XTU Architects’ Radical Housing Concepts For Offshore Oil Rigs

Entitled “x_lands,” XTU Architects’ radical housing concept transforms the bones of offshore oil rigs into verdant sanctuaries. These platforms, very much a symbol of our reliance on oil, pose particularly interesting for adaption thanks to their vast scale and innate structural support. In addition to the greenery, XTU Architects proposes several different window-laden, container-like additions (and even some bubbles) to house human life. Read more …

Tabasco’s New 3D-Printed Neighborhood

Helmed by housing non-profit New Story (in partnership with Icon and Échale), the city of Tabasco’s 3D-printed neighborhood has received its first two homes. Using a 33-foot Icon Vulcan II printer, New Story built the pair of 500-square-foot, single-story cement houses in significantly less time and for less money than traditional homes. The walls went up in 24 hours and then human workers added the …

Nest LivingHome Toolkit Drastically Reduces Costs of Housing Construction

Starting at $57,900, Plant Prefab and architecture firm Brooks & Scarpa offer modular unit designs that can be assembled with prefabricated, customizable parts—from shelters that house hundreds of people to standalone units that run off the grid. These designs, named Nest LivingHome Toolkits, seek to combat the housing crisis in many US cities by employing innovative design in situations that usually require costly construction sites …