Bricks, stucco, mortar… what do these things all have in common? They are all conventional house sidings. Maybe too conventional for homeowners looking to use unconventional building materials for their home. Take a look at these 6 houses that are nothing like anything you have ever seen before.
Glass Bottles
It took Prince Edward Islander Édouard T. Arsenault 11 years to build this impressive unconventional home, made almost entirely with glass bottles as the building materials (approximately 25,000 of them). Wonder what his inspiration was for such a project? He claims that he received a postcard from his daughter with a glass castle on the front, and after that he spent years amassing bottles for the project. Today, the glass bottle home has become a tourist attraction and can be found in Cap-Egmont, Prince Edward Island.
Airplane Parts
Looking at this stunning, ultra-modern Malibu home, you would have no idea that it is built out of recycled Boeing 747 plane. Architect David Hertz built the home using nearly the entire plane, including the wings, the fuselage, and the cockpit. Not only is this house impressive, but so are the views of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Truly a unique spot. Click here to learn more.
Water Tank
This water tank-turned-home is as impressive as it sounds! The structure was sold to the homeowner by the Brisbane City Council, and after extensive renovations, including the addition of multiple windows and balconies and the addition a steel frame, the place looks unrecognizable (at least the interior.) Since the place was renovated in 1995, the architect, Conrad Gargett, has received multiple awards for the work done. Take a look here for more information on the project.
Plastic Bottles
This eco-village in Isla Colon, Panama, is doing something pretty amazing with plastic water bottle waste, they are building homes with it. When completed, this community will include around 120 houses, all insulated with plastic bottles. This initiative not only repurposes this plastic waste, but it also useful for insulating these houses, keeping them cool (around 17 degrees celsius cooler than the outside temperature.) After the utilities are put in, the water bottle frame is covered in concrete, making it look like a normal house. Click here to learn more about this eco-community and the project.
Corn Cobs
This corn on the cob house (more commonly known as the Autour Du Ried), is made entirely out of simple timber and corn cobs, and can be found in Muttersholtz, France. The decision to build the home out of corn cobs was a simple one for the StAndre- Lang Architects who wanted the structure to be one with the land, and to change with the seasons. Want to know more? Click here.
Lego
Although no longer standing, this full-size, 20ft tall Lego house was built in Dorking, Surrey, and was made of approximately 3.3 million pieces. The place has it all: a working toilet and shower, as well as a bed (although not very comfortable I would presume). Top Gear presenter, James May, along with 1,000 helpers built the structure before having to destroy it just weeks later after no one showed any interest in buying it. Take a look at more photos of the one of a kind place here.
Article Updated June 2022
