Main author
Michael BrooksCube Houses
See the Unusual building design of the week series here.
The Cube (or Cubic) Houses are a series of unusual house design located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They were conceived and constructed in the 1970s by architect Piet Blom as a response to the request from town planners for housing to be built on top of a pedestrian bridge. Blom had already built similar houses in the town of Helmand and so chose to repeat the design in Rotterdam.
Blom intended that the triangular peak of each of house would represent the top of a tree, with the asymmetrical design of the 40 cubic houses connected together representing an abstract forest.
The cubes comprise concrete floors and pillars and wooden framing, and sit tilted on a hexagonal base. The interior of the houses are divided into three levels accessed by a narrow staircase.
The walls and windows are angled at 54.7 degrees which provides good views of the surrounding area. However, the houses have been criticised for their lack of available space as, despite a total area of 100 sq. m, the angled structure means that only 25 sq. m is actually usable.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Building of the week series.
- Cabin Straumsnes, Norway
- Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico.
- Dunmore Pineapple.
- Fallingwater.
- Futuro House.
- Gentle Genius.
- Habitat 67.
- House in the Orchard.
- Loyly, Finland.
- Ministry of Transportation Building, Georgia.
- Nakagin Capsule Tower.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Upside Down House, Poland.
- Waldspirale.
- Wikkelhouse.
- Y House.
Featured articles and news
Building Safety Regulator appoints permanent director
And publishes three-year strategic plan.
Update on the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
Introducing changes to make it more effective from 2024.
2023 CIOB photography competition
Shortlist announced for 2023 public choice award vote.
The last of the Victorians. Book review.
Grimsby's Kasbah: where’s that?
An exotic name that is shrouded in mystery.
This weeks guest editor, Ankita Dwivedi of Firstplanit.
Fropm practice to research and the business of materials.
Terms, histories, theories and practices.
Types of work to existing buildings - repurposing of buildings
Alteration and everything else before demolition.
2023 HSE data on workplace injuries and ill health
And CIOB's response.
Building Safety Act and Secondary Legislation
Presidential update from CIAT's Eddie Weir PCIAT.
Starting pistol Statement for an election campaign?
Rates freeze, NI cuts, full expensing; early election?
Positive pressure or positive input ventilation
Could this be a remedy for condensation, damp or mould?
Unlocking a Healthier Tomorrow
Report on Social housing retrofit in Scotland 2023
Call for ministerial group and National Retrofit Delivery Plan.