Belly of the Beast: Serpentine Residential Eco-Building
March 9, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
When faced with a difficult parcel of land on which to build, owners and architects are often moved to develop innovative solutions. But few are as strange, as eye-catching and as wonderfully in tune with the land as this one, known as Quetzalcoatl’s Nest. This may look like one of those dazzling-but-impossible architectural renders which will never be constructed – but this is an actual housing estate in Naucalpan, Mexico.
The owners of this plot of land had an exceptionally difficult series of problems to work around: the land was .5 hectares (about 1.2 acres), covered in slopes and pitted with collapsed caves left over from previous mining on the property. The very small flat, treeless portion of the land had to be used for parking. But maybe most challenging of all was that the existing plant life had to be left untouched. In the end, about 97% of the land was unsuitable for building on.
That is where architect Javier Senosiain stepped in. Presented with these restrictions, most architects would have simply thrown up their hands and walked away from the project, but Senosiain is known around the world as a master of organic architecture. He works with the shape of the land to create distinctly natural forms in buildings which would normally look like out-of-place boxes plopped in a natural setting.
As he took into account all of the requirements for the project, Senosiain began to think of the way a snake’s body curves and undulates. It was in this way that the impressive Quetzalcoatl’s Nest took shape. Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god considered to be the mediator between heaven and earth, embodied the compromises and partnerships taking place in this unique building project.
The main building is Quetzalcoatl’s body; it contains all of the condominiums of the development. Domed windows look out over the lush grounds. The homes are accessed via the walkway that runs along the serpent’s back. At one end of the Great Serpent’s body is its rattle, a three-story structure that houses the water deposit, guard’s post and machine room. The interior of each condo reflects the soft, curving, organic shapes of the exterior.
The head of Quetzalcoatl emerges near the parking area through the one preserved cave on the property, providing a platform on which one can stand and take in the breathtaking view of the surrounding canyon. One of the collapsed caves has formed a crater on the land, which the architect turned into a small pool which collects rainwater and is part of the self-contained sewage treatment system for the property. Stone walls also in the shapes of serpents wind through the land.
(all images via: Urbarama)
This astonishing property is unlike anything else in the world and it is truly a work of art. Coming home to an apartment that is in the belly of a mythical snake must be like stepping into a different world at the end of the day. The fact that the architect used natural, eco-friendly building techniques and relied on the natural contours of the land makes an already-beautiful project all the more impressive.
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Positive Quote Wednesday - Ancient Words of Wisdom
May 26, 2010 by admin · View Comments
“Every man is the architect of his own future” - Sallust (86 -35 BC) Roman Historian
“Your life is an expression of all your thoughts.”
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180) - Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher“Men are not troubled by things themselves, but by their thoughts about them”.
Epictetus (C. 55 - C. 135) - Greek Stoic Philosopher“He has half the deed done who has mad a beginning”.
Horace (65-8 B.C.) - Roman Poet and Satirist“First say to yourself what would you be; and then do what you have to do”.
Epictetus (C. 55 - C. 135) Greek Stoic Philosopher“The nature of man is always the same; it is their habits that separate them”.
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) - Chinese Philosopher“Take charge of your thoughts. You can do what you will with them”.
Plato (428-327 BC) - Greek Philosopher and Prose Writer“They can do all because they think they can”.
Virgil (70-9 BC) - Roman Poet“Where fear is . . . happiness is not”.
Seneca (4BC - AD65) - Roman Philosopher and Playwright
“Give me where to stand and I will move the earth”.
Archimedes (287-212 BC) - Syracusan Mathematician, Astronomer and Inventor“Learn what you are and be such”.
Pindar (522-438 BC) - Greek Poet“What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do”.
Aristotle (383-322 BC) - Greek Philosopher“Our life is what our thoughts are make it”.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180) Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.
Solomon (10th Century BC) - King of Israel & reputed author of Biblical Books“When the mind is thinking, it is talking to itself”.
Plato (428-327 BC) - Greek Philosopher and Prose Writer“What we are is what we have thought for years”.
Gautama The Buddha (560-480 BC) - Indian Spiritual leader and Founder of Buddhism“How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself”.
Publilius Syrus - (1st century BC) - Latin Writer of Mimes“Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be a time. Let it first blossom then bear fruit, then ripen”.
Epictetus (C. 55 - C. 135) Greek Stoic Philosopher“Practice yourself for heaven’s sake, in little things; and thence proceed to greater”.
Epictetus (C. 55 - C. 135) Greek Stoic Philosopher“Perseverance is more prevailing than violence and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little”.
Plutarch (C. A.D. 46 - C 120) - Greek Biographer and Essayist
Source: TrevorCrookBlog
Beth
Egg-Shaped Architecture & Art From Amazing To Bizarre
April 1, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Angie in Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Home & Garden. ]
Easter eggs were reportedly first decorated in the 13th century, while egg shaped architecture “caught on” significantly later than that. From amazing decorated eggs to strange structures, here is a bizarre collection of oval-like designs in architecture and art.
Decorated With A Drill
Franc Grom created hundreds of amazing eggs. He uses his electric boring tool to pierce about 2,500 to 3,500 holes in each fragile eggshell.
(image credits:damnfunnypictures,ragandbone,a-pic.co.tv)
Grom was inspired by Slovenian designs. He patiently creates and then sells his masterful eggshell designs. There are times he drills as many as 17,000 holes per breakable egg.
Egg Art
(image credits:applicant)
Decorating Easter eggs is not only for children. Some painted eggs are displayed in museums such as in the Eggs Museum located in Moldoviţa, Bucovina. The hand-made designs are passed down from families, differing in colors and patterns depending on which Bucovina village they were made. These Easter ornaments eggs were created by Lucia Condrea.
Egg City
(image credits:pitodoble,neatorama)
In terms of patience, it would seem to take huge amounts to stack these eggs for a massive sculpture. This “egg city” was built for an avant-garde exhibit in Groninger Museum in Groningen, Netherlands. Avant-garde is experimental or innovative, pushing the boundaries of what one might expect. The Groninger Museum was transformed into a ‘Small Chinese Empire.’
World’s Largest Easter Egg
(image credits:crazywebsite)
The world’s largest Easter egg or Ukrainian ‘Pysanka,’ was constructed in 1975 in Vegreville, Canada. The outer aluminum skin weighs 2,000 pounds. The Pysanka is an immense jigsaw puzzle containing 524 star patterns, 2,206 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts. It measures 25.7 feet long, 18.3 feet wide, and stands 31.6 feet high.
Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló Has Egg-Shaped Windows
(image credits:parisparfait)
Designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudí, Casa Batllo is in Barcelona, Spain. It has egg-shaped windows and Juliet balconies. This curved building is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Gaudí is known for his work as “God’s Architect” and spent ten years working on studies for the design of La Sagrada Família. He died in 1926 after being run over by a tram.
Blob VB3
(image credits:The Design Inspiration)
The mobile living space, blob VB3, has a bathroom, kitchen, storage niches, and even a nook for sleeping. The nose opens and can function as a porch. It took 18 months to build, is made primarily of polyester, and is easily transportable. The Blob can function as a office, garden house, or guest room.
Egg Shaped Structures
(image credits:frank-heger,artmargins)
Frank Heger addressed the designing challenges of how to keep digesters from falling over. With his help, the Crom Corporation constructed two 3-million gallon egg-shaped sludge digesters for Baltimore’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The red egg-shaped house by architect Sergey Tkacheneko is located in Moscow. It is one part of a larger residential structure. His egg design was deliberated for years before construction.
More Design Egg Shapes
(image credits:cowboyofbottrop,unci_narynin,decodir)
The Egg-shaped digesters in Bottrop, Germany, are used for sewage treatment processing. Another large egg-shape building is located in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Egg-o house with the garden in the center was designed by architecture company A69 from the Czech Republic.
London City Hall
(image credits:waymarking,futurearchitects,danclafrance)
London City Hall is located on the south bank of the River Thames. Its unusual egg-like shape reduces surface area and improves energy efficiency. Inside the ten-story building, a 1,640 foot spiral staircase goes up to an exhibition and meeting space called “London’s Living Room.”
Gherkin Behind The Tower Of London
(image credits:worldtravelgallery)
The Gherkin skyscraper is also in London. Designed by Norman Foster and constructed by Skanska, Gherkin has 40 floors and stands 591 feet tall. For energy savings, this unusual shaped building incorporates the double glazing effect. It has gaps in each floor to create six shafts, or chimneys, trapping air between two layers of glazing to insulate the office spaces.
City Of Arts And Sciences
(image credits:architec)
The City of the Arts and the Sciences in Valencia, Spain, is an egg-shaped entertainment-complex that is both culturally and architecturally amazing. It has glass windows and floors. The large “eye” is an Imax Cinema. There are three floors and 13,9930 square feet of the building which also houses a Planetarium and a Laserium.
Egg Building in China
(image credits:twistedsifter)
The National Centre for the Performing Arts, also known as The Egg, is a 129,000 square foot titanium and glass opera house in Beijing, China. The exterior has over 18,000 titanium plates, more than 1,000 sheets of ultra-white glass, and a low-iron glass with a high rate of light transmission. It cost $468.7 million and seats 5,452 people in three halls, The Opera House, The Hall, and The Theatre. It is said to look like an egg floating on the water; an artificial lake surrounds it. The hallway goes underneath the lake, but with a massive glass ceiling, light shines through the water to give visitors an otherworldly experience. The Egg was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. It held its first concert in 2007.
Cybertecture Egg
(image credits:sharearchitecture)
The Cybertecture Egg, in Mumbai, India, is scheduled for completion this year. By using this “egg” shape, the building has approximately 10-20% less surface area than conventional buildings. This 13 story “egg” will use solar photovoltaic panels and rooftop wind turbines to generate on-site electricity. In focusing on health and wellness, it will interact with occupant’s vital health statistics such as blood pressure and weight. The 32,000 square meter egg-shaped building will combine “iconic architecture, environmental design, intelligent systems, and new engineering to create an awe-inspiring landmark in the city.”
Glow In The Dark Alien Eggs
(image credits:glowstickfactory)
Dear children and/or trolls: Happy Easter to you too. Since none of the “eggs” here probably interested you, perhaps you would better like a dozen glow-in-the-dark alien eggs from Area 51?
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