That's Interesting! 6 Designs That Defy Labels (13 photos) Featured
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Authors: houzz kitchen
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Get inspired by the lines and textures of these homes, categorized only by the fact that they have no categoryI am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at
http://archidose.blogspot.comI am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of...
Many of the subjects for the ideabooks that I write come about by browsing through photos on Houzz. Regardless of what sorts of filters I'm using (exterior vs. living room, modern vs. contemporary, metropolitan area, search terms, etc.), I always find something new, and eventually I'll see a common strand that reveals a design story. Other times some aspects of a design are so unique that they stand apart, resistant to be lumped in with other houses. I've assembled some examples here, designs that share the trait of making me think, "That's interesting!"

The same designers crafted another residence where the wood exterior wraps a walk-in closet and bathroom. The designers call it a "protective shell," but it is one that is punctured by gill-like vertical strips.

The effect of the vertical strips is apparent inside the bathroom, where shadows from the trees dance on the translucent glass surface.
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This photograph of a residence's front yard is intriguing not only for the pillowy landscape designed by H. Keith Wagner Partnership, but also for the way the strips move through it and across the various elements. The one on the left continues under a rock before stopping at a stone wall, while the one on the right just misses a tree before it cuts through the same stone wall. |


Another interesting detail in front of the house happens at the path leading to the front door. Instead of routing the path around a tree or siting the house so the two wouldn't coincide, the two elements merge. Even though far from normal, it seems to work really well, perhaps because of the tall and skinny nature of the tree.

The last project is interesting for the way Dale Jones-Evans Pty Ltd Architecture renovated an early 20th-century landmark warehouse into residences, particularly in the way they retained and worked the 1980s columns into the design. These columns have what look like orthogonal mushroom caps, giving the interiors a strong industrial character.
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