U.S. Marine Alex Minsky lost his leg and nearly died in Afghanistan three years ago, when he and his fellow Marines fell victim to a roadside bomb. After recovering from a coma and learning to use his new prosthetic leg, the Purple Heart recipient fell into depression and started drinking.

The Nautilus, designer Javier Senosiain’s bizarre, snail-shaped dwelling, is a mind-bending union of artistic experimentation and simplified living. Inspired by the work of Gaudí and Frank Lloyd Wright, Senosiain has brought to Mexico City another sparkling example of what he calls “Bio-Architecture” — the idea that buildings based on the natural principles of organic forms bring us back to local history, tradition and cultural roots, in turn creating harmony with nature.