Tardigrade House

The Tardigrade House, located in Berkeley (CA), immediately catches the eye with its biomorphic forms, further emphasized by relatively traditional, rectilinear homes in close proximity. Based on a tardigrade, an indestructible, microscopic critter that can survive in extreme conditions, this home is designed to withstand anything that might come its way. Constructed of recycled Styrofoam and cement blocks reinforced with concrete and steel into a relatively lightweight but stable lattice structure the house is, according to the designer who built it for his parents, waterproof, termite-proof, virtually impervious to fire and very earthquake-resistant.

While generally known locally as the "Fish House", the actual name is "Ojo Del Sol" or ("The Sun's Eye"). This refers to the 15 ft. south-facing, "eye-like" window that provides light and heat to the sunken rotunda living area where it radiates to adjoining spaces. Personally, I like passive solar design wherein solar heat (and natural light) initially strike a shared common area where people can congregate before radiating outwards to personal living spaces.

Eugene Tsui, the home's designer, clearly understands that nature with its time-tested engineering can effectively drive both form and function. In addition to the inextinguishable tardigrade, the Fish House design also apparently leverages nature's blueprints for the skeleton of the Cholla cactus, bone and capillary structures from a pair of dinosaurs (Stegosaurus and Dimetrodon), as well as seagull bone structure. Go here for more info and images.

Root cellar redux

Root cellars have historically been used to store a wide range of food and drink, including vegetables, meat, dairy, home-made beverages, etc. Relatively stable ground temperatures keep food from spoiling in the heat or freezing in the cold.

Root cellars appeal to me not just because of their efficiency (theoretically reducing or eliminating one of the largest household energy requirements: refrigeration), but also because of their aesthetics. They are, by nature, well integrated into the environment where they almost never dominate the landscape as other types of structures often do. And they're generally built with natural materials such as stones found on property.

While most residences probably don't need a large dedicated root cellar like the abandoned one depicted below, given the land a smaller multi-purpose root/wine cellar or community cellar might make sense. It's also interesting to think of incorporating functional and/or aesthetic aspects of the root cellar into other structures.

What drives home size?

Americans like large homes. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) the average size of a new single-family home has grown from 983 sq. ft. in 1950 to 2268 sq. ft. in 2006 (of course, waistlines have also grown significantly since 1950). While more recently the recession has helped slightly reduce the average square footage, homes in the U.S. are still enormous by global standards. Many people around the globe might even assume a home such as this one under construction in Connecticut (significantly larger than the national average, but similar in size to neighboring homes) is intended for dignitaries or members of a royal family.

I actually don't know the specifics of this particular home and it's possible that it's being built for an extended family of 12 people. However, more likely this home is being built "on spec" by a contractor and will eventually be inhabited by a relatively small American family. In such a case, the contractor would have paid a large sum for the land (and existing home if there was one) and wants to build the largest home possible to get the best return on investment. Of course, to realize that return the home must be sold and so there must be demand for such homes. What's drives demand for such large homes? Frankly, many people buy homes far bigger than what is required for their actual family size to demonstrate their status in society like some ancient ruler erecting an ornate palace as a signal and reminder of the ruler's power. Another factor may be a desire for isolation from the community (no need to go to town when your home boasts a media room, library, gym and commercial kitchen) and even from family members themselves (family interaction is minimized when every member has 1000 sq. ft. or more per person).