Inhabitat posted the prettiest little prefab ever back in December. Actually, it’s not so little. The ‘Puma City’ Shipping Container Store designed by the always fab LOT-EK, is rather large at 11,000-square-feet and three levels. It took 24 containers to get it done, and the beauty is that it can be packed up flat for mobile ease.

This has to be the coolest commercial prefab I’ve seen – much more style than most, which just goes to show you that my current prefab lust is not totally off the map. See loads of other great images of the Puma City Store at Inhabitat.

[image via Inhabitat]

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Pretty Puma Prefab

It’s been a while since we had some yummy structural link love. Since my bookmarks are way too full, now seems like a good time to drop some…

house of the week: 003 | Terrace House via Architechnophilia – this image above is the part of the house that’s not actually there, or so the post states. What’s that mean? Why not go find out? It’s worth the click.

I’ve had this saved for almost a month and it’s time to let go. This delicious little prefab hails from Jetson Green, but I actually first saw it at Architecture.mnp. What to do? Who to give the link love to??? Well, either way, you win, because both blogs rock. That said, why not visit Jetson Green to read more about the Johnson Creek weeHouse Prefab Home and then head to mnp for a surprise old school post of mnp’s that I really liked. (Yes, it’s a nice kind of surprise, not one of those surprises that suck btw).

inhabitat has a very nice Top Ten Green Architecture Projects Of 2008 round up going on. It’s a lovely read, with all sorts of sustainable delights of the last year; well, except the Eco Spheres, which are way older than 2008 (????) Still, I love inhabitat too much to complain any more about this – how petty of me.

Lastly, those kooky cats at Swamplot are having a big ol’ contest for the Greatest Moment in Houston Real Estate, 2008. If you know Swamplot, then you’ve already guessed that the awards nominees are super fun. In case you’re lost, the nice folks at Swamplot brought us the home with nine and a half bathrooms and the killer wood panel home. Voting has ended, but you can still view the nominees, and soon, you’ll be able to see who won.

NON STRUCTURAL LINK LOVE OF THE WEEK:

Just for fun, and because Valentine’s day will be here soon enough, I have to ask – is there anyone on this planet who you love MORE than zombies love brains? If you said yes, here’s a smacking good offbeat worthy V-day gift idea.

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A house that’s not all there, wee structures, the green life, zombies, and more…

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Inhabitat Green Gift Guide

Well the news is that they’ve just launched a brand new blog! and there’s more…

Imagine my delight, when I recently landed a new blogging gig with the Inhabitat team. Oh yes, I said it. I’ll be blogging on their brand new venture, Inhabitots. Am I excited – uh, yeah. but you shouldn’t visit just to see little ol’ me (although I know you want to). There are plenty of good reasons to visit this new pint-sized, design savvy blog.

1. If you’ve got tiny ones running around, and still would like to maintain your design sense, then this is the place for you. Inhabitots is covering all sorts of goodies like…

• Q Collection Junior’s Stella Stackables
• The Eames Eco Chic Modern Rocker
• Celery sustainable children’s furniture
• Convertible green ‘Taj Chair’ by Argington
• DIY KID DESIGN: Let the kids redecorate your house
• Make your own fold-up furniture with FOLDSCHOOL!
• Creative Color by Number Wallpaper

2. You can visit the above posts to keep your abode offbeat and stylish, yet still friendly enough for little feet.

3. It’s flipping Inhabitat – you know this stuff will be good. Enough said.

In any case, of course I’ll still be blogging away about quirky stuff here at Offbeat, but I’d love to see you over at my new haunt as well. See you there.

[image via inhabitots]

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Inhabitat launching a new blog!

Still, I do have some ever so lovely link love homes for you to see. You can go off and enjoy the work of other bloggers while I fix up this sad, sad, excuse of a category section.

Wind + light = bliss. Learn what’s making the lovely light show and see it up close at Cool Hunting.

Have you seen this awesomeness from Inhabitat yet? It’s so cool. I thought it was bark at first glance (I know, long bark huh? What was I thinking?). It’s so not bark.

Quazen has the “Guinness World Records Five Best Architectural Achievements” going on. I never read Guinness, but I suppose it makes sense to have an architect section. My favorite was the “The Heaviest Building to be Relocated While Still Fully Intact.”

Not sure that I’d call it a great architectural achievement, but it’s some sort of massive achievement. See all five.

Last, but not least, Jetson Green has a great New Zealand container home. It’s so in the darn hill, soothing gray, and slim, I don’t see how you can’t love it. Wait until you see the inside – very slender.

I’ve been saving surf links for weeks now, and need to unload some, so I may have another four or five great links later, if the categories don’t consume me.

Post from: Blisstree

Too Much Category Chaos – Get Out of Here!

[via Inhabitat]

According to Inhabitat, where I saw this gem, it has “smog-eating” photo-catalytic concrete

Sometimes I think my taste in homes, which used to run hippie rustic, are changing. Sometimes I think, “dang, do I really like mod style oh so much now.”  It is a problem. I will eventually build another house. What exactly do you think I’ll build? Some straw bale / mod / orange / tree house with a view deal? Geez.

In any case while I work out the finer details of my thought process, you should head over to Inhabitat – they’ve got an amazing photo gallery, and all the little details of this fine house.

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A Fresh Smog Eating House

This house. This light. These trees. It never fails me – in fact, I’m feeling better already. Thank goodness for me never tossing bookmarks, Dwell, and Inhabitat.

See all the beauty at Inhabitat.

Don’t forget to enter to win a killer straw bale DVD.  

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Snapshot: Old School Beauty

CAKE!

First off my pal Marye at Baking Delights has absolutely nothing related to architecture but she does have something way offbeat; A Car Cake! Not a cake with a little toy car on it, not a car cake the size of a shoe box but an entire life size car cake! It does not even look like cake — I kid you not and it’s a must see.

DUTCH

It’s Dutch week at MoCo Loco and in one amazing post they have something for every offbeat guy and gal around. I’m talking crazy squirrels, a pitcher that pours from midair, blue sand castles, and more. In ONE post. Go see.

BEAUTY

Inhabitat has the most beautiful post; TEHAMA GRASSHOPPER Rehab by Fougeron Architecture. It’s a warehouse turned home that is stunning.

WOOD

Alternative Building Services has a nice read about how building with wood can be eco-friendly.

CO2

Blog like you give a damn, as always is, blogging like they give a damn with great information about the newest Alliance for Climate Protection advert: Black Balloons – Making CO2 Real. Nice ad.

HUH?

And in ‘links that really don’t belong here, but I’m posting it anyhow’ I think you should visit one of my favorite non-architect blogs Cranky Fitness. Why? Well, because it was maybe one of two blogs that made me actually laugh out loud this week. I don’t read blogs just to laugh mind you but it’s nice when it happens. The post you need to read is called, Really, Really, Random Friday. It follows a nice cynical science slant the whole way through and is very funny.

Short and sweet links this weekend. Enjoy.

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What the Cool Kids Are Reading

This blog could use some serious blogroll revision. I need to do some adds, remixes, and sadly some cuts (but mostly adds). Thus I’ll be using my time at this blog this weekend for boring housekeeping tasks and am going MIA here in about five minutes. Not to worry; you’re probably all out enjoying the weekend sunshine anyhow and I’ll be back by Tuesday at the latest.

I’ll leave you with some best of the best from my daily blog reads this week. If you like what you see click on the link and whisk away to a blog where the writer might actually be around.

First up, dezeen has this little gem of a fountain and a slew of other inspired items this week that will brighten your weekend including what happens when you give designers balloons to work with.

Blog like you give a damn (likely one of the best named blogs ever) has a wonderful and funny post about the failings of prefab and why it may be not quite as fab an idea as we thought after all.

Inhabitat has this cool structure; more photos and the full specs available for a click.

Architecture.mnp, the always stellar stop on my blog rounds has a SEXY structure photo to share that you must see.

Since I can’t give you a peek (there’s just the one sexy pic) have a look at this tiny item I found at ThinkGeek that reminded me of Architecture.mnp the second I saw it.

Lastly, in totally random, not related to architecture at all sites (unless you count the ladders) I found something that will make you feel better about yourself and your thinking process in about three seconds flat. You know you want to visit.

Have a wonderful weekend and see you all in a couple of days.

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When Offbeat Girls Go MIA…

An interview with John Rattenbury, apprentice to FLW. Pro-PreFab-er’s a must listen [via PrairieMod] [via PrairieMod Podcast #10]

Looks nothing like music. [via Design Sponge]

Most functional hooks around! [via design milk]

Want to live in a Green home? Don’t want to build it, but find an existing one? Need help finding a reliable Green contractor? GreenWorks Realty. [via Inhabitat]

One of the first residential LEED homes on the west coast. [via Jetson Green]

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re:Friday Link Love