# interesting little buildings



## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 25, 2010)

Here are a couple unusual and very small buildings that have popped up on my recent traversals of teh int3rwebz.  Any other tiny architectural curiosities out there?



In Sweden, *an invisible tree hotel* (yahoo article , hotel site (lots of flash), and the architects' site):








*A strawbale "hobbit hole"* in Wales:







FWIW, I've been slowly ramping up to buy some land and build a (fairly primitive) little homestead on it, hence the interest in the little buildings.  

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_ (And, no I'm not going to build an invisible treehouse.) 

(Probably.)_ 
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## IronWolf (Jul 25, 2010)

Those look cool!  I like the "hobbit hole"!


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## Aeolius (Jul 25, 2010)

Free Spirit Spheres





Earthworks Tipis





cabooses4sale


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## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 25, 2010)

IronWolf said:


> Those look cool!  I like the "hobbit hole"!



Yeah... my jaw dropped when I saw that one, too!  And reading their website is really interesting, as well, if a little short on specifics.  Best part is that it's not even expensive (well, for a house done fairly primitively), nor is it difficult to do.  

I'm _seriously_ thinking about doing something along those lines as a little retreat.




			
				Aeolius said:
			
		

> {.. pics ..}



 Aha! I'd forgotten about those spherical tree-houses.  They're a really neat idea, and look interesting, like huge fruit of some sort... though as a living space a sphere seems awkward to me (at least on a world with gravity  ).

Treehouses rock.  Here's another I like built by a pro, Takeshi Kobayashi.  He does a lot more avant garde stuff, too.





The caboose is neat, as well.  I've known a handful of people who have converted old schoolbuses into mobilehomes on the cheap.  It's amazing what some people pull off with a little veneer flooring, curtains and pvc pipe.  For a more old-school feel, I kind of like tiny wheeled houses, like the  old "Shepherds' huts" of the UK.





Or, of course, yurts:


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## IronWolf (Jul 25, 2010)

the_orc_within said:


> Yeah... my jaw dropped when I saw that one, too!  And reading their website is really interesting, as well, if a little short on specifics.  Best part is that it's not even expensive (well, for a house done fairly primitively), nor is it difficult to do.
> 
> I'm _seriously_ thinking about doing something along those lines as a little retreat.




The site was interesting.  I think it would make a great retreat and as you said, not super expensive to do so and blends right in with the surroundings.  I wish I had more access to some naturally occurring hills, but alas stuck in the midwestern flatlands for the moment!

Here is a wigwam motel in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.  I think the same folks did a couple other of these in the US as well.


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## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 25, 2010)

IronWolf said:


> The site was interesting.  I think it would make a great retreat and as you said, not super expensive to do so and blends right in with the surroundings.  I wish I had more access to some naturally occurring hills, but alas stuck in the midwestern flatlands for the moment!



Yes, hills make burrowing a lot easier.  Right now I'm looking into n. Arkansas or Missouri, for the Ozarks hills and forest.  I don't yet know if a "hobbit hole" is really suitable for that climate/terrain, but that's the kind of stuff I'm trying to find out.

Meanwhile, I feel your pain.  I'm in the Texas panhandle now, so it's just flat and dusty.  A couple options for flatlands:

Geodesic domes- They're easy to build, and they're a natural choice for gamers.  Paint a big 20 on top to complete "the natural 20 look":







Sandbag structures- ridiculously cheap and easy:






And whatever this is (I think it's the top of a water tower?)






(Unfortunately, I don't know anything about this one.  Supposedly it's in TX, but no idea where!)


.
_
An fwiw, this is a fun link to pics of unusual architecture (though not limited to tiny buildings).

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_


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## IronWolf (Jul 26, 2010)

the_orc_within said:


> Sandbag structures- ridiculously cheap and easy:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Those earthbag structures are very cool.  I just spent a bit of time cruising the net getting more details on those.  Very interesting!


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## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 26, 2010)

Post pics when you get yours built.


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## Mark CMG (Jul 26, 2010)

the_orc_within said:


> Geodesic domes- They're easy to build, and they're a natural choice for gamers.  Paint a big 20 on top to complete "the natural 20 look":






Sounds like a good way to get critically hit by lightning!


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## IronWolf (Jul 26, 2010)

the_orc_within said:


> Post pics when you get yours built.




Heh!  Toyed with the idea of going for a garden shed to start small and make sure I don't get in over my head!


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## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 29, 2010)

The "Bridge House" in Ambleside, Cumbria, in England.






It dates to the 16th century, and has done time as residence, shop and info center.  
I'm guessing it has floors around 8ft x 12ft or so, and two storeys.


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## Theo R Cwithin (Jul 31, 2010)

Umm, yeah.  This one's just kinda... silly.

A good slogan might be: 

* The SNAIL SHELL SYSTEM*
_ "All the discomfort of a tent, with none of the convenience!"_


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## AdmundfortGeographer (Aug 1, 2010)

Here is a tree house that has become a bit of a tourist attraction in my home town of Saint Louis Park, MN. The city council once tried to get the builder to take it down because they felt it was a hazard.


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