Cardboard Cathedral Planned In Earthquake prone New Zealand

A new dimension in architecture?  Something I’ve not heard of but this is not the first time this type of architecture was used according to the article……flagranny2

This cardboard cathedral is being built as a temporary replacement   for the iconic stone ChristChurch Cathedral, which was ruined last year in an earthquake that killed 185 people

Read more: http://tiny.cc/7nyvcw

Looking for a Prefab Home, Check these out!!

I think all of us are aware of the most common prefab homes but I found these fascinating and thought they were worth sharing, hope you enjoy!!…flagranny2

“Forget the stereotypes – prefabricated homes can not only be ultra-portable and easy to assemble, but also sleek and modern, aesthetically rivaling the best of modern architecture. From rooftop lofts that can be dropped on site with a crane to tiny residences with insect-like legs that allow them to perch practically anywhere, these incredibly versatile, mobile dwellings represent the best of what prefabricated architecture has to offer”

 For the rest of the article please click here

Off-the-Grid Modular Steel House 

 Recycled Cargo Container Made into Portable Home

Modernist Glass-and-Wood Drop House

Rooftop Prefab Living with the LoftCube

Uncommon Churches

[This post is a result of another email I received and felt it was worth sharing. Enjoy!!…..flagranny2]

For more uncommon churches click here

An Industrial Strength House in Pittsburgh

[At least they don’t have to worry about peeping toms  :)…flagranny2]

WHEN Bob Zielinski, a former marine who owns a glass manufacturing company here, and his wife, Kim, showed contractors plans for the house they wanted to build — a 53-foot-long glass-and-steel wedge cantilevered over their factory contractors said it couldn’t be done.

They said “You’d have to get guys who build bridges and do highway work to create the support system for something like that”

 

 

• Read more at Industrial strength house
• Click here for additional images

The Moses bridge in Netherlands

[While on the subject of bridges I received an email the other day about this “moses bridge (sunken pedestrian bridge”) and found it so interesting I wanted to share it….flagranny2]

This incredible “sunken” bridge located in the Netherlands is giving visitors a unique way to access a beautiful 17th Century Dutch fort. Designed by RO&AD Architects, the Moses Bridge parts the waters allowing pedestrians to pass through. The bridge is made from sustainable Accsys Technologies Accoya wood, which is both FSC and PEFC certified.

A series of moats and fortresses were built over the West Brabant Water Line region of the Netherlands during the 17th century in order to provide protection from invasion by France and Spain. Fort de Roovere was surrounded with a shallow moat that was too deep to march across and too shallow for boats.  In turn the earthen fort had remained protected –until now.

From afar the Moses Bridge is invisible. The flow of the moat appears continuous as the water level remains the same.  Water passes under and around the bridge via a piping system. The bridge and its components have been made from sustainable hardwood, Accoya wood. It is also treated with a nontoxic coating protecting it from fungal decay and increasing its durability — an ideal material for a sunken bridge.

Read more with more images…Invisible bridge

A Bridge Built to Sway When the Earth Shakes

[This engineering feat is schedule to open sometime in 2013.  After opening, the existing bridge will be torn down.  Be sure to click on the interactive link below, very interesting……flagranny2]

 

SAN FRANCISCO — Venture deep inside the new skyway of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and it becomes clear that the bridge’s engineers have planned for the long term.

“We wanted to make this bridge flexible so that when the earthquake comes in, the flexibility of the system is such that it basically rides the earthquake,” said its lead designer, Marwan Nader, a vice president at the engineering firm T. Y. Lin International.

 

• Read more…Bridge built to sway

• A replacement bridge rises on the bay…see interactive media