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A Traditional Hokkaido Farmhouse – in Plastic?

This is an experimental house from Kengo Kuma and Associates in Hokkaido, Japan, that allows light to pass into the house through the plastic wall material draped on an armature of Larch poles.

From a distance it looks just like the traditional farmhouses of the indigenous Ainu, whose buildings are clad with sedge or bamboo grass.

But glowing in the dark like a lantern; the entire house is made of very non-traditional material in a triple layer.

Indoors, a fibreglass fabric sandwiches a thick layer of polyester insulation made from recycled plastic bottles in the middle, while the exterior is polycarbonate cladding.

The construction, soft and quilted, and the barely divided interior seems more like a gigantic tent than a solid building. Read the rest of this entry »

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Design Dilemma: Ideal Settings for Your Barbecue Grill

It’s prime barbecue season. Got some steaks sizzling on the grill? If so, while they’re cooking, you’ve probably also imagined just how fancy you could make your outdoor cooking area. So to inspire you to take your barbecue grill to a whole new level, we’ve collected some great examples of cool barbecue ideas.

The grill above is one of our favorites. Designed by Jack Merlo of Melbourne, Australia, the grill is hidden behind a section of wall that flips up when it’s use (providing protection to the cook from the sun or rain) but closes when the grill is not in use, to keep the grill protected from the elements. How cool!

What’s great about the grill above is the indoor/outdoor space where it is housed. The outdoor porch is sheltered enough and comfortable enough to hang out even on rainy and gloomy days. (It’s located in Portland, Oregon, after all.) And yet, it’s also unmistakably outdoors as well.

And if you like the idea of a sheltered barbecue area, you might also appreciate this one. It’s located on an upper level, which makes it a bit unique:

Can you find the barbecue in this picture?

How do you feel about bringing the grill inside?

And here’s a whole little “barbecue hut” in Los Angeles:

Appreciate minimalism? The barbecue below is completely in keeping with the minimal, modern aesthetic of the entire home.

We’re also admiring the simplicity of this “green egg” smoker.

So what do you think? Ready to give your barbecue a little extra attention?… Oh, and are those steaks ready yet?

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Magical Forest Pool in a Contemporary Mansion

Imagine coming across this magical and surreal vision in a sparsely wooded forest of slender Birches.

It is the highlight of a luxurious mansion of a house set within a vast 12.8 acres of land.

The pool extends out into the forest; terminating as it cantilevers over a seasonal creek.

A massive, boxy living room soars to the height of a weighty stone fireplace, huge enough that its thermal mass would warm the space. Read the rest of this entry »