It's a Flying Fish!

If I had a front porch!
Be da, be da, be da dum!
I would have a flying fish!
Be da, be da, be da dum!
But I don't, so I'll have to like this one!

I found this on the west side of town. I love it when art comes outside of the house, either on the lawn (see below) or on the porch. How nice to have a cup of coffee under this fish in the morning. Alas, I have no porch either....

Unusual Houses...

... make great public art!

If you have an extra $300,000 to spend and are willing to move to Festus, Missouri, than this home could be yours! If you are interested in learning more, it is listed on ebay.

I love the idea of living in a home like this. Creative, using the natural surroundings. Right up my alley. All except moving.... Not interested in that.

Whoever does, maybe they could hold Festivus parties (remember Seinfield?) in their new home in Festus. How fun would that be?

Dubai's Rotating Skyscraper

Four years ago, architect David Fisher was admiring the view from a friend's New York City apartment. "My friend said, 'Look at this view!' And I thought, Why can't we rotate the entire building so everybody can see?"

Construction begins soon in Dubai. This picture is a mock up of the building and how it will look as it rotates. There are 200 units on 80 floors, that will all have great views as the floors complete the 360 degree rotation. 

Wind turbines and solar cells positioned between each floor should provide enough electricity to power the entire building, and possibly others nearby. "This is not just a tower," says Fisher, "it is a green power plant."

Apartments in the Dynamic Tower range from $3 million to $30 million. There are over 1,100 people on the waiting list. However only 200 will be able to use the drive-in elevator that allows residents to park right outside their front doors. Conjures up interesting images about taking a spin in your sports car, doesn't it?

A fun find!

Nature as art once again. I found this bird nest after a rain storm. It fell out of a tree and was adjacent to the path in the courtyard behind my home. I placed it atop this stone and it was left in place for weeks. It eventually fell off and is next to the rock. I've left it as is. It is beautiful to look at in detail as it it constructed of twigs, mud and other small found items. Finally, I'm happy to report that when it fell, the family had long since grown up and moved on.

An American House

This is a pre-fabricated house designed and constructed by William E. Massie. He is an award winning Architect in residence and Head of the Department of Architecture at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The home was constructed his home in Pontiac, Michigan and then assembled on site on the Cranbrook campus. It is an example of Massie's innovative computer based fabrication technology used for efficient, precise and customized buildings.

The house will be on display until October 31st. The original plan was to allow folks to walk the inside and truly experience the feel of the design. Unfortunately, the museum was unable to secure a certificate of occupancy. Now why they couldn't get a variance is beyond me. Sounds like there was some politics going on here. According to the website, tours begin August 1st, so maybe they have worked it out. Meanwhile, I wouldn't make a special visit to see this until you can go inside. But if you are in the area, it's worth a look.

Hidden treasurer's

My neighbors recently remodeled their home and have incorporated a form of public art into the day to day use of their home. The archway has revolving art tucked into the open space. 

So far they have had a leprechaun and the bunny. They need other ideas, so I'm on the lookout for other hidden treasurer's for the unusual place.

Green Roofs

Green roofs are all the rage currently. They promise to reduce your heating and cooling costs as well as prevent stormwater run off by using the water rather than putting it into the sewer systems. 

This picture is not the ideal image, but I liked the location of the roof. One could turn it into a vegetable or a flower garden. How convenient to access your roof for your dinner?! Or if it where a flower garden with tall plants what a view from the terrace below.

This use promises to be seen more and more as time goes by. I encourage all to view one for themselves if they have an opportunity!

Recycled art...

Isn't it great how creativity kicks in when time is running out? 

Take for example this incredible and beautiful installation by sculptors Dan Havel and Dean Ruck. A few months before this house in Houston, Texas was to be demolished they decided to do a little remodeling. I'm guessing they saw an opportunity to do something freaky crazy cool to a space that was going to be destroyed and turned this old house into a trippy wooden warp zone!

To see more pictures, click on the link above. What an awesome example of public art. Gets you thinking doesn't it?