How many of you like taking risks? Or given an option, would
you travel by the road most frequently followed, or go for the road not taken? Chances
are, that you will prefer the tried and tested path, because it guarantees good
results. All through our lives we follow this motto; from the school our
parents enroll us in, to deciding a college major and so on. When you build a
house, you trust your Engineer or Architect with decisions. Commonly, houses are
made of brick with cement, timber or stone, depending on where you live. But
have you ever thought of building a house entirely of concrete? You haven’t
heard of such a concept before, right? So, you don’t think it’s a good idea? Well, now we’re here to set few things straight. And we bring before you, 11 photos of
concrete houses from around the world!
11) ‘LAVAFLOW 7’ IN HAWAII, USA, BY ARCHITECT CRAIG STEELY
When you hear ‘concrete’ in structures, you automatically
think of old godowns, parking spaces and garages. This house will immediately
pull your mind away from those thoughts and bring you to the 21st
century. Hawaii is known to be a volcanic eruption and earthquake prone state
in the US. And undoubtedly, the concrete houses are the safest since the
concrete floor and the walls defy even the strongest earthquakes.
10) CASA BERAZATEGUI IN ARGENTINA BY THE FIRM ESTUDIO
BESONIAS ALMEIDA
Have you seen pictures of some quirky shaped buildings?
Well, construction with concrete allows maximum flexibility, so your building
can have any number of curvy and angular twists to it. And these wonders in
architectural design makes no compromise on strength and durability. Take the
ancient Roman Pantheon for example! It has been around for so many centuries
and is still an iconic portrayal of Roman architecture, and it was made of
concrete of course!
9) A HOUSE IN LOS ANGELES, USA, BY ARCHITECT JOHN LAUTNER
Sometimes when life gives you too many lemons, you get
exhausted and you declare that you’re going to live in the mountains, far away
from all the tension. Of course, this stress is nothing a good night’s sleep
cannot fix, but imagine what it would be like to live in a cliff but in the
city at the same time! This pentagonal shaped house overlooking the city of Los
Angeles was built with study concrete from roof to floor.
8) THE KHOPOLI HOUSE IN MAHARASHTRA, INDIA BY ‘SPASM’ DESIGN
ARCHITECTS
If you live in Mumbai, you know how temperamental the
climate is! When it’s monsoon, there’s a flood and when it’s summer, it goes
well above 40 degrees. So building a house resistant to climatic changes can be
quite risky, since it has to withstand the heavy downpour as well as be heat
resistant. This is where the concrete houses step in. Reinforced concrete is
insulated, so it doesn’t let the heat in. It is also waterproof, keeping
moisture away, thereby preventing decay and pest trouble.
7) A HOUSE IN MEXICO DESIGNED BY TALLER ESTILO ARQUITECTURA
This house tells us that when there is not enough area to
build a spacious house, increasing the number of floors is the answer. This
three floored concrete house has the strength and durability to withstand any
natural disaster that could befall it. The glass panels used let in maximum
light and the pool helps in cooling air before it enters the house.
6) THE FAMOUS COMEDIAN BOB HOPE’S ESTATE IN CALIFORNIA BY ARCHITECT JOHN LAUTNER
One of the most expensive houses in the area, this spaceship
shaped concrete marvel has a hole in the centre to let light into a courtyard.
Set in a picturesque terrain, this house is robust and fire and wind resistant.
5) THE TUNNEL HOUSE IN TOKYO BY ARCHITECT MAKIKO TSUKADA
This house that has brought in worldwide fame stands upright
in the earthquake prone city of Tokyo. An advantage in construction is that not
only brick like concrete blocks, but also precast panels can be made with
concrete. And these are much stronger than liquid concrete poured in cement.
Thus in terms of design and strength, concrete houses have an edge over other
houses.
4) A CONCRETE HOUSE IN ARIZONA, USA
When you build a house, safety is an important parameter
that must be considered. The owners of this house previously lived in a timber
house. But unfortunately, was ruined in a fire. Following the incident, they
decided to build a house that was fire resistant. And that’s how they built this
house using concrete, since it is fire proof. The house is also generally
unaffected by temperature changes throughout the year.
3) A CONCRETE HOUSE IN MINNESTOTA, USA
During the cold winters of Minnesota, houses like this one
with insulated concrete walls prove to be very helpful. They are specially made
with concrete and are called Insulating Concrete Forms or ICF. These ICF blocks
or panels are made with environment friendly materials and can be made by
unskilled labourers. These types of concrete panels are also excellent sound
proofing materials.
2) THE GLEBE HOUSE IN
SYDNEY BY AUSTRALIAN FIRM NOBBS RADFORD ARCHITECTS
An important and
undeniable disadvantage of concrete houses is that all these benefit come at a price.
Construction with concrete is costlier than with wood or stone. Also, concrete
houses look rather dull. But this house has a solution for those problems as
well. Most of the main construction is done using concrete, but the interiors,
mainly the flooring and the partition walls are all made of timber. Therefore,
this house has the toughness, insulation, strength and sound proofing of a
concrete house, along with the less expensive yet beautiful wooden interiors.
1) THE EXTENDED
HOUSE IN SINGAPORE BY THE FIRM FORMWERKZ ARCHITECTS
This house is the
best example of how concrete housing can push the limits and break the barriers
of construction. Not only a small portion, but a significant part of this house
has no support from the ground. This is proof enough for the sturdiness and
strength of concrete. Also the misconception that concrete houses don’t aesthetically
please the eyes, can be put to rest now. This house shows that using the right
materials along with concrete, you can have your perfect dream home.
Those were 11
stunning examples of concrete housing, very much unlike the pictures you had in
mind while reading the topic, I’m sure. So next time when you build a house, or
a friend needs some inspiration to build a house, be sure to explore the offbeat
path, and you’ll come up with works of wonder.
