Cliff-clinging concept house offers stomach-churning views
With a name like Casa Brutale, it's no surprise this concept house is made to challenge the bravery of its occupants.
The concept renders for the cliff-hanging Casa Brutale house will evoke a variety of emotions from viewers. Some may see it as a wondrous expression of fantastical architecture. Some may feel their heartbeat quicken as they imagine the excitement of stepping inside. Others may experience rank fear.
Casa Brutale, from design network OPA (Open Platform for Architecture), is not for people with vertigo or fear of heights. It hangs over a cliff in an upside-down "L" shape. The top is a swimming pool with a glass side looking out over the edge of the cliff. Massive glass windows give the home unobstructed views outward, emphasizing the sheer drop beyond.
OPA imagines the residence being set along the Aegean Sea. The materials are glass, concrete, steel and wood put together in a geometric design. The home would benefit from being embedded in the cliff face to take advantage of the natural insulation of the earth around it.
Casa Brutale takes the mid-20th century trend of concrete-heavy Brutalist architecture associated with government buildings and turns it into a modern sculpture that appears both beautiful and dangerous.
The description of the concept home is just as dramatic as the design.
"Casa Brutale is a geometrical translation of the landscape," said OPA. "It is an unclad statement on the simplicity and harmony of contemporary architecture. It is a chameleonic living space, created to serve its owner and respect the environment."
(Via Design Boom)