This building in North Yorkshire, England is situated on the migration routes of wild geese. In cloudy weather, the gray color of the wall blends into the color of the sky with the result that many birds fly beak first into the side of the building. The owner contacted the authorities of the city for assistance and they have appealed to the public for artists who have a good concept for the wall’s design.
Sled dogs in Svalbard, Norway live in little houses built a foot or two off the ground so they remain accessible even after snowstorm. Raising the floor above the cold ground also keeps the dogs warmer in the winter.
The Safe House by KWK PROMES is located in a small village on the outskirts of Warsaw, Poland. Surrounding the area, many of the buildings are “Polish cubes” from the 60s and old wooden barns. The house was designed so that the homeowners never feel unsafe or exposed. The result is something of a modern fortress with lots of movable parts and secret openings, complete with a working drawbridge.
CHIP is a prefab, net-zero solar-powered house designed and built by a student-run team from two Southern California schools: Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The house is the team's entry for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 competition.