1) A HUGE sale where you can save on adorable goodies like their eco-friendly sustainably harvested birch jotter pad
that comes with 75 blank 100% post-consumer recycled pages (shown above).

2) Vote for a Tote: You can have your say about which adorable design should make the cut for their next line of reusable totes.

3) The new 2010 calendars are coming!!!: I LOVE their calendars. They’re so pretty, made with sustainable birch, and come in amazing design styles.

Visit Night Owl Paper Goods to see all the fun.

Post from: Blisstree

Night Owl Paper Goods Events!

1. They build homes that glow.

2. They have a thing for orange. I happen to like orange – orange old school tupperware, burnt orange dresses, orange skies at night, orange roses, and more. It’s not like they build ONLY orange structures, I just get this orange feeling when I’m browsing their work. I’m betting you – they have a thing for orange.

3. They turn out killer warehouse conversions. This from the girl drunk on homes NOT commercial sites.

4.They make the wood paneling look actually work for them – or at least they do this way better than some people.

5. I’m mesmerized by their about us/people page. Yes I always go and look at who builds all these houses I show here – it’s just something I do BUT I don’t usually care. At many architecture sites, if there’s a bio picture up, it’s often artsy – you know; not natural. Anyhow, at Pb, the images crack me up. It’s like someone took jail house shots without the jail house wall backing. Part of me wants to bolt the drive from pdx to Seattle just to see if they’re all standing around looking somber and cool against some wall. It’s way fun, and a nice change from most architecture sites.

#5 was a total cheat and basically a me issue. So I’ll also give you two bonus perks – they’re in the Pacific NW and they build green both of which are pretty lovable issues.

Check out all the nice Pb Elemental Architecture work and don’t forget the about page.

[images via Pb Elemental Architecture]

Post from: Blisstree

Five reasons to love Pb Elemental Architecture

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.

Post from: Blisstree

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

So, since I’m such an old school resident of Portland, I’m a little cranky with myself being that I’ve never noticed this project you see above, at Communitecture’s site. Seriously now, there’s just no good excuse.

This beautiful and quirky home’s plans utilizes trapezoids over rectangles and is sustainable to boot. The house, located in Orenco, OR, has locally-harvested oak structural columns plus salvaged materials from nearby barns.

Communitecture is a local (to me) architectural company who specializes in sustainable design that’s beautiful and bright. I’ve seen some of their commercial and multi-housing structures and they’re always very cool – very pdx. If you live in Portland you know what I mean by very Portland, and if not, well, come for a visit

In any case, I really love the Bloom Home. I love the unique shapes, the wide front stairs, the leaning look, and how the colors work so well organically (green and purple? They made it work). Check out more images at Communitecture and delight in their oh so not complex for an architect’s website. It’s all pretty and green-minded!

Especially check out their multi and co-housing designs – some great ideas are posted.

Want more Pacific Northwest architecture?

• Robert Harvey Oshatz – The Fennell Residence
• Eleven Eleven East Pike – From Tom Kundig
• The Twisted House
• The Shire

[images via Communitecture]

Post from: Blisstree

Communitecture – Bloom House

The Hatfield Residence is a sustainable home by JCL Architecture. Not only is this a cool house, but the site is very nice as well. Not so hard to use (as many architect sites can be). It’s a user friendly site with great walk through videos of JCL work.

This particular house overlooks a Pinewood reservoir in the foothills west of Loveland Colorado. I’m not sure how big it is, but I assume it’s using what it needs vs. excess as the JCL site notes, “The home takes shape as a space-efficient, energy-efficient and cost-efficient edifice. The linear design maximizes possible views and interior space for its square footage.” The home is an interesting mix of natural stone, stucco and a corrugated steel facade. There’s shaded southern glass, reclaimed bowling alley floors, soy insulation, and roof-mounted solar panels.

I like the crisp design, funky side shape, and mixture of materials. The lovely roof is to die for. I also of course adore that they photographed the house at twilight. One of these days I’m going to gather up all the architecture I’ve been sold on due to stellar twilight photos – I’m betting it’s considerable.

Visit JCL Architecture to see more images of this house, plus a walk-through video. Also check out their other work. They have a killer farmhouse looking residence (locklear residence) that has neat stuff like cast iron balusters reclaimed from a municipal project demolished in Ireland. It looks a little big, but I still liked it.

[images via JCL Architecture]

Post from: Blisstree

Sustainable Hatfield Residence

On a positive note I have the most amazing art/architecture to share. I haven’t seen designs I like so much in quite some time. I honestly could not decide what to share, so to allow us to fully appreciate the pieces, I’m going to post just one today and a couple tomorrow.

Background:

Michael Jantzen, whose work I’m sharing today, (and tomorrow) is an internationally known artist and designer. He’s devoted his career to sustainable design (something we love to hear at Offbeat). Jantzen’s been featured in hundreds of publications; Architectural Digest, Wired, Blueprint, The New York Times, Brave New Houses, and City to name some but that’s just a small tip of a much larger iceberg.

This is the amazing M-House.

I named it the “amazing” M-House, It’s actually simply the M-House if you want to get technical; I hear that artists enjoy when you don’t rename their work.

Here’s another exterior view:

Guess my favorite part — you know I have one, I always do. If you guessed the window angle you are super clever and have started to think like me.

New Consumer Magazine offers a nice explanation of the design.

“Designed around his modular, adaptable and ‘relocatable’ M-vironment system, architect-designer Michael Jantzen’s ground-breaking M-House is made up of rectangular panels attached to a framework of interlocking cubes.

The panels are hinged to fold into or out of the cubes in either a horizontal or a vertical orientation. Some of the panels are insulated and contain windows and doors to enclose spaces that can be heated and cooled. Other un-insulated panels, slotted and solid, become platforms, sunshades, and wind and rain deflectors (one of Jantzen’s influences is origami).”

For the rest of the scoop read the whole article.

The origami influence makes sense don’t you think. To read way more about the M-House check out this link.

I know you’re all dying to see the interior right. I hate to disappoint.

I love it. It’s one of the less typical me offbeat homes I’ve shown, but it completely calls to you. It’s serene and calming. I really adore the streams of light that find their way in…

Look how smooth everything is…

The M-House is currently for sale (imagine having this all to yourself). I’d plant cool flowers all around the exterior and then maybe have my jealous friends over for dinner. If interested you can learn more and contact Jantzen at his website Human Shelter.

Tomorrow another great Jantzen piece or two; very different but equally as cool as the M-House.
[All photos courtesy of Michael Jantzen (A very hearty thank you!)]

Post from: Blisstree

A Dreamy Mixture of Art & Architecture