Positive Quote Wednesday - on the Holidays
December 14, 2011 by admin · View Comments
Leonard Maltin
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
Benjamin Franklin
A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.
Garrison Keillor
And of course there’s so much music in and around our family. I had a piano during Christmas because it’s obviously useful through the season. There are so many people, songwriters, who are around.
Ashley Judd
At Christmas our house is like a Donnie and Marie Christmas Special.
Kevin Richardson
At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.
Thomas Tusser
At Christmas, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ makes me cry in exactly the same places every time, even though I know it’s coming.
Nicholas Lea
Besides the two Christmas things, we’ve got a about a dozen new tracks we’re working on.
Chris Frantz
Beth
Positive Quote Wednesday - on Thanksgiving
December 10, 2011 by admin · View Comments
A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.
Kin Hubbard
An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.
Irv KupcinetDear Lord; we beg but one boon more: Peace in the hearts of all men living, peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.
Joseph AuslanderEven though we’re a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Richard RoeperFrom too much love of living, From hope and fear set free, We thank with brief thanksgiving Whatever gods may be that no life lives for ever; that dead men rise up never; that even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.
Algernon Charles SwinburneGratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
Henry Van DykeI celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.
Jon StewartI love chicken. I would eat chicken fingers on Thanksgiving if it were socially acceptable.
Todd BarryIf you think Independence Day is America’s defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands-down.
Tony SnowIt is now common knowledge that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Marilu HennerIt’s like being at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving - you can put your elbows on it, you don’t have to talk politics… no matter how old I get, there’s always a part of me that’s sitting there.
John HughesIt’s so warm now, and Thanksgiving came so early - is it just me, or does it not really feel like Ramadan?
David LettermanMy cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor.
Phyllis Diller
Beth
Fairytale Abodes: 15 Tiny Storybook Cottages
December 9, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
Humble and beautiful in their imperfection, little cottages with hand-made details call to mind the tales of the Brothers Grimm and other fairy stories, making us long for an adorable abode to call our own. These tiny houses provide inspiration to simplify and live smaller, and they’re definitely fun to look at. So make yourself a mug of hot cocoa, settle into some blankets and get ready to daydream about cozy snow-covered cottages brimming with the magic of storytelling.
The Queen’s Hamlet, France
(image via: stuck in customs)
You could say this is a real, authentic fairy tale cottage. It’s called ‘Hameau de la Reine’, or the Queen’s Hamlet, and it was built for Marie Antoinette between 1785 and 1792. Everything from its proportions and thatched roof to its lopsided staircase and beautiful garden serves as ideal inspiration for modern-day cottage copies.
The Storybook Cottage of New York
(images via: storybook-cottage.net)
If you’re longing for a fairytale experience but no where near building a little home of your own, live out your fantasies at Rhinebeck, New York’s Storybook Cottage. This rental home is in high demand, so the wait list is long, but it’s so worth it: the stone walls, warm wood and whimsical design details make it feel like it’s fit for a princess.
English Thatched-Roof
(image via: simply think shabby)
Thatched roofs, as seen in this adorable example, are one of the hallmarks of storybook homes. Thatching methods are used all over the world but are most closely associated with the countryside of the United Kingdom. Over 250 roofs in Southern England have coats of thatch that were applied over 500 years ago!
Rounded Stone
(image via: home-designing.com)
This sweet stone cottage has a sculpted thatch roof, leaded glass windows and multiple chimneys along with a gated garden – can it be any more evocative?
Tiny Cottage in the Catskills
(images via: tiny house blog)
A hunting cabin transformed into an all-white, shabby chic cottage in the hands of Sandra Foster, who uses it as a romantic retreat. The cottage measures just 9 by 14 feet and cost just $3,000 to renovate and furnish into this Victorian beauty.
Picturesque Garden
(image via: 24 media)
This little cottage almost looks too perfect to be real. Its setting, just against the dark woods, contrasts with its picture-perfect topiaries and welcoming steps.
Tiny Victorian House
(image via: Pandorea)
It’s a playhouse and garden shed rather than somebody’s home, but this tiny colorful house with Victorian details could easily house a person inclined to live small. Cecile’s Garden is reminiscent of a Tumbleweed House, which are tiny wooden houses built on wheels or foundations.
Hansel
(images via: tales from carmel, storybook1)
There’s no greater modern-day fairytale village than Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. This community features a number of charming homes built in the 1920s by Hugh Comstock. It all began when the architect’s wife asked him to build her a doll house as a show room for the rag dolls she sold, and the result was ‘Hansel’, above.
Windamere
(image via: redbubble)
Windamere is another Comstock cottage in Carmel, with its most eye-catching and distinguishing feature clearly being its unusually textured roof. The cedar shingles were steam-bent to curve and meander along the surfaces of the roof, a skill that is not easy to find among today’s craftsmen.
Sunwise Turn
(images via: tales from carmel)
Imagined by many a passer-by to be the cottage of the Seven Dwarves, Sunwise Turn is another Comstock creation. Shabby and sweet just as a real unkempt cottage in the woods, the home also known as the Elspeth Rose house is totally timeless.
Obers
(images via: linda hartong)
Obers was Comstock’s own home, made of adobe brick, local stone and hand-carved trim.
The Tuck Box
(image via: linda hartong)
Looking almost like something straight out of Disneyland, the Tuck Box was Hugh Comstock’s office and was built in 1927. It’s now the Tuck Box gift shop, which includes a tea room.
Marchen Haus
(images via:tales from carmel)
One more Comstock house to make you sigh in dreamy envy. Marchen Haus bears all the hallmarks of a lovingly hand-crafted home including asymmetrical windows, curving roof tiles and a misshapen chimney.
Rectory Cottage, Plymouth, England
(image via: bex ross)
Who wouldn’t want to live in an old rectory in the English countryside? This old groundkeeper’s cottage is now a private home, still adjacent to the old cemetery with which it was once associated.
Amazing Wooden Cottage, Poland
(image via: kebabsuperior)
From Poland comes another stunning hand-crafted creation. This cottage is located in Białka Tatrzańska, the Tatra Mountains.
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Honey I’m Home! Urban Beehives For Sweet City Living
December 6, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats & Home & Garden & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The latest buzz on urban gardening? Urban beehives, of course! These 7 bee-friendly beehives may be designed for city slickers who think Honeycomb comes in a box, but they’re ideal for anyone who wants to invite a little urban wildlife into their nature-challenged neighborhood.
The Beehaus
(images via: Physorg and New York Times)
The Beehaus might look a little like a very large breadbox but it’s really more like a honeypot – just add bees! Designed to suit the needs of both bees and beekeepers, the Beehaus comes with a 10-page instruction manual that covers pretty much any eventuality an urban beekeeper might face.
(images via: Delicious Magazine and The Crossed Cow)
Most images of the Beehaus show it in yellow with gray trim but buyers can actually select from a range of bright, flowery colors. The Beehaus is a thoughtful update on the classic man-made hive, a design that really hasn’t been significantly updated since the 1920s. With that said, the Beehaus isn’t cheap: one UK site has it listed “from £495.00″ but each kit includes everything you need to support a healthy honeybee colony. You can even order a beesuit and bees.
Bikube
(images via: New Tech News and Hot and Cool Stuff)
The Bikube Urban Beehive By Adam Weaver addresses an interesting hypothesis: city bees are doing well compared to their country cousins thanks to urban gardeners, who grow a bewildering variety of flowers yet use less pesticides than most farmers. City beehives are different too, witness the Bikube which is designed to attach to a home or apartment’s exterior wall. The attachment side is actually the Bikube’s only flat side: its other surfaces are curved to direct rainwater off the hive.
D.I.Y. HONEY
(images via: creativeDNAaustria and Philadelphia Weekly)
D.I.Y. HONEY is a design project from Austria’s Lena Goldsteiner. This acorn-shaped bee condo takes its inspiration from Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. The support mechanism resembles that of a hanging basket, though one wonders how the bees will react to wild weather, winds and storms.
The BeeCrib
(images via: Linda Raharuhi and Re-Nest)
The BeeCrib may not be as stylish as some other urban beehive designs but it makes up for that by being easy to assemble: no tools, no glue, no problem! Designers from the Bachelor of Design Innovation program at New Zealand’s Victoria University Wellington set out to create a top bar style beehive, the parts of which can be easily shipped in flat-pack format.
(images via: Linda Raharuhi)
The ultimate goal of the designers was and is to support urban beekeeping and thus boost the numbers of honeybees. The overall simplicity of the BeeCrib should appeal not only to new hobbyists but also to open source manufacturers who can ensure easy availability and low cost.
Mason Bee House
(images via: CrispGreen and Home Orchard Society)
While harvesting honey from your urban beehive is sweet payback for the work put in making your winged guests comfy & cozy, other types of bees are worth supporting too, honey or not. Take the Mason Bee: slightly smaller than honeybees, non-stinging Mason Bees visit up to 1,000 flowers daily – 20 times as much as the average honeybee! The Mason Bee House is built from biodegradable bamboo and its network of hollow tubes perfectly suits the nesting needs of Mason Bees.
The Warré Beehive
(images via: Bee Happy)
The Warré Beehive, invented by Abbé Émil Warré, is a simple and practical design that seeks to approximate as closely as possible the natural conditions under which bee colonies build hives in the wild. With that said, the design also works well for novice and/or urban beekeepers due to its simplicity and practicality. The so-called “People’s Hive” resembles a stack of boxes – when more space is needed, another box is added to the bottom of the stack.
(images via: The Beekeeper’s Digest)
Some Warré Beehives are constructed with viewing windows at the front that allows beekeepers and their guests) to monitor the progress of honeycomb-building from the outside. The bees don’t seem to mind being watched and will happily build their honeycombs right out to the clear glass pane.
The Urban Beehive by Philips
(images via: Nanaimo Green Developments)
The Urban Beehive from Philips is a two-part affair that “aims to bring fresh honey right to user’s living rooms.” Now don’t panic – although the portion of the Urban Beehive that contains the honey may be in the living room, the bees aren’t thanks to an ingenious mounting system that keeps access to the hive strictly on the outside.
(image via: Treehugger)
The Urban Beehive is as sleek and modern as they come, and that includes the gracefully curved integral flowerpot that provides hard-working bees with a quick sip before landing. The device also features a built-in smoke activator that comes into play when collecting honey from the hive. While only a concept, the warm reception given the Urban Beehive during its debut at Dutch Design Week bodes well for both bees and bee-lovers.
(image via: Serious Eats)
Are you catching a buzz yet? Urban beekeeping can be hugely rewarding, eminently fulfilling and just plain fun but it’s no casual endeavor. Being a bee boss demands time, care and patience – the lack of any of which can turn the sweet taste of success to the bitter sting of defeat… especially if you step on a bee barefoot. Respect the hive and you both may thrive!
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Haunted Earth: 15 Eerie Landscape Photos
October 31, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The earth is a beautiful place, filled with too many awe-inspiring views of nature to count. But there’s also a dark side. That same river that sparkles in the sunlight turns ominous in the night. Ferocious oncoming storms fill us with a sense of dread. The pitch blackness of the forest warns us of the dangers that lurk within. These 15 incredibly creepy landscape photos capture that darkness to spine-tingling effect.
Darkness Looms by Richard Thompson
(image via: richard thompson)
A nearly-leafless tree is silhouetted by a setting sun that is about to be overtaken by a sheet of gray clouds in this image of a decrepit farmhouse in rural Dundee, Michigan by Richard Thompson.
Le Croix des Maux by Tiquetonne2067
(image via: tiquetonee2067)
Of course, graveyards are an ideal location for shooting creepy landscape images. This one, enhanced by a red tinge to the sky, was taken in France.
Edge of the Woods by N. Salventius
(images via: n. salventius)
The edge of a dark forest looks ominous enough even on a bright sunny day, but add dark clouds and a strange pattern in the grass – which add up to what looks like a face in the landscape – and it’s extra creepy.
Northern Lights by Rob
(image via: -robw-)
The eerie green glow of Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as ‘Northern Lights’, seems to hint at an imminent alien invasion in this photograph of the Iceland sky by Rob W. Northern Lights are a natural atmospheric event that can be seen from Arctic regions.
Apocalypse by Bianca van der Werf
(image via: biancavanderwerf)
Bianca van deer Werf captures an approaching storm that looms over a single dead tree clinging to the edge of a cliff in the appropriately named digital creation, ‘Apocalypse’.
Ghosts in the Woods by Colin Campbell
(images via: bruiach)
What lurks within the trees? Photographer Colin Campbell notes that whenever he takes this path through the woods in Bruiach, Scotland, a solitary figure seems to wait for him at the end, disappearing as he gets close.
Glowing Eye by Orvaratli
(images via: orvaratli)
Iceland’s peculiar icy landscape becomes ever more eerie during the eruption of a volcano. This image was captured by Arctic photographer Örvar Atli Þorgeirsson during the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in March 2010.
Looming Storm by Garmonique
(images via: garmonique)
What is it about such a thick blanket of dark, heavy clouds that inspires a sense of dread in our hearts? This landscape photo seems to capture the moment just before an apocalyptic storm unleashes its fury on the earth.
Forgotten Idols by Radonich Aleksandra
(images via: radonich aleksandra)
The scarecrows are coming – run! Radonich Aleksandra shot this strange grouping in Serbia, explaining that remains of pagan idols from the past, which still dot the countryside, are often either turned into crosses or covered in scarecrow-like clothing.
Abandoned House by Erling Sivertsen
(image via: erlingsi)
Seeing what should otherwise be a warm, happy and welcoming home fall into such a state of disrepair can be a disconcerting experience, making us think about how fragile our lives can be. Add in the gloom of a winter landscape, complete with an opaque forest and a translucent veil of fog, and the image looks like a still shot from a horror movie.
Dead Tree in Fog by John Batte
(image via: john batte)
Four classic components of a scary landscape combine in this image by John Batte: a dead tree, a dark forest, gray clouds and fog. You wouldn’t want to be caught in a place like this by yourself.
En Noche Como Esta by Luis Mariano Gonzalez
(image vía: una cierta mirada)
The black silhouettes of birds perched in wispy tree branches against a full moon make a postcard-perfect Halloween image.
Tree Man by Mike Orso
(image via: photo mo)
Imagine walking through the woods and looking up to see a man’s face in the branches. It’s not an optical illusion. Artist Joseph Wheelwright installed several humanoid tree sculptures on the lawn of the Katonah Museum of Art in New York. They’ve got a slightly ominous feeling during the day, but their watchful eyes would be downright disturbing at night.
After Dark by Fussel
(image via: fussel)
The trees and birds are barely discernible in this shot, because all we can focus on is that big, bright full moon. The moon has long inspired frightening myths, legends and stories.
Hanging in the Woods by Josh Thipparat
(image via: byjosh)
You know what makes the woods even scarier than they can already be on their own? Adding a few ghosts. Sure, it’s a bit of a cheap trick, but you can’t say you wouldn’t jump if you saw them while on a hike.
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15 (More!) Terrific Towering Tree Houses
August 22, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
There’s something about human dwellings perched in trees that brings out the child in all of us, gazing up in wonder at seemingly endless staircases and platforms so near the sky. These 13 (more!) tree houses range from rustic cabins that seem like overgrown versions of children’s playhouses to modern interpretations gleaming in glass and stainless steel.
Fairytale-Inspired Forest Tree House, British Columbia
(images via: enchantedforestbc.com)
Deep in the woods of British Columbia is the Enchanted Forest, a fairytale-like theme park filled with ‘jolly fairy folk figurines’, boardwalks, nature trails, castles and BC’s tallest treehouse. The latter is certainly a magical place, spiraling into the air , supported both by tree trunks and added beams.
Reverend Burgess’ Reclaimed Treehouse, Tennessee
(images via: stephanie alice rogers)
Thought to be one of the largest treehouses in the world, this wacky structure located in the small town of Crossville, Tennessee was built over 15 years by Reverend Burgess, who believes he’s on a divine mission. Burgess has built the 10-story, 100-foot structure out of reclaimed wood, and it now occupies six mature trees.
Camp Treehouse
(images via: the lettered cottage)
Camp Treehouse was built by a group of friends for Wandawega Rentals, a private resort in Wisconsin. The two-story treehouse was built on an old dead tree trunk and includes a wrap-around porch, a vaulted ceiling with a loft, a hammock, a ladder and a rope swing. Nearly all materials were reused or handmade.
Lord Northumberland’s Scottish Treehouse
(images via: alister cameron)
Another contender for the world’s largest treehouse was built for an astonishing $7 million in 2006 (compare that to the $12,000 spent by Reverend Burgess!) Scotland’s Lord Northumberland commissioned the treehouse from Treehouse Company. It features disabled access and full facilities for its 120-seat restaurant. The treehouse is suspended between 16 lime trees and is located on the grounds of Alnwick Gardens.
Lifepod by Kyu Che Studio
(images via: kyuche.com)
A traveling yurt that can be placed nearly anywhere, the ‘Lifepod’ by Kyu Che Studio also makes for one incredible (and slightly scary, for those afraid of heights) suspended treehouse. The prefab pod home concept can be shipped worldwide within weeks of ordering, and fits within a 40-foot shipping container.
Sky High Treehouse, Saleve Mountain, France
(images via: curbly)
This unbelievably high treehouse is perched near the apex of a 130-foot Austrian pine in Saleve Mountain, France. The treehouse is supported by a hidden ring; guests who brave the nearly 70-foot spiral staircase are rewarded with views of Lake Geneva.
Home Built Around a Tree
(image via: the chive)
Homes like this unidentified castle-like abode prove that homeowners building on untouched land don’t necessarily have to clear out trees in order to bring their dream home to life. This treehouse appears to be about one story above the ground, with branches poking through the roof and deck.
Nussraum, Dusseldorf, Germany
(images via: cimots)
Supported on stainless steel legs, the Nussraum design by Baumraum, a German company specializing in modern treehouses, could either be assembled around a tree like conventional treehouses, or stand alone. Nussraum, which translates as ‘Walnut Room’, gets its name from the walnut wood used to create it. This one stands in a garden in Dusseldorf.
Towering Twin Treehouses
(image via: edmerritt)
The provenance of this incredible treehouse photo is unknown, but it’s certainly captivating. Two tiny cabins teeter atop fir trees, accessible via spiraling staircases.
Cedar Spire, Fife, Scotland
(images via: erindale real estate)
Located on an estate in Fife, Scotland, Cedar Spire is a castle-like treehouse with stained glass windows, a turret-like main room, a balcony and a suspended walkway leading to a viewing platform on an adjacent tree.
Pharrell Williams’ Eco Treehouse Concept
(images via: oppenheim architecture)
Rapper Pharrell Williams is collaborating with architect Chad Oppenheim on a vision for a treehouse-inspired youth center in William’s hometown of Virginia Beach. The 30,000-square-foot Pharrell Williams Resource Center features three modern volumes set within a dense forest.
Wilkinson Treehouse by Robert Oshatz
(images via: oshatz.com)
Noting the sloped grade of the site, architect Robert Harvey Oshatz saw an opportunity to bring the main level of a commissioned home up into the tree canopy. The Wilkinson Residence is an organic, flowing home with shapes that mimic those in nature. While the home is not supported by trees like a traditional treehouse, it achieves a similar effect with its unusual shape.
Spiral House, Rambouillet Forest, France
(images via: independent)
HIdden within Rambouillet Forest in France, the Spiral House is a tiny cabin high up in a tree, accessible only by a tall staircase.
DIY Traditional Tree House
(images via: edmund sumner)
This treehouse, built without help from an architect or skilled carpenter, perches almost frighteningly high in the sky on just a few skinny supports. Used as a tea house in Japan, the treehouse was created by a tea master who harvested the logs for the support from a local mountain.
Takashi Kobayashi Treehouse
(images via: treehouse.jp)
Designed for an advertising agency client, which used it to film an ad for Nescafe commercial, this rustic, playful treehouse resembles a bird’s nest. It was conceived and built by Takashi Kobayashi, one of Japan’s foremost tree house designers.
“What exactly is it about treehouses that would so captivate a slacker like me, a man who could never devote himself to any one cause or finish anything he started?” says Kobayashi. “What is it in treehouses that attracts anyone? I’ve come to think the answer lies in the vitality of the trees themselves. Everlasting life.”
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Lifestyle Changes to Destress
August 12, 2011 by admin · View Comments
First, you need to learn how to organize your time. You may find keeping a schedule helpful so you will know when it’s time to say no to other commitments. Excessive demands on your time can put you in a lot of stress. Utilize shortcuts so you’ll have more time to do things and be less frantic. Also, you’ll have spare time to relax or do things that you enjoy.
Maintain an organized home and work environment. A cluttered space can give you additional stress and even drain your energy. Don’t make your environment a stressor. De-clutter and decorate your house or your workplace with things that gives you a soothing feeling. Make it a habit to keep your things and space clean and organized. Not only is it pleasing to the eyes, it will also save you from stressing on taking time to find things and missing some.
Take good care of your body. A healthy body means you are in good condition to handle your daily stressors. Being unhealthy makes stressful things even more stressful and in itself an additional stress for you. So, have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and make sure to get enough rest and sleep. Take vitamins or supplements if necessary. Pamper yourself sometimes like getting a massage or going on a vacation. It can help you avoid chronic stress and make your body re-energized.
Develop a supportive social network. Studies show that people who have a supportive social network have less stressful lives than those who don’t even have a close friend or partner to lean on during tough times. Meet more people and develop better relationships. You will feel less stress if you can air out your negative emotions with people you trust and get an encouraging response from them. Remember, a burden when shared equals half the burden. Bottling things up inside will only make the pressure increase.
Source: Social Media Ala Carte
Beth
Airy Architecture: 13 Homes Open to Nature
August 5, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
Imagine being able to temporarily remove an entire wall of your home – or maybe every wall – to let in cool, fresh air in the heat of summer. That’s the idea behind these 13 open-air houses, which utilize either sliding panels, garage doors or permanently perforated screens to take advantage of natural ventilation and cooling. These airy designs not only lower energy bills, but foster a connection to the outdoors.
The Paraty House by Marcio Kogan Architects
(images via: contemporist)
Truly blurring the lines between indoors and out, this incredible beach house in Paraty, Brazil features massive sliding windows that completely open the interior spaces to an infinity pool and the shore beyond it. The home is made up of two cantilevered concrete volumes which jut out of a mountainside; residents arrive by boat.
Kokopo House, Papua New Guinea
(images via: world architecture news)
With a form inspired by the flow of volcanic lava, the Kokopo House in Papua New Guinea is bold, futuristic and luxurious. Totally off-grid and open to the elements, the home contains no windows and has walls designed to encourage air flow. It also features rainwater collection, solar water heaters and low-wattage LED lights, and was made using local materials.
Fish House by Guz Architects
(images via: best of remodeling)
Mimicking the way the gills of a fish allow oxygen into its body, the Fish House by Guz Architects has openings in its layered roof to usher in fresh ocean air. Numerous large opening windows further open up the inside of the home, and the architects extended the living space into the outdoors with covered poolside pavilions and glassed-in cantilevered living spaces.
Minimalist White Home by Iwan Baan
(images via: iwan.com)
Japanese architect Iwan Baan does away with glass altogether in this minimalist white home, at least when it comes to the exterior volume. A white sheath extending all the way to the property line, punctuated with rectilinear openings that let in air and light. This provides a protected garden space between the outer volume and the interior space.
Leaf House, Rio de Janeiro
(images via: world architecture news)
Leaf-like coverings protect a maze of enclosed and open spaces in this luxury Rio de Janeiro home. Mareines + Patalano architects took inspiration from traditional Indian structures in Brazil, leaving much of the house open to trade winds from the sea which provide natural ventilation and passive cooling.
Costa Rican Home Made of Bamboo
(images vía: benjamín garcia saxe)
Made entirely of bamboo, this beautiful home in the jungle of Costa Rica was made by architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe for his mother. The angled bamboo lets in fresh air and cooling breezes without allowing water to drip inside.
Residencia RR, Sao Paulo
(images via: andrademorettin.com)
At Residencia RR in Sao Paulo, Brazil, massive windows are paired with sliding screens to allow plentiful ventilation and light without welcoming insects, snakes and other jungle creatures into the interior space. The home is contained within a primary ‘shell’ which shields it from the elements and provides shade.
The Bahia House by Marcio Kogan
(images via: archdaily)
Yet another home inspired by the traditional architecture of Brazil is the Bahia House by Marcio Kogan architects. The floor plan of this tropical home is organized around a central patio and the exterior walls are actually perforated wooden screens, which take advantage of north winds off the sea. This keeps the interior cool despite blazing hot summer temperatures.
Elm & Willow House by Architects EAT
(images via: dezeen)
This U-shaped extension to a home in Canterbury, Australia encloses new rooms in a sliding glass ‘skin’ that can open them up entirely to the outdoors. Built on steel columns, the addition is suspended to avoid damaging the roots of mature elm and willow trees around which the extensions are placed to create a courtyard. Opening both rooms creates two separate outdoor pavilions that keep the addition from crowding the yard.
Chicken Point Cabin in Idaho
(images via: olsonkundingarchitects.com)
“The idea for the cabin is that of a lakeside shelter in the woods―a little box with a big window that opens to the surrounding landscape,” says architecture firm Olson Kundig Architects of Chicken Point Cabin in Northern Idaho. The cabin has a massive wall of windows measuring 30 by 20 feet that opens like a garage door, exposing the living space to the wilderness. The chosen materials, including plywood, concrete and steel, were left unfinished to age naturally “and acquire a patina that fits in with the natural setting.”
The Green Village by Ibuku, Bali
(images via: green village bali)
Like many other jungle climates, Bali is warm and humid with cooling breezes that come in off the water. Local architecture takes advantage of these breezes with open-air designs that let residents luxuriate in the temperate climate. The Green Village, a collection of bamboo homes by Balinese firm Ibuku, is a prime example of the beauty of this approach.
Open-Air Outdoor Kitchen
(image via: kbculture)
Showcasing the ideal compromise between a space that’s open to the wind yet protected from the rain, this outdoor kitchen by McInturff Architects is covered by a slanted roof and walled in on three sides, but large openings retain the connection to its natural surroundings.
Open-Air Library by Karo
(images via: dezeen.com)
The only structure on this list that isn’t a home, this open-air building by KARO deserves a mention just for the stark rarity of the design: it’s a library. It may seem illogical to open a collection of damage-prone paper to the elements, but this ventilated design in Magdeburg, Germany actually keeps the books in protected niches, leaving the open spaces for browsers to sit and relax. The library was made from wood, salvaged materials from a former warehouse and hundreds of beer crates.
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These relaxing retreats pair modern materials and aesthetics with a touch of nature in the form of reclaimed timber and patina for an elegant, rustic look.
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That’s No Moon… It’s A Supermoon!
March 22, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Science & Research. ]
On March 19, 2011 when the Moon loomed to its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, the usual gang of doomsayers spewed forth apocalyptic predictions while seeking to link the Extreme Supermoon event with recent natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan. While science has shown the Chicken Little’s laid a colossal egg, at least we were given a plethora of marvelous moon photos to swoon over.
Moon River, Wider than a Mile
(image via: Global Times)
With apologies to Johnny Mercer and Andy Williams, the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon looked more than a mile wider than the average moon and actually WAS miles closer. Though the moon’s distance from the Earth (measured center to center) varies between 357,000 kilometers (222,000 mi) at perigee and 406,000 km (252,000 mi) at apogee due to the elliptic nature of the lunar orbit, the March 19 event saw our solitary satellite snuggle up to within a mere 356,577 km (221,572 mi). Since the average lunar perigee is 364,397 km (226,432 mi), on March 19 the moon was about 7,820 km (4,860 mi) closer to the earth. Above is the March 19 supermoon rising behind Berlin’s Funkturm radio and television tower.
(images via: Say To All and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It gets even better. Supermoons are most notable when they occur at what astronomers call “perigee-syzygy”: a full or new moon that coincides with lunar perigee. While this in itself isn’t all that special (run of the mill supermoons occur 4 to 6 times a year), so-called “extreme supermoons” like this year’s one looming over Sofia, Bulgaria (above, top) are a different story.
(images via: Say To All, Global Times and Jano)
There have been 14 extreme supermoons since 1900 with the most recent occurring in 2005, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1975, 1974, 1972 and 1954. We can look forward to enjoying (weather permitting) future extreme supermoons in 2016, 2018, 2023, 2034 and 2036… so save the date, we’re brewin’ up some moonshine!
Here’s a short video primer on supermoons and supermoon-mania by some folks who know a thing or two about the moon… NASA:
ScienceCasts: Super Moon, via ScienceAtNASA
(image via: Wikipedia)
Numbers are all well and good but are these differences in distance actually noticeable from our Earthly vantage point? Indeed they are. The average full moon at perigee appears around 12 percent larger than an average non-perigee full moon. Supermoons, even more so. The difference is even greater for extreme supermoons such as the March 19, 2011 event as shown in the comparison split-screen image above. It’s estimated that the moon appeared 14 percent larger and was 30 percent brighter!
The Tides That Bind
(images via: Daily News Global, Frugal Cafe and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
For those of us on Earth (basically ALL of us, ISS-crew excepted), the moon’s gravitational force is most evident in the way it influences the tides. One might expect an extreme supermoon to induce some extreme tides, and indeed that’s the case though “extreme” is a relative term; up to 15 cm (6 in) depending on local conditions.
(images via: Celestia Screenshots Gallery, BBC and Will Barnes Online)
Tidal forces also affect land masses though not enough to be noticeable. That’s not the case on some of the solar system’s other heavenly bodies, specifically the moons which orbit large gas giant planets. These moons heat up from the constant stress and stretching; Jupiter’s moon Io is a leading example. Other moons affected by tidal forces are Enceladus (Saturn) and Triton (Neptune).
(images via: Gaia Souls, Free PSP Movies Portal and National Geographic)
Where we run into problems of speculation and extrapolation is when we try to apply marine tidal dynamics to land masses. The forces involved with plate tectonics and earthquakes are not affected by lunar tides, not to mention that old favorite of astrologers: the alignment of the planets.
(image via: Fast Company and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
Some attempts have been made to show causal relationships between the January 10, 2005 extreme supermoon and the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as well as the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon and the March 11, 2011 Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Not so fast: it’s been proven unequivocally that “the 2011 Tohoku earthquake is the only destructive earthquake of 8.0 magnitude or greater to have occurred within 2 weeks of the 14 extreme supermoons from 1900 to the present date.”
“I’m Ready For My Closeup”
(images via: Ajorbahman’s Collection)
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore! Or to be more precise, that’s an extreme supermoon! Hmm, maybe it’d sound better if Dino sang it. In any case, you may have noticed the vast majority of the photos that accompany articles on the supermoon feature the moon’s face hovering just above the horizon. There’s a good reason for that: supermoon or not, the moon just looks bigger when it’s rising or setting.
(images via: Spirit Voyage and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It isn’t really bigger, of course. Our brain’s visual centers aren’t equipped to accurately judge the distance of objects, especially those as distant as the moon. Instead, we compare the relative sizes of objects sharing the same field of vision. A full moon riding high in the sky looks smaller than one rising up from behind a city skyline because there aren’t any visual cues for comparison – clouds and stars don’t count. The same theory can be applied to rising and setting suns.
(images via: EarthSky, Pat Dollard and Cosmos TV)
Everything said up to this point applies to supermoons seen by human beings – including our primitive ancestors. Go much farther back in time and a lot of what those aforementioned doomsayers have been saying takes on more than a glimmer of truth. That’s because the moon didn’t always orbit the Earth at its current, slightly variable distance. It used to be closer… a LOT closer.
(images via: German Aerospace Center, Ecogirl & Cosmoboy, Science Photo Library and Bob Willits)
Astronomers believe the moon was formed by a spectacular collision between the Earth and a Mars-sized rogue planetoid approximately 4.5 billion years ago, very early in the history of the solar system. The impactor slammed into the mostly molten proto-Earth, splashing a goodly glop of magma into space where it first became a Saturn-like ring before coalescing into the moon.
(image via: Science Photo Library)
The newborn moon orbited exceptionally close to the earth – approximately 25,500 km (15,845 mi) away. Imagine the tides a moon that close would raise on an Earth awash with oceans of magma! The moon continues to slowly spiral away from the Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm (1.52 in) per year, thus making each future supermoon slightly less super than the one before.
Look Skywatchers!
(image via: ScriptingNews)
So you missed the 2011 extreme supermoon due to cloudy skies in your area; not to worry. There’ll be another one soon enough… well, 2016 isn’t that far away. Maybe you, like the future President of the United States, will be able to see it from your house. Hey, that’s no moon!
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(Images via: Field of Science)
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Living Off Land: 12 Amazing Houseboats & Floating Homes
March 11, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Home & Garden. ]
They come in all shapes and sizes, from traditional-looking homes that just happen to be floating on water to ultramodern houseboat concepts that look like they might be able to fly, too. Some are high-end, while others are cobbled together from reclaimed planes, trains and automobiles, proving that you don’t have to have a large budget to take your home to the high seas – or the lake, bay, river or canal.
Streamlined Wooden House Boat
(images via: contemporist)
Technically a house barge, since it can’t propel itself from one location to another, this home on the Eilbekkanal in Hamburg, Germany is warm, homey and modern with its curved wood exterior. Inside, the space is divided by a single spiraling wall that wraps around each successive space with public living areas on the exterior and private areas like the bedroom and bathroom on the interior.
‘Train Wreck’ Houseboat Made from Train Car
(image via: sfgate)
A repurposed train car forms the center of ‘Train Wreck’, an otherwise very house-like floating home at South Forty Dock in Sausalito, California. In a former life, it was a 50-foot-long, 120-year-old Pullman sleeper car. Owners Renee and Henry Baer cut it in half, split it into a ‘V’ shape and attached it to a 20-by-40-foot concrete hull.
Pink Shantyboat Made with a Bus
(image via: glassoffashion)
This is technically a ‘shantyboat’, but it looks more like a parade float that veered off into a marina. And hey, there’s a lot of trash in the world – why not put it to good use? Spotted on the River Adur in England, this houseboat clearly has an owner with a creative eye for recyclable materials. A bus and a washing machine are just two obvious elements included in the design.
Dubai Houseboat by X-Architects
(image via: archdaily)
Made from two catamaran beams, stainless steel and glass, this collaboration between X-ARchitects and designer Leen Vandaele is a crisp and modern home base in the Dubai marina. A terrace with a glass roof, reached by a spiral staircase, also acts as a sun deck.
Geometric Houseboat in Copenhagen
(image via: arnþór snær )
Spotted in Copenhagen in 2008, this highly unusual houseboat sports a geometric metal facade and what appears to be a secondary glassed-in structure for sunbathing.
Cosmic Muffin Boeing Houseboat
(image via: re-nest)
It started as a 1930s Boeing Stratoliner, owned by Howard Hughes. The tail and wings were cut off to transform it into the houseboat it is today, dubbed Cosmic Muffin and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Floating House Inspired by Nature
(image via: environmental graffiti)
The curve of ocean waves just as they’re about to break inspired this elegant houseboat on the Willamette River in Oregon. Architect Robert Harvey Oshatz employed wood and plenty of glass for an organic feel. “I believe that every house has a sense of poetry to it, so what I wanted to do was design a house which would reflect the poetry of the movement of the river,” he said.
Solar-Powered Houseboat Concept
(image via: ecofriend)
If the Waterworld version of apocalyptic predictions ever comes to pass, this solar houseboat concept could be a relatively comfortable way to survive the chaos. Inspired by a fishing bobber, the house has a flotation belt and is half-submerged for stability even in the face of large waves. An upper-level garden grabs all those harsh rays of sunlight, which are also harvested for power.
Low-Budget Floating House
(images via: oldstersview, nau.edu)
You don’t have to have a lot of money to own your very own floating house. As these two images prove, low-budget houseboats are certainly possible, especially if you don’t care too much about aesthetics.
Three-Story Sausalito Houseboat
(image via: sfgate)
Houseboat living isn’t necessarily tiny living. This three-story, 4,000-square foot monster of a floating house in Sausalito definitely proves that even people who like to live large (literally) can have a home right on the water.
Modern Floating Home on Lake Union
(image via: archdaily)
With a limited allowable footprint and a request from the homeowners that the design be fitting both for living and entertaining, Vandeventer + Carlander Architects designed this floating home in Seattle to be versatile and elegant. At 2,824 square feet, it’s larger than many homes on land, and even has an 887-square-foot deck. Aluminum cladding, strategically placed windows and decks allowed the designers to achieve a look that is “visually interesting and coherent.”
Covey Island Boatworks Arctic Home
(images via: inhabitat)
Faced with harsh winter conditions, the Inuit have long taken shelter in upside-down boats. Inspired by this practice, Covey Island Boatworks has designed an extreme arctic home that puts a different spin on the word ‘houseboat’. Using the same construction methods and materials that make a boat lightweight, flexible and strong, the boat builders created this prefabricated off-grid structure specifically for use on dry land.
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