.quid-tum.com/blog/?tag=steel-house
Cool house and a cool guy.
It’s “Poland” not “Polland”.
And of course, there’s
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundertwasserhaus
Excellent, I was just about to suggest the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, I think it’s more impressive than the Cheetah. Hundertwasser also designed some “Rest Stations” in Vienna, probably one of the coolest ones in the world.
http://www.quax.at/sites/default/files/images/593_A2_bad_fischau_rasthaus.jpg
Oak Park is not a section of Chicago. It’s a separate village west of Chicago.
look at this also in Poland “odwrócony dom”
turystyka.gazeta.pl/Turystyka/51,82269,4245281.html?i=1
Cool pics, but stop with the overblown HDR! IT cheapens the photograph when done poorly (like the ones here).
What an amazing series of photos. My favorite is the Conch House.
Setriously awesome. That cheetah house rocks!
I submit that #10 is more giraffe house than cheetah house:
shazgood.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/giraffe-1.jpg
naturescrusaders.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/cheetah-closeup2.jpg
That house in Poland is great, it looks like a photoshop job but i think it is real
I live across the street from the Sace Inspried house in Chicago (Actually Oak Park) and it was designed and is still lived in by the architect Errol Kirsch. Almost every day, someone stops to take a picture, and some ask “What is that?” On a Village of Oak Park website, it is referred to as the “Space ship house.” Others call it a “House that should be in Arizona or some other place.” The interior is awsome, with multi levels and lots of built ins. Nice people live there, too.
your house is good
cool pictures!
intriguing crazy houses
This brings me to an idea:…
These people must really hate their neighbors, huh?
The crooked house is trippy, makes it look photoshopped. The amazing thing about these types of homes is that you’ll be surprised how energy efficient some of the homeowners are in creating these homes.