5 Outrageous House Designs

Outrageous house designs come in many shapes and sizes, and range from historical masterpieces, to more recent commercial designs. Some projects have been ongoing for decades, while others have been designed around a specific theme or event. Their outrageousness can be understood, in this sense, through the innovative nature of their architecture, materials, and placement within a lived space. With this in mind, some of the most outrageous house designs that can currently be visited around the world include:

1 - Steel House, Texas

Architect and sculptor Robert Bruno began work on the ‘Steel House’ in 1973, and it has been an ongoing project ever since. Located in the Texan town of Lubbock, the building represents a steel structure that stands on four leg supports, and that has been progressively expanded since the foundations were laid. Bruno views the Steel House as more of a collaborative work of art than a fixed property, and has gradually added in design features like stained glass and new stories to the house over the years.

2 - Dar al Hajar, Yemen

Originally believed to have been part of an eighth century stone table, Dar al Hajar in the Yemen was renovated by a 19th century Immam to become a palace literally carved out of the side of a mountain. The palace has watchtowers, and is located near to the Souk Al Wadi village, and sits within a vista that offers views over the Yemen landscape. Floors have been added to the palace over the years, with the whole construction itself representing a merger of the natural landscape and architecture.

3 - Upside Down House, Poland

Daniel Czapiewski designed the Upside Down House as a statement against the Communist regime in Poland. The house, completed in 2006, is supposed to comment on the now deposed Communist Party’s distance from reality in its policies. The house attracts millions of tourists a year, and took 114 days to complete. This was partly due to the workers having to take a break every three hours as a way of fighting the disorientation caused by the strange angles of the building.

4 - Toilet House, South Korea

Suweon mayor Sim Jae-Duck, now known as ‘Mayor Toilet,’ commissioned this $1.1 million property as a tribute to the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association. The building, known locally as Haewoojae, is shaped like a giant toilet, and has a roof top balcony that can be reached through a winding staircase designed to look like a drain plug. Made from steel, white concrete and glass, the Toilet House itself holds four deluxe toilets, and was intended to showcase ideals for sanitation for South Korean citizens.

5 - Crooked House, Poland

Another Polish entry, the Crooked House is not technically a house at all, but rather part of a shopping centre. It was designed by Szotynscy and Zaleski as a tribute to the fairy tale artwork of Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg, and represents a sloped and distorted building that looks more like an optical illusion than anything else. Covering 4,000 square metres, the Crooked House was completed in 2004, and has recently been joined by the nearby Wonky Pub.

Author Bio: Liam Ohm is a regular home improvement blogger with a keen interest in wacky ideas for the home. He highly recommends stylish and versatile venetian blinds to help add a great look to your windows.