I’m not sure whether this looks like a Whale to me . . . . but that is what the architect says this house is!
Here is a view of the inside which looks quite cosy.
I wonder if the owner is called Jonah 🙂
The architect is Javier Senosiain and his company is called Arquitectura Organica.
If you check out his website at the above link you will find many more strange buildings.
Lots of people say they like character . . . . but build houses with these huge open plan living rooms.
Some of the display houses I see do look light and airy. . . . but to me have all the character of an airport terminal, unlike this smaller living room.
One of the things about smaller rooms is they need a lot more thought about getting things in.
The various features add interest.
The same furniture would look lost in a bigger room and the features would not be as apparent.
What do you think?
Eclectic Living Room by Alexandra
Torre Design & Interiors
Photos courtesy of Houzz.com.au
In fact fencing counts for around one third of all of their top ten disputes.
In 2013-4 there were fence 6,489 disputes, slightly above the long term average of 6,301.
So how can you minimise the chance of a dispute?
Make sure you try to get agreement from your neighbour when planning to build a fence. . . . even if you intend to cover the whole cost yourself.
Both parties are generally required to contribute equally to construction costs for a fence that meets the minimum standard.
If the land is vacant, or a tenant won’t provide details of the landowner, then local councils are allowed to provide landowner contact details on fencing matters.
The minimum standard is “sufficient” based on one or more of the following
If you want a more expensive fence then you will have to meet extra costs.
If you can’t reach agreement, either you or your neighbour will be able seek an order from a Magistrates’ Court specifying what fence will be built, and how costs will be shared.
The above was built based on Victorian Legislation but most states have fairly similar laws.
No I am not a ‘Brony’ (male who enjoys ‘My Little Pony’ ) but I had to watch plenty of those cartoons with my daughter. . . . And soon to watch again with my grandaughter.
This photo did remind me of those times.
The picture is from a website called Ugly Belgian Houses which does feature some shockers.
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This photograph shows an attractive antique looking wood heater which I found on hearth.com. . . . but its location looks very odd to me:
You need to remember that wood heater efficiency isn’t just about the stove. . . . it’s also about the location.
Guest Post by Hubert Dwight
However, it is common for inexperienced homeowners to make lapses in their judgment when they are making decisions that are affecting the build of their home.
Below are a few common mistakes that we recommend avoiding when you are building ‘your dream home’.
It sounds obvious, but if you start off with the wrong builder, then you are on a course for disappointment.
Make sure you do thorough research on the builder that you are considering going with.
Find out as much information about the licenses that they hold and review the work that they have conducted over the last 12 months.
Find out as much as you can about the builder’s credibility to avoid falling into the trap of some building horror stories.
Additionally, you need to ensure that the builder’s team will communicate strongly with you .
The builder needs to convey that you can have confidence during the building process.
If you feel insecure about making a decision with going with a particular builder, follow your gut feeling and don’t go with them.
Just as important as not choosing the wrong builder is automatically choosing the cheapest option.
Look into the details provided with the price to avoid any surprise costs that may arise in the future.
When looking into the details, find out as much information about the quality of the materials and building work that will be conducted.
If the quote sounds too good to be true, it possibly may be.
Check the details thoroughly!
The impacts from the way the space is being used can be challenging.
Even though it may appear to be good on paper or in the display home, when you move into the home you will notice the convenience (or inconvenience) of the layout of the home.
These may include the following:
A kitchen that is placed a long way from the front door or garage can cause an inconvenience when the household goes on its routine grocery run.
Rather than making a shorter convenient trip, the kitchen may be placed in an inconvenient location when carrying heavy bags from the garage to the kitchen.
You don’t want an unwanted elephant in the room (if you catch the drift!) Research and plan the toilet to offer people privacy and to avoid any unwanted ‘shared experience’ that the toilet may offer.
This is crucial if you want to make sure you get a good night’s sleep every night. Think carefully about the placement of the bedrooms in relation to external noise.
West facing bedrooms are best avoided as they can easily overheat on summer evenings.
You may want an infants bedroom to be close to yours, while teenage children may be better at the opposite end of the house!
There’s nothing more annoying, and depressing, than being inside a badly lit house.
Plan to make as much use of natural light as possible.
Consult with your builder about how you can use windows, shutters to control the natural lighting of the home.
Furthermore; ensure that the internal light installation will to keep rooms well lit in the evenings.
Should you want to adjust the lighting to change the ambiance, consider installing dimmers for your lighting needs.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to avoid making mistakes during the building phase of your dream home and will allow you to move in worry free.
Why 2001. . . . Well I think the architects must have got their inspiration from the poster, on the right, from the movie 2001 a Space Odyssey.
The house was actually built in Hiroshima in 2007 by the Suppose Design Office.
If you follow the above link you will find more photographs and the several other interesting houses.
Guest post by Hubert Dwight
If you are thinking about installing a roof access hatch in your new home, here are some important things to consider:
There are a lot of reasons why you might want to have convenient access to your roof .
You never know when you are going to need to get up there to do small repairs, install an aerial, clean the solar panels, or just retrieve your kids ball from the roof.
In fact, some people have small gardens because of the shade free sunlight they get up there.
Whatever your reasons for installing a roof access hatch, having this convenient access is much easier and safer than having to get out the ladder and climb up the outside of your house.
NB If you plan on regularly accessing your roof you will need to address the issue of ‘Falls From Hight’ and take precautions such as high parapet walls or balustrades.
Having access to the roof in times of fire, flood, or other natural disasters can save your life.
For example in a bushfire situation it would make it easy to install sprinklers on the roof perimeter to provide a spray that would envelope the house.
In a flood the roof will be the safest place.
While these events don’t happen often, don’t let yourself get caught in a situation when you realise you should have had one installed for safety reasons.
Its a good idea to ask about the insulated options.
Openings facing the sky lose a lot more heat in winter than vertical openings. they also are subject to the most direct sunlight in the summer.
Now, while you might spend more money on the front end, down the road you will have minimised your energy consumption.
If you are a serious amateur astronomer or just a casual ‘stargazer’ you can get a much better view from above the streetlights.
A view from the roof will also give you an unobstructed view of the New Year Fireworks!
When you decide to invest in a roof access hatch quality is very important.
Our homes and properties are some of the biggest investments we can make in our lives so for a roof hatch value means quality more than price.
On the roof the hatch will have to withstand pouring rain and strong winds. . . In alpine areas there could be snow and ice in winter.
You should look for a supplier with well designed weather seals and strong construction to avoid warping.
Achieving a 5 star energy rating is also really important.
A roof hatch can have many benefits but make sure you choose quality.
Ever thought you would like your new house to be made from Shipping Containers?
There are certainly some stunning Shipping Container Homes around.
The site sells a Guide Of How To Build Using Containers.
One thing to be aware of if you want to build a home in Australia with shipping containers is you need to buy ‘High Cube’ containers as standard containers will not meet the Building Regulations for Habitable Room Height (2.4m)
