OUTERMOST
When we think about our current lifestyle, technology certainly rules for the majority of us. Not always by choice but moreover by necessity. The opportunity to push back or restrain all that is demanded of us on a daily basis has actually led to forecasters placing “ Un-plug Counselors” and “ Corporate-get-away planners” at the top of the list for ‘the’ emerging professional vocation within the next five years. What is a Un-plug counselor? In essence, a modern day event planner who will take you and your co-workers out into the wild to un-plug by re-connecting with nature all the while teaching you to just say NO to all that is tech upon your return to 24/7 life.
Reality is, when you return to your office 7:30 AM sharp the following Monday morning verses the suggested 10 AM relaxed hour your weekend 'Un-plug counselor' asked you to commit to, the entire experience that had you unwound just wound you right back up enough to create a small vortex at your desk. You will question the purpose of the past weekend experience and shrug, then you will check your email, tweet a co-worker all while reading the daily headlines and confirming an 8 AM meeting you just learned you are to pitch group lessons learned from the weekend retreat. Meeting agenda? Committing to connect with nature and self...all of a sudden your stress level rises... so much for being de-stressed, as you anxiously count the months till you next vacation day available.
However, there has been a small uprising in the architecture and design community that is more than a weekend, or a week off and has thoughtful year round green initiatives written all over it as well as sincerity in intent. The small house. Some may reference the new trend as ‘micro-living’, but make no mistake the trend is catching on and so is the challenge to design smarter, greener and more efficient homes. Weekend homes? No, many are inspiring year-round living and their popularity has skyrocketed. Positive effects are lasting week beyond the weekend as well. Thoreau? The Outermost House? Le Corbusier’s Le Cabin? The idea of micro-living off the land or in your backyard is not new but the innovation to support year-round living in the 21st century certainly is.
http://www.muffyaldrich.com/2012/07/henry-bestons-outermost-house-cape-cod.html
Reality is, when you return to your office 7:30 AM sharp the following Monday morning verses the suggested 10 AM relaxed hour your weekend 'Un-plug counselor' asked you to commit to, the entire experience that had you unwound just wound you right back up enough to create a small vortex at your desk. You will question the purpose of the past weekend experience and shrug, then you will check your email, tweet a co-worker all while reading the daily headlines and confirming an 8 AM meeting you just learned you are to pitch group lessons learned from the weekend retreat. Meeting agenda? Committing to connect with nature and self...all of a sudden your stress level rises... so much for being de-stressed, as you anxiously count the months till you next vacation day available.
However, there has been a small uprising in the architecture and design community that is more than a weekend, or a week off and has thoughtful year round green initiatives written all over it as well as sincerity in intent. The small house. Some may reference the new trend as ‘micro-living’, but make no mistake the trend is catching on and so is the challenge to design smarter, greener and more efficient homes. Weekend homes? No, many are inspiring year-round living and their popularity has skyrocketed. Positive effects are lasting week beyond the weekend as well. Thoreau? The Outermost House? Le Corbusier’s Le Cabin? The idea of micro-living off the land or in your backyard is not new but the innovation to support year-round living in the 21st century certainly is.
http://www.muffyaldrich.com/2012/07/henry-bestons-outermost-house-cape-cod.html
"The Outermost House, now considered a Cape Cod nature literary classic, was written after Beston spent what he called "a year of life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod". Spiritually shaken by his experiences in World War I, Beston retreated to the outer beach at Eastham in search of peace and solitude."
“Of the three elemental voices, that of oceans is the most awesome, beautiful, and varied.... Listen to the surf, really lend it your ears, and you will hear in it a world of sounds: hollow boomings and heavy roarings, great watery tumblings and tramplings, long hissing seethes, sharp, rifle-shot reports, splashes, whispers, the grinding undertone of stones, and sometimes vocal sounds that might be the half-heard talk of people in the sea.”
Henry Beston, The Outermost House
Henry Beston, The Outermost House
Corbusier's cabin like Henry Beston's was a place of refuge from society, a vacation cabin.The only structure Le Corbusier ever built for his own use. The interior is decorated with murals and simple bespoke furniture and fittings. An intimate view into his world in the early 1950s. A re-constructed version of Le Petit Cababon was recently part of a Corbusier life's work exhibit at MoMA in NYC. Unexpectedly, the structures provided a space for healing of the spirit and body for both men, Thoreau included, all produced their best work in the tight quarters.
Beston's many written works, Corbu went on to build Ronchamp and Thoreau produced On Walden Pond.
Beston's many written works, Corbu went on to build Ronchamp and Thoreau produced On Walden Pond.
Below: Thoreau's Cabin: http://www.talkingtree.com/gallery/USA/Massachusetts/Concord/autumn2004/index10.cfm
Despite the obvious tight quarters, all three men found a sense of clarity and a bond with their petite structures that offered an unparalleled sense of creativity. The physical structure was one with nature offering inspiring views thus elevating the cabin's modest scale to one of grandeur. The intrigue to experience the same has spurred today's design community to seek out the same 'off the grid' freedom.
In Taliesin, The frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, students have long been given the choice of living in the dessert in tents or structures. Such modest design typology experiments that investigate structure and living have provided a first hand exploration of success and failure of the built environment. The only difference here is that the structures unlike Beston, Corbu and Thoreau are inhabited by generations much younger yet just as eager to have the 'off the grid' experience.
Not all mico-housing designs being erected today are on poured footings. The ability to be mobile is as alluring today as in the RV glory days of the 1950's Air-stream. However, it is the passion to condense the experience while not holding back on amenities is the new high in designing.
(Next 2 images...vintage Airstream trailers)
While innovative & useful re-purposing of material and re-thinking every aspect of smaller footprint living is expanding despite the over-all scale, so are the supportive external amenities that a micro house owner could connect/tap/access/align/reflect on or off of. Below is one of a recent series Gensler produced of schematic diagrams that address Mayor Michael Bloomberg's call to assist in making NYC less flood prone during future catastrophic weather events. Every aspect was considered including creating more natural and locale native planting bioswales to fill the medium of roadways entering and exiting Manhattan and it's burroughs. Many of the same areas addressed can be applied to the suburban landscape.
Image below:http://www.fastcoexist.com/3017767/redesigning-new-yorks-hidden-public-spaces-to-create-a-more-resilient-city#1
Image below:http://www.fastcoexist.com/3017767/redesigning-new-yorks-hidden-public-spaces-to-create-a-more-resilient-city#1
(Below)
"When it comes to amazing architects, Pritzker Prize-winner Renzo Piano is up there with the greats. After all, he did design The Shard in London, Europe's largest skyscraper. But Piano has always had a deep appreciation for small structures too. Very small. So we weren't surprised to learn about "Diogene," a tiny home designed by the man himself.
Located in Weil am Rhein, Germany, the 81-square-foot home was created for furniture company Vitra. It is divided into two areas by a partition: A living room and a utility area with a shower, toilet and small kitchen. The space also has a fold-out table, pull-out sofa and storage tucked away throughout.
According to Vitra's website, Piano said he has been fascinated by minimalist living for years. “This little house is the final result of a long, long journey partially driven by desires and dreams, but also by technicality and a scientific approach,” Piano said.
Although this is just a prototype, according to The New York Times, Diogene is set to be produced in three years and will cost interested buyers about $45,000." Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/30/renzo-piano-tiny-home-photos_n_3677224.html
"When it comes to amazing architects, Pritzker Prize-winner Renzo Piano is up there with the greats. After all, he did design The Shard in London, Europe's largest skyscraper. But Piano has always had a deep appreciation for small structures too. Very small. So we weren't surprised to learn about "Diogene," a tiny home designed by the man himself.
Located in Weil am Rhein, Germany, the 81-square-foot home was created for furniture company Vitra. It is divided into two areas by a partition: A living room and a utility area with a shower, toilet and small kitchen. The space also has a fold-out table, pull-out sofa and storage tucked away throughout.
According to Vitra's website, Piano said he has been fascinated by minimalist living for years. “This little house is the final result of a long, long journey partially driven by desires and dreams, but also by technicality and a scientific approach,” Piano said.
Although this is just a prototype, according to The New York Times, Diogene is set to be produced in three years and will cost interested buyers about $45,000." Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/30/renzo-piano-tiny-home-photos_n_3677224.html
Piano, not excluded, many others have had at it...micro, minimal, you name it, the allure to go small vs. BIG is pushing creative thought to new heights. Thinking out of the box is not the objective here...it's thinking in the box or in the train/transport container.
(Below 3-images) "Swedish architecture firm Tengbom have designed an innovative, sustainable and extremely compact solution for student housing. Next year, 22 wooden pop-up modules will be built at Lund’s university campus in Sweden. The small houses can easily be moved around, which makes the concept flexible and easy to implement on a temporary basis. It gives universities the option to quickly adapt their student housing to number of registered students".
Source: http://popupcity.net/architecture/tiny-pop-up-modules-change-the-way-students-are-housed/
Source: http://popupcity.net/architecture/tiny-pop-up-modules-change-the-way-students-are-housed/
In major cities, the idea of a smaller footprint is not only a green term, the unveiling of micro-apartments of 360 square feet and in some instances less is becoming not only a convenience option against high rent but a necessity as population density spreads.
One such example of a NY city dweller's innovative space solution can be seen in the video below.
The unusual shift of the westward jet-stream weather pattern produced the image below off the New Jersey shore adding an urgency to look at economic small-scale housing not only for personal pleasure and exploration but out of necessity. Affordable, easily transportable, self powered micro homes are challenging designers and architects alike to be able to assist the Red Cross and other emergency relief organizations in the very near future.
Though filled with admiration, a sense of well being and belonging, even the most modest structures like Beston's Outermost house
(below built in 1925) was not spared by the high winds and waves that consumed it's frame and carried it away during the great storm of 1978 on Cape Cod, MA.
Nature has a way of re-claiming what's hers.
Architects, Engineers & Designers now have the task of creating innovative environmentally sound solutions in advance of natural disasters.
We're getting there.
(below built in 1925) was not spared by the high winds and waves that consumed it's frame and carried it away during the great storm of 1978 on Cape Cod, MA.
Nature has a way of re-claiming what's hers.
Architects, Engineers & Designers now have the task of creating innovative environmentally sound solutions in advance of natural disasters.
We're getting there.