In this article, the Indy Home Pros team is bringing you 5 unique homes from around the world! Which home would you be able to live in? Which design do you find most unique? Leave us a comment down below!
- The Transparent House (Tokyo, Japan)
Design by Sou Fujimoto Architects
This transparent home in Tokyo, Japan is a showstopper! Totaling just 914 square feet, this home captures the essence of organization and simple structure that is engraved in Japanese culture. The home was built by Sou Fujimoto Architects. The inspiration for this home stems from the idea of living within a tree and that everything is connected. Ancient predecessors in this culture once lived in trees and these architects wanted to go back to their roots with a modern twist. The drawback that many people would find in this unique home is the lack of privacy. The home is coated with windows on all sides except for the side next to their neighbors. In order for this transparent design to work, it was critical that this home be created on a corner lot. Despite the lack of privacy, the invitation of sunlight is absolutely stunning! In 2019, this transparent home was listed at $4.995 million dollars. Could you live transparently in this home?
- Star Trek Voyager Home (Hinckley, Leicestershire)
Design by Tony Alleyne
Beam us up Scotty! This home is truly out of this world. Star Trek fanatics and those who aren’t fans of this timeless tv show will both find this home jaw dropping! The home originally started out as a one bedroom studio apartment before it was transformed into a Star Trek haven. After 10 years in the making, this home captures the aesthetic of classic Star Trek ships to a tee. In the home comes futuristic LED lights, high tech technology to control various areas of the home and even galactic sound effects to make residents feel as if they are truly living in a spacecraft like the beloved characters on the tv show and films. One cool feature is that the doorbell plays an audio sample of Patrick Stewart’s voice when a guest has arrived. It was listed on the market at $100,000.
- The Upside-Down House (Trassenheide, Germany)
Design by Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikiciuk
This unique home allows guests to view life from a different perspective. The Upside-Down home was the first of its kind built in Germany in 2008, and inspired many others to follow a similar blueprint. The goal of this Cape Cod-style home was to give visitors a chance to view things we see in our everyday lives from a new perspective. Everything but the stairs in this unique home has been flipped upside down. The project was labeled Die Welt Steht Kopf or “The World Upside Down”. The home resembles WonderWorks Emporium, a museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee famous for its unique and captivating attractions. The home is open year round for vistors to view a world upside down!
- The Keret House (Warsaw, Poland)
Design by Jakub Szczesny
This home in Poland has been deemed the world’s narrowest house. Polish architect Jakub Szczesny of Centrala first brought the idea of this home to the table during the WolaArt festival in 2009. After 3 years of building, the home was finally complete and his vision brought to life. The home was built between two existing buildings and stretches only 152 centimetres wide, its narrowest point reaching no more than 92 centimetres wide. Despite its limited range, the home is a fully functioning space and defies the concepts of traditional architecture. The design of this unique home is clean cut, simple and is two levels tall. On the first level, one will find the bathroom, consisting of a toilet and shower. There is also a kitchen, complete with sink, stove and storage. This level also holds a dining section, a narrow table and two chairs that are connected to the wall. Across the way, lies a space to relax on a bean bag. On the second level, one will find the bedroom. This space holds a large bed, narrow closet and even has just enough space for a desk and chair. Could you live in this unique space?
- Water Tower Converted Home (Belgium)
Design by Mauro Brigham from Bham Design Studio
Architect Mauro Brigham has really out done himself with this one! A water tower, once known as Chateau d’eau, was converted into a stylish and fully functional home. The tower reaches 30 meters high, providing an excellent view of the city for residents. The height of this unconventional home also provides residents and guests with privacy. For renovation, the interior was completely updated and the windows enlarged. The interior design for this space is simple and modern, its color and texture palette consisting of white, stainless steel and various shades of gray. The 250,000 liter water basin was kept in order to stay true to the original design of the water tower. The owners have turned this into a chalkboard, its surface adorned with little notes and hearts. This simple element adds to the sense of comfort and homeyness to this unique space provides.