The title of this article is fairly self explanatory so let’s just hop right into it. The reason I am making this my first article on this website is just so we can all see how much my opinion changes year over year. The buildings are kind of in order; it’s difficult to truly rank one over the other when they are all so different. Given that this is the first article on the site, don’t bash the writing too hard. I’m new to this whole blog thing.
Frederick C. Robie House Picture by TripAdvisor
5. Frederick C. Robie House
This house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright completed construction in 1910. My favourite aspects of the house are the overhangs and the privacy. Despite the fact that I have never been to it in person, I can still feel the peace it seems to create for those within. I am a big fan of buildings that create a sense of intimacy for those within and this house seems to do that extremely well. While Fallingwater might be Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous creation, this one is my favourite.
“An Evening at the Pantheon” by laszlo-photo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
4. The Pantheon
This old geezer of a building was completed approximately 1900 years ago in 126 AD. This building gets a massive boost in my books for one reason alone: history. It has been around for 19 centuries and that to me is a pretty inspirational feat. While there are some other notable buildings that are much older (The Pyramids or the Parthenon) the Pantheon gets the nod in my books because of its dome. It is in my opinion the quintessential piece of ancient world architecture.
When I was a kid, I really liked tall buildings. Being from Canada, the CN Tower was a lovely thing to have somewhat close to home (not really but at least it was in the country). That being said, the Taipei 101 always stood out to me because of its unique design and the fact that it was a full building and not just a tower. Sorry CN Tower I’ve got to be honest here. As a kid playing Minecraft (still do that now too, some things don’t change) seeing a building like this made me want to hop on and build something similar.
Vertical Gardens. What’s not to like? I am a sucker for buildings that incorporate greenery into them and their surroundings. In my opinion, all builds should strive for some form of greenery incorporation. It is beneficial from a sensory standpoint – people generally enjoy seeing, smelling, feeling, etc. greenery. On top of this it is also good for the environment and local ecosystems and helps with the urban heat island effect. It also helps make buildings more unique. While houses and buildings can be built the same, plants and nature typically vary, and this variation helps make communities and subdivisions feel less cookie cutter.
Photo by Jeremy Bitterman
1. Oregon House by Jim Cutler
While I said at the beginning of this article that my rankings weren’t truly rankings because it’s hard to pick one building over the next, this one is the exception. It is my favourite building at this point in time. I really like the overall design and how close it is to the nature around it. You can literally jump into the water out of the living room. The windows make the walls seemingly disappear and you truly feel at one with your surroundings. While I haven’t been to this house physically, through the pictures and videos alone I feel confident in saying that this is a house that I don’t think could have been made any better. This house belongs on this property 100%. Architectural Digest made a YouTube video about it and I recommend checking it out.
You made it to the end, congrats! I will hopefully release this same article in a years time and we can all see what changes. Bye for now!
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