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00:00 Moving into and setting up your new home is definitely one of the most exciting things,
00:04 especially for those who never find enough outlets for their ideas and designs.
00:08 From time immemorial, humans have gone from caves to huts, to castles, to blocks of flats.
00:14 And nowadays, it seems like you could find an example of just about any house design possible.
00:19 Some ideas were birthed because of some physical restrictions, such as unusual or small space,
00:25 and environmental restrictions, while others do so just to dare the impossible and end up
00:29 creating unique home designs. Whatever you're looking for, be it some inspiration for your
00:34 future home design, or just checking out some of the world's weirdest home design ideas,
00:39 then we made this video just for you. From former church, to renovated water tower,
00:44 to the smallest house in the world, to one that is the spitting image of the Flintstones cave,
00:49 check out our list of 20 of the world's most unique houses.
00:54 Number 1 is truly an astonishing piece of architectural marvel. Stick around and find out.
01:00 Let's begin. 20. The Upside Down House of Tronscheide, Germany
01:04 The first house we'll be taking a look at is the Upside Down House of Trassenheide,
01:12 a house built in the seaside resort of Tronscheide on the Pomeranian Island of
01:16 Usedom in 2008. The Upside Down House is the first bottom-up house to be built in Germany.
01:22 As part of a project, they tagged "Die Welt steht kopf", which means "The Upside Down World".
01:28 Polish architects Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikikuk designed this topsy-turvy house with
01:34 the aim of giving visitors a different view of everyday things. The only thing not flipped on
01:40 its head are the exterior stairs that lead to the attic, or should we say the ground floor entrance,
01:45 realistically speaking. Along the outside walls of the inverted ground floor are an upside-down
01:51 bench, wheelbarrow, and a bicycle. On getting inside, things get really strange. Sofas,
01:57 kitchen furniture, paintings, and potted plants are all inverted in this upside-down world,
02:02 hanging above you as you are standing on the ceiling. In the bathroom, you nearly expect
02:07 water to come tumbling down from the upturned toilet. The curtains are also pinned in such a
02:12 way as to make you think that gravity has gone and flipped you. Its façade gives an impression
02:17 that the whole building somehow fell to earth and rested precariously on its roof, and inside,
02:23 its 6% structural inclination further adds to its already befuddling nature. Once completed,
02:29 the building was honored for becoming the first upside-down house built in Germany.
02:33 19. COHETIOS, EL ALTO, BOLIVIA
02:42 In 2005, Bolivian self-taught architect Freddy Mamani designed these outrageous
02:47 spaceship-like mansions to celebrate the political autonomy given to his native Amara race.
02:53 The buildings are said to represent the Amaras' newfound confidence in Bolivia's economic
02:58 blossoming. Cohetios, which means "little rockets" or "rockets," are curious-looking edifices
03:04 were created to change the skyline of the Bolivian city and give it an architectural identity of its
03:09 own, a deviation from the traditional simple concrete and red brick past. The alien-like
03:15 designs, patterns, and color palette agree with the Amaras' folklore culture. The Cohetios also
03:21 carries motifs inspired by Tianahuaca culture, from which Aramarians traced their roots,
03:26 zoomorphic features in Andean crosses, and reflective glass that represents the
03:31 multicolored skirts and shawls of the tribe's women. Chandeliers gotten from China, several
03:37 flashing lights and tall lime-green pillars, make up additional elements that combine to help the
03:42 structure stand out in the world of international architecture without being vulgar or too crazy.
03:48 Its entranceways and corridors are typically long and narrow, featuring a main central hall
03:53 as the main space. Also, a penthouse sits on the very top of the building, which is separated from
03:58 the other sections of the building with the intention of differentiating the owner's residence
04:03 from the commercial units offered below. 18. S-House, Setama, Japan
04:09 Even within a city that boasts an above-average proportion of quirky homes, Tokyo's S-House,
04:18 designed by Japanese architect Yosuke Karasawa, is a real eye-catcher. With a structure designed
04:24 to allow a lot of sunlight, each of this building's facades is made from transparent glass.
04:30 Completed in early 2014 and located near Amaya train station in Setama, Tokyo,
04:35 the S-House takes up a physical footprint of 50 square meters, 538 square feet, in a narrow plot
04:42 flanked by other houses. The architect's unusual, utterly impractical design is his response to the
04:48 limited privacy brought about by the internet era. Anyone who decides to stay in this house
04:54 would definitely need to be the outgoing type, although the master bedroom and bathroom are
04:58 located in a basement that is sunk a little underneath street level, so aren't quite as
05:03 subject to prying eyes as its design would suggest. The rest of the interior, which is
05:08 predominantly white, is dominated by numerous interweaving staircases that must be correctly
05:13 and carefully navigated to gain access to each room on the building's five split levels that
05:18 spread over two stories. The house features a kitchen, guest room, lounge areas, and rooftop
05:24 terrace. Indeed, the thought of trying to work out where the bedroom is after a night on the tiles
05:29 is enough to make discouraged one from drinking. 17. Slide House, Japan
05:35 Picture yourself growing up in a house built around a three-story high slide,
05:43 and where the home functions not just as a shelter but also serves as a fun place. The Slide House,
05:49 located in the Nakamagura neighborhood of Tokyo, is designed to be such a place.
05:54 This spectacular home in Japan is a rectangular building with a slide that goes all the way around
05:59 one side of the house, connecting all of its three floors. It also has a staircase that goes around
06:05 the other side of the house. So on each floor, occupants can decide whether to descend through
06:10 the stairs or slide. The house was designed by Level Architects for a couple with three kids,
06:15 who wanted their children to have lifelong joyful memories of their childhood home.
06:19 I know, a lot of you would envy those kids. Its living area is located on the second floor,
06:25 which keeps the goal of creating a playful home. It also has an enclosed ball pit at the center
06:29 of the living area. The living, dining, and kitchen areas have a high ceiling that allows
06:34 air and light to diffuse throughout the large space, but a sense of unity is maintained by
06:39 the 6-meter-long built-in sofa bench that runs along a wall. The bedroom is a large,
06:45 non-partitioned space located on the third floor and is meant for the whole family to share.
06:49 16. Rancho Burrito, East Austin, Texas
06:56 This home is a lesson of sustainable living. In East Austin, it causes people to stop,
07:04 stare, and get out of their cars and wonder, "Is it a business? A farm? An experiment? A home?
07:10 Is that a man welding in the July heat?" Building houses out of shipping containers
07:14 are a newer way to recycle a very basic item used in our everyday world. These big metal objects are
07:20 generally used to haul goods across the world, but when done correctly, they can make deceptively
07:26 cool homes. The house features a kitchen, bedroom, and a wood-burning hot tub all within the confines
07:33 of 280 square feet. 15. Star Trek Voyage House
07:43 Obsessed with the television series Star Trek, a British man named Tony Allen transformed his
07:48 one-bedroom flat into a replica of the spaceship shown in his favorite show. A feat that took him
07:53 nearly 10 years and thousands of pounds to achieve brought him into the limelight in 2009
07:59 when it was completed. What started as a therapeutic hobby for the then-56-year-old
08:04 devotee following a heartbreaking divorce from his wife is now a property fully decked as the
08:09 Star Trek Voyager. The intricacies of his work can be seen in the life-size copy of the spaceship's
08:14 command console, which forms the centerpiece of the one-bed flat and that also controls the lights
08:20 and sound effects. A voice-activated computer system turns on fluorescent tubes in the morning,
08:25 illuminating bleeping panels, and a replica of the "Beam Me Up" transporter. The windows of the home
08:31 have been fitted with plexiglass in between layers of wood, which creates dark space portals.
08:37 The doorbell is also customized to play a sample of Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
08:41 Tony Alene, who is an interior designer by profession, said he first got this idea when
08:47 a friend gave him a Star Trek magazine. In this house, you can live long and prosper,
08:52 enjoying the complete experience of being on the Voyager.
08:54 14. The Hobbit House, Wales
09:03 Forget the Shire, these wonderful Welsh houses built by Simon Dale were built to give an
09:07 experience similar to the little houses depicted in the Lord of the Rings trilogy movie. Boasting
09:13 of charming and exquisite interior, the Hobbit House of Wales is also regarded as one of the
09:18 eco-friendliest buildings in the world. Simon Dale, a designer and builder,
09:23 foregoing convention, decided to lift his family and live a more sustainable life.
09:28 Within four months, with the help of his father-in-law, friends, and £3,000,
09:32 he was able to construct the Hobbit House in a hillside. He made sure all the elements of the
09:36 house harmonized with nature. The frame of the house is constructed from oak thinnings that
09:41 were gathered by the family while the walls and other foundations were constructed from stone and
09:45 mud. To insulate the house, the family used straw bales in the floor, walls, and roof. Lime plaster
09:52 was used for the walls, recycled wood for floors and fittings, and windows, burner, plumbing,
09:57 and wiring were all constructed from recycled material the family collected.
10:02 Aside from the building materials, the house's design allows for sustainable living too.
10:07 There is a skylight in the roof for natural light in the day. Solar panels provide electricity.
10:12 Water is collected from a nearby spring. The fridge is cooled from underground air.
10:16 Water on the roof is used for the garden, and the toilet is used as compost.
10:20 13. The Carrot House, Poland
10:28 Hailed as the world's slimmest house, this building is a product of designer
10:32 Jakub Szene's quest to ensure all urban spaces are used up. He then decided to squeeze his house
10:39 in between two other buildings. The building is wedged inside a 4-foot crevice of two buildings,
10:45 stretching over 30 feet long with a width of only 28 inches at its narrowest point,
10:50 and just 4 feet wide at most. No other building in the world has the same height-to-width ratio
10:57 as the Carrot House, earning it its recognition of the slimmest building in the world.
11:02 12. The Skateboard House, Malibu, California
11:07 This house has to be the ultimate dream for generations of skateboarders who would love
11:14 to bring their practice into their home. The Pierre-André Senegirzi's PAS House,
11:19 as it's originally called, is the project of a private residence built in Malibu, California.
11:24 In this house, you will be able to skate any areas and surfaces, indoor and outdoor.
11:29 Pierre-André Senegirzi's PAS, a former world champion and pro skater and the founder of Etnies,
11:35 is the client and designer of the project. The PAS House is the first house designed to
11:40 be entirely used for skateboarding as well as being a traditional dwelling.
11:44 The house is divided into three separate spaces. The first one includes the living room, dining
11:49 area and kitchen. The second includes a bedroom and bathroom, and the third, a skateboard practice
11:54 area. In this house, you will be able to skate any areas and surfaces, indoor and outdoor.
12:00 11. The Steel House, Lubbock, Texas
12:04 In the Texan suburbia lies a giant, four-legged UFO standing just across the street from rows
12:13 of ordinary two-story houses. Taking a closer look, the strange formation appears to resemble
12:19 a multiple-story grand piano balancing on the hillside or maybe a massive cicada. In reality,
12:25 this bizarre structure is actually someone's house, or at least it used to be. The steel abode
12:31 is the labor of love of Robert Bruno, an unconventional sculptor who handcrafted it
12:35 from 1973 until his death in 2008. Located on a ridge overlooking to get an incredible look
12:41 of the Lake Ransom Canyon, Robert Bruno's Steel House is made of 150 tons of blackened steel.
12:48 Each piece welded by hand and was created with virtually no outside help. The interior is wooden,
12:54 resembling the inside of a tree trunk, and various of the windows are made of beautifully stained
12:59 glass. To him, the house was more of a hobby than a project that needed to be completed.
13:04 He was known to scrap months of work on a whim, and the lack of closure was no cause for concern.
13:08 Today, over a decade after Bruno's death, the Steel House is kept alive by Charles Hobbs,
13:14 one of Bruno's neighbors, who doubles as the building's manager and tour guide.
13:18 Although many have urged him to complete the house, it remains unchanged to honor Bruno's wishes.
13:23 10. House Na, Tokyo
13:29 If you're a fan of having natural daylight in your house, this is the house for you.
13:37 It's completely transparent, allowing a lot of sunlight but little privacy. The transparent
13:43 house, as it is fondly called, is a house inspired by our ancestors who lived in trees,
13:48 and was designed by Suu Fujimoto Architects. The building is located in a quiet Tokyo neighborhood,
13:54 measuring 914 square foot and was built to showcase the concept of living within a tree.
14:00 It comprises of 21 individual floor plates, all situated at various heights, to satisfy the
14:05 owner's desire to live as nomads within their own home. The Japanese definitely have a thing
14:10 for glass houses. 9. Chateau d'Or, Belgium
14:18 One of the most beautiful architectural pieces in Belgium is the Chateau d'Or,
14:25 a 100-foot-tall water tower that was recently converted into a single-family home.
14:29 The structure started out as a water tower, constructed between 1938 and 1941,
14:35 to serve the townspeople of Steen-Ot-Kruinsneel, Belgium, to feed the people and their farms,
14:40 and was later used by the Nazis during the Second World War, before eventually being
14:44 transformed into a residential abode. In a bid to save the tower as a historical landmark,
14:50 a petition was filed in 2004 and was approved. Due to the fact that the historic landmark is now
14:55 safe from modern building and housing growth, the BAM Design Studio decided to make this place
15:01 someone's home, as well as a meeting place for businesses and public gatherings. Since then,
15:06 it has gained recognition from around the world for its amazing architecture
15:10 and its state-of-the-art features. 8. Flintstone Cave House, Malibu, California
15:18 Dick Clark, an American actor, is the proud owner of this animation series-inspired one-story home
15:27 situated in the heart of Malibu, California. The house is built on a 23-acre lot,
15:32 with a paranormal view of surrounding mountains, seas, and cityscapes. Its inner walls are made
15:37 of wood while the ceilings are steel beams covered with concrete to achieve a rock-like appearance.
15:42 It features one bedroom and two bathrooms that are both adorned with modern appliances,
15:47 despite their prehistoric look. Architect Philip John Brown suggested the idea to create a house
15:53 that looked like a rock formation since it is situated next to the Santa Monica Mountains
15:57 National Recreational Area. The idea was then made real with this home. Aside from its impressive
16:03 design, this home also affords a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean, Pony Mountains,
16:09 and Los Angeles. The home would most likely make you say "Yabba-Dabba-Doo" like the famous expression
16:14 of Fred Flintstone. You think this house is cool? Wait till you see the number one house on our list.
16:21 7. Stonehouse, Portugal
16:23 Casa de Penedo, meaning Stonehouse or House of the Rock in English,
16:31 is an architectural monument located between Sao Rico de Basto and Fafe in northern Portugal.
16:37 It was given that name because it was built from four large boulders that serve as the foundation,
16:42 walls, and ceiling of the house. Its construction began in 1972. It lasted about two years until
16:48 its completion in 1974. The engineer who built the Casa de Penedo hailed from Guilherme Reyes.
16:55 The residence was initially used by the owners as a holiday destination. Today, Casa de Penedo
17:00 is a small museum of relics and photographs from Penedo's history. The building is situated near
17:06 a wind electricity farm. Although there is no electricity inside the house itself,
17:10 due to its unusual design and integration into the surrounding nature, the building has become
17:15 a growing tourist attraction. 6. Giant Seashell House, Mexico
17:22 Many have wondered what life would be like living in a seashell, and that was the exact inspiration
17:30 behind the beautifully crafted Nautilus. This giant seashell house is located in Mexico City
17:36 and was built and designed by Arquitectura Organica's own Javier Senasoyan. The home was
17:42 built back in 2006 and features a smooth front facade met with a giant wall of colored mosaics,
17:48 lighting up the living space in a stunning rainbow effect. Inspired by the works of Gaudi
17:53 and Frank Lloyd Wright, as you can see by the natural plantings and spiral staircases located
17:57 throughout the dwelling, the structure houses a young family that includes two children.
18:02 Whether you think it looks cool like a giant snail or seashell, the home is definitely quite strange,
18:07 but it was actually designed to blend in with the natural surroundings
18:11 in what Senasoyan likes to call "bio-architecture." 5. The Egg House, China
18:21 Inspired by an architectural project called "City's Egg" in an exhibition he attended in
18:29 Shanghai, young newly graduated architect Dai Hafei began to construct livable, portable tiny
18:35 homes that could be wheeled and parked in the empty space right outside of the workspace. These
18:40 living pods were solutions to unaffordable houses in China. The house only features a bed, lamp,
18:46 and a water tank inside, but this budget travel shelter is enough for someone trying to save up
18:52 and gather together a living. It might not be the warmest place to live. Seed sacks on the exterior
18:57 slowly adds to the protection from weather and sound. Its burlap bags, layered over a waterproof
19:02 membrane, provide essential rain protection. Particularly as the root systems expand and
19:08 help soak up and redirect water during more significant downfalls, while a small skylight
19:13 plus solar panel brings in light and power. 4. Langtree House in Hampstead, London
19:20 This exquisite home is so cool, you've probably never even heard about it, and yes, it's that
19:28 underground. Complete with three bedrooms, it is a fully equipped gym and a cinema room.
19:32 This bizarre, below-the-earth abode lies 8 feet beneath the ground. The interior of this home is
19:39 very luxurious. It is impossible to believe that the entire structure is actually built
19:43 underneath the ground. 3. Shark Attack House
19:49 This terraced home became Oxford's most unusual tourist attraction when its owner,
19:56 local journalist and broadcaster Bill Hyne, had a fiberglass Great White Shark installed on the
20:02 roof in 1986. The plans for the design were first refused by the local council, but after winning
20:07 an appeal against its sanction, the project was given the green light for it to become an
20:12 attraction for future generations to admire. John Buckley created the sculpture in protest
20:18 of American bombing in Libya. The building is currently the biggest tourist attraction in the
20:22 entire area. 2. Mr. Toilet House, Suwon
20:28 This house is a unique museum dedicated solely to the loo in the southern province of Gyeonggi-do,
20:37 known as Mr. Toilet House, locally called Hayawuja. The house was built in 1998 by the
20:43 then-mayor, who was keen on prompting and prompting public toilets culture. His passion
20:49 led him to redesign his home for 30 years in the shape of a toilet seat. When he died in 2009,
20:54 the house was donated to Suwon City, who transformed the house to a toilet culture museum,
20:59 the following in his honor. The museum takes up two floors. The first floor is a permanent
21:04 exhibition featuring interactive displays, documents, and toilet-related materials that
21:10 offer an insight into the toilet culture movement around the world, while the second floor is a
21:15 temporary exhibition hall which also holds a number of photos and artifacts dedicated to the
21:19 life and times of Mr. Sim. A toilet culture park surrounding the museum was opened in 2012,
21:25 and consists of scores of artwork and historical toilet displays from across the ages,
21:30 not to mention dozens of hilarious photo opportunities for well-humored tourists.
21:34 1. Stingray House, Vancouver
21:41 Shaped like a bird, perhaps a plane, this, guys, is a house shaped like a stingray. The house is
21:48 shaped like a pancake of the sea. The house is built into a rocky cliff, overlooking the water
21:54 underneath. Architect Amy Kandilagunkar played with brutalist design techniques to craft this
22:00 unique concrete home. There's no word yet on how much Stingray House would cost, but judging by
22:05 the size of that dreamy pool, it's safe to say that we're looking at a multi-million-dollar
22:09 price tag. And that's it for the most unusual houses in the world. Which house fascinates you
22:16 the most? Let us know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, make sure you check
22:20 out others on the Forever Green channel. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time.