Green Roofed London Hotel is Buried Underground

This five star hotel is going under – underground that is! Designed by ReardonSmith Architects for a proposed development at Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, London, this new subterranean hotel will pay its ultimate respects to London’s Green Belt by placing all 200+ guest rooms underneath it! The entire scheme is covered with a plush green roof that takes its cue from the surrounding countryside.
In addition to the green integrated into the building, the proposal includes the addition of extensive on-site re-vegetation and re-organization of existing spaces (such as parking) that will actually leave the site even more eco-friendly than it is now.
Matthew Guy, ReardonSmith’s project designer, states “Our concept integrates hotel, spa, and golf facilities into a single architecturally exciting and organic composition below and above ground. The design fulfills the requirements of the brief for a bespoke five star hotel while returning hard standing to the Green Belt and improving the physical layout and visual attraction of the entire site. It represents a commercially viable solution to developing in the Green Belt and is, we believe, a world-first.”

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Japanese Pals Recycle Old Truck into Transforming Two-Story Mobile Home

 

Everything about this crazy mobile home screams "made in Japan"; it's compact, it's a vehicle and it's extremely unique. In fact, we're wagering that it's the only hydraulic, double-decker, transforming, fully-equipped camper in the the world - well, at least the only one that features a Japanese-style zen loft space with rice paper windows and tatami mats on the second floor. Of course, the other thing that makes this vehicle so special is that it wasn't made by Honda or Nissan, but rather a group of pals who decided to convert an old truck into something way cooler, and have some fun doing it. Read on for more pics of the interior (it's amazing what they were able to fit in there).

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Sliced Stable: Open-Air Kitchen Connects With the Land

This Sliced Stable in the Netherlands is a little piece of community space set on a farm that is destined to become forested land again. Part of an art experience by Dutch design studio Overtreders W, the project is a vision for a community gathering place with an agricultural bent. Spotted over at Designboom, the simple, wistful structure is part of an exhibit called The Woods That See and Hear, and it consists of a kitchen and tables with a look-out seat rising above the din.

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Fantastical New Salvador Dalí Museum in Florida is Also Hurricane Resistant

Salvador Dalí's surrealist artwork now has a new home in a spectacular and fantastical museum in St. Petersburg, FL. The HOK-designed museum, appropriately opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am, features a geodesic inspired glass atrium and walls so thick they can withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Sustainable design features abound in the new museum, which provides a "Dalí-esque" experience without being trite or cliched. The Salvador Dali Museum houses the world's largest collection of the master's artwork with over 2,000 pieces of art and highlights 100 of Dalí's most important oil paintings.

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Latin America’s Tallest Skyscraper Aiming for LEED Platinum

Although not particularly known for its skyscrapers, Latin America will soon have their very own eco tower to add to the growing mix of green skyscrapers all over the world. Torre Reforma, designed by Mexico-based LBR&A Arquitectos, will be Latin America’s tallest building coming in at 244 meters (800 feet), which will put it in somewhere around 180 on the list of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Even more noteworthy than its height though is that the building is aiming for LEED Platinum certification and will hopefully encourage a wave of green building in Mexico City and the surrounding regions.

Located in downtown Mexico City, Torre Reforma, a 46 story mixed-used development, will sit across the street from Torre Mayor. A historic gothic-style building, which currently exists on the site will be dismantled and rebuilt on the corner of the site and underneath the tower. Inside, the tower will have restaurants, retail, 18 floors of apartments and 26 floors of office space. The tower is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in late 2011.

Halfway up the tower, a two story garden resides in the heart of the building and acts as a vertical park for residents and employees. Floor to ceiling glazing will reveal the park to the exterior and afford views to those inside. On the upper levels, the structural cross bracing membranes, which help stabilize during an earthquake, are visible. The south side of the tower is wedge-shaped and covered in photovoltaic panels to produce power for the building. At night, windows are automatically opened at night to help flush heat from the building. LBR&A Arquitectos has designed the eco tower in hopes of achieving LEED Platinum certification, which will hopefully spur on more green building projects in Latin America.

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Ark House

Whether for a future flood or a remnant of one from long ago, the Ark House is a provocative residential design that is, ironically, land-locked in the middle of Montana. The design calls for two huge cathedral roofs- one protecting a substantial deck that leads to the next roof over the main house. In addition to making a bold statement, the home boasts some eco-conscious and energy-saving features that Noah himself would likely be impressed with.

Architectural firm Axis Mundi was asked to design a home for a 100 acre site in Madison Valley, Montana that has a contemporary feel but still relates to the ancient landscape. As you enter, you are introduced to a vast covered space not unlike an open barn that leads to a staircase and then a bridge suspended over a pond, after which, the living space finally comes to view. The architect claims a near zero energy profile with a high performance envelope, a ground source heat pump and solar electric panels, presumably built into the roof system. If it ever sets sail there will be plenty of room for all with a 4,800 sq ft deck and 5400 sq ft three story interior.

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