The Pugh + Scarpa Vail Grant Residence is old school in terms of architecture, but I’m not so sure I’ve ever talked about it here. I really like this offbeat house, but every time I see this shot…

All I can think is that I hope no one accidentally tries to drive into that garage looking wall. This house was not actually planned as a kook, the design was necessary to cover some annoying zoning issues which worked really well in the end. The other side, that you’re not seeing in this image above has the most amazing lake views and the long interior is very cool as well.

One of my favorite things about this house are the pre-building plans (see them here). You know how sometimes it’s hard to really see what’s to come from renderings or models? Well, with this house I like the plans as much as the finished product. They’re very cool.

A visit to Pugh + Scarpa is always fun - you should head over. They’ve got some really strange (but neat) sustainable designs going on right now.

[image via Pugh + Scarpa]

PS up very soon the final review round up of the HGTV software; which I would have done sooner (sorry) but I had a little family emergency (nothing big).

1. Buy a house.
2. Use leftover bits of paint to paint each shingle, window, and plank of your new home a different color.
3. Delight in your kooky abode.
4. End up on Offbeat Homes and other like-minded websites and blogs.

Pretty cool. It reminds me a little of Dick & Jane’s House. Visit Colorful House in Russia to see more images of this nicely panted house.

It’s the Blogtoberfest icon! Which means a super keen (and secret) prize is hidden behind this special blog post. If you want to win the great prize that I’m hiding, simply leave a comment on this post. A totally easy way to win a prize. Within a week, the winner of the hidden prize will be announced here at Offbeat Homes, so check back often.

Other ways to win a prize! You have lots of chances to win great Blogtoberfest prizes? Today, October 6th, there are secret special prizes hiding at the following Lifestyles Channel blogs: Tree Hugging Family, Simply Thrifty, Blog Fabulous, Drinks After Dark, Mother Earth’s Garden, Thrifty Mommy, Chocolate Bytes, Foodie Obsessed, Keeping the Castle, and Our One Heart. Visit all of these blogs, look for the blogtoberfest icon on a post, and leave a comment for your chance at another great prize.

Good luck and happy blogtoberfest!

[House image via -Flickzzz-]

Leisure Housing is a tribute to Schindler. The structure is from Klaus Stattmann, and it’s well, actually, this one is much better explained it the translation of the designers words.

“A spatial structure, in its appearance oscillating between landscape and architecture, serves as starting point for the Leisure House in North Kings Road 825. As a kind of involutionary “between-two-space” it is suspended above a centrally located swimming pool and forms paths, passageways, yards, plateaus, recesses, bays and clearings… The oscillating structure triggers a process of becoming, in the course of which the “between-two-space” to be adapted is shaped to the same extent as the force shaping it…

The model shows what shape this process of becoming could take in architectural terms. Through performative transformation by way of architectural superimposition the oscillating structure is – similar to the corals springing from a reef – rendered into five inhabitable units surrounding a swimming pool for common usage… The concept of the Leisure House remains indeterminate/vague, similar to an elementary particle of which our realization is confined to indications of position or mass but with the potential to produce the unexpected.”

Interesting. I like the potential. Visit Klaus Stattmann to read the entire description, and to see the House Lorrimer, an equally odd structure, on a rock by the sea.

This house is really great; wish I’d heard of it earlier I would have gone house stalking the last time I was in Utah. This is worth 7 minutes - I promise.

In the last post we saw the amazing Wilkinson Residence by Robert Harvey Oshatz. We also looked at some of his design approach. Now we’re going to see such a cool house, you’ll adore it 100% guaranteed.

The Fennell Residence is a floating house in Portland, Oregon, that was designed beautifully to match the floating aspect. Curved glue lam beams, huge glass facade and curved lines are perfectly suited to life on the water. When I first saw this, I had no idea it was even a floating home it was a neat surprise. What I did notice were the tear drop like sides and just fell in awe with this house.

How great is this house? Seriously. Look at the nighttime view…

Sigh. To see more make the jump.

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If you haven’t seen the work of Robert Harvey Oshatz, then you’re in for a huge treat, because he’s our only guest here at Offbeat today. He’s that cool. He gets the whole day. Although really he’s so cool he should get the month. But I digress.

Oshatz has designed many an amazing structure in my home state - Oregon and in other areas as well, as far reaching as Japan. His work is a mix of commercial, residential, religious, and more. What I love is how his work is entirely unique yet somehow manages to fit into the landscape so well - which is crucial I think if we want to preserve the natural environment. We really need to see more often that landscape and structure can ease together.

His design philosophy is really bold. Here’s a clip:

“Except for the basic elements of design composition, dominance, transition, and identity; I stay away from design theories. They seem to be too transitory and irrelevant to my work. Design theories tend to outshine their author’s performance, becoming limiting concepts, prejudicing the mind while tying one’s hands behind one’s back. They are roadblocks to new ideas. While subscribing to a particular theory of design an architect must solve problems within the parameters of that theory; this is limiting at best…

The requirements of architecture are such that I must go beyond what the client understands. There must be surprise, mystery, beauty and delight, elements that make architecture rewarding to its users for a lifetime. This is one of the primary differences between architecture and building. It is the architect’s responsibility to go beyond the mere program and into the realm of what I call the spiritual.”

You should really read Oshatz’s entire design approach though, not simply the clip above. It’s great, very interesting when combined with his work.

I ran into some issues deciding which homes to show. I’ll show two houses today, but narrowing it down to two was very difficult. I love many of his residential works a lot. Being a fan of Oregon in general, I did decide to go with two Oregon homes, which narrowed it down a little.

First up the Wilkinson Residence. This is not a house easily captured in photos. However, it’s lovely and offbeat all the same. Located in Portland the home’s lot is a fast sloping grade which according to Oshatz’s site, “Provided the opportunity to bring the main level of the house into the tree canopy to evoke the feeling of being in a tree house.” The client wanted a home that flowed with the natural environment, and I’m thinking that said client got their wish. Take a look:

It sort of makes you gasp, no? I almost can’t stop looking at it. This next photo is my favorite picture of the home. It’s the entryway, but it resembles a kaleidescope somewhat - like the flow keeps going when you look right at the circles. Very slick.

Make the jump to see a few more photos.
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