Six Wildest Feats of Livable Architecture
As societies continue to grow horizontally as much as vertically, architects have been challenged to develop new ways to create homes. The following five structures are among the most unusual livable architectural feats in the world.
1. Habitat 67. Montreal, Canada
Originally designed by Moshe Safdie in 1967 as a perfect match between affordability and aesthetic beauty, these stacked, cubed homes now fetch a steep price tag due to their architectural fame. The tenants have owned the building since 1985.
Photo Credit: Bill Cotter
2. Stone House. Fafe Mountains, Portugal
This livable (and currently lived-in) home was carved directly out of a boulder on a hilltop in rural Portugal. It’s like something out of The Lord of the Rings, but we’re not sure if hobbits would even take their hillside living to these lengths.
Photo Credit: Feliciano Guimaraes
3. The Ice Hotel. Jukkasjarvi, Sweden
What began as a 60-square-foot igloo two decades ago has continually grown into a 5500-square-foot hotel, rebuilt every year, in the icy Sweden winter. Bring a few layers to wear. It’s -5 degrees Celcius at night.
Photo Credit: Valli Schafer & Barra Cassidy
4. Cube Houses. Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Kubuswoningen, or cube houses, are tilted square homes set atop hexagonal pylons. Designer Piet Blom intended to create high-density houses with the concept of living as an urban roof. In other words, the homes double as roofs that shield what’s below from the elements. His architectural design is considered a village within a city.
Photo Credit: Rui Farinha
5. Wooden Skyscraper. Arkhangelsk, Russia
A “happy accident” is how ex-Russian gangster Nikolai Sutyagin described his house, the tallest wooden home in the world. Sutyagin sought to have the only two-story building in Arkhangelsk, but was inspired by buildings in other countries to continue growing his home upward. First, he added three floors, but thought the house looked “ungainly, like a mushroom.” So he added another, and another, and another, until it reached 14 floors and stood 144 feet tall. Today, most of the house has decayed and he lives on the bottom floor.
Photo Credit: The Telegraph
6. Shoe House. Hallam, Pennsylvania
Shoe salesman Mahlon Haines built this livable two-bedroom home in 1948 as an advertising gimmick. Haines, who raised the cattle he used in his shoes and therefore claimed he designed shoes “hoof to hoof” originally lived in the house and later rented it out. Renters were given a free pair of shoes during their stay. Current owners Carleen and Ronald Farabaugh bought the house in 2004.
Photo Credit: Ronald C. Saari
Jim Davenport is a home improvement veteran with a lifelong interest in architecture. He specializes in heating and air conditioning and recommends the following guides to heat pump prices and furnace prices for warming up your home this winter.
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