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
How to ensure UK transport infrastructure copes with severe winter weather.
Location shortlist for controversial new footbridge revealed.
Under the Party Wall Act a property owner has the legal right to do works that might otherwise constitute trespass or nuisance.
BSRIA examine the 'unpredictable' 2018 global air conditioning market.
ICE publish new report calling for new sector-wide body to help avert structural failures.
The talent pool in the LGBT community
The rainbow JCB will be making a welcome return to the London Build Expo on 23 and 24 October at Olympia.
An introductory article to external works - all activities carried out to the external environment of a building project.
With the clock ticking, RIBA say that a 'no deal Brexit' will be "disastrous" for the architecture profession.
The focus is generally on the lime binder, but the aggregate is actually the most significant element.
Planning construction projects
The importance of communication, collaboration and simplicity when planning construction projects.