Strange places where people live (16 photos)

One of the basic human needs is to have a safe place to live. And we've devised countless ways provide yourself with shelter. But some people built pretty for themselves original dwellings.





Katskhi Pillar, Georgia



Religious buildings for thousands of years gave people were safe and protected from what was happening in the outside world. But to truly consecrate their lives to God, some believers went to extreme measures to separate oneself from the rest of humanity and get as close to heaven as possible. There are similar examples all over the world but against their background, the church standing on the top of the Katskhi pillar stands out. The pillar itself is a limestone monolith 39 m high. is located in Georgia and studies have shown that it was used hermits since at least the 9th century.





Not a single staircase leads to the top, only in the 1950s explorers were able to climb to the top for the first time. They were stunned by what they found - the main building of the church, the crypt, three cells of the hermit, and a wine cellar in the ruins of a much older church. This the place is home to a monk of the Orthodox Church named Maksim Kaftarasde for the last 20 years - he helped restore the buildings. Man comes down to earth only twice a week for supplies.

Matmata, Tunisia



Located in the south of Tunisia, Matmata is an atypical an example of what a Tunisian city can be like. But it is those unique features that make the city unusual and made it one of the most recognizable places in the world. Matmata can be seen in "Star wars" - this place is the home of Anakin Skywalker.

For a long time, this region was inhabited only by nomads, but in At the end of the 1960s, Matmata became known to the whole world. City where lives a couple of thousand people, is known for the fact that its buildings are created in a very unusual way - a large pit breaks out in the ground. Then artificial caves are dug right in the walls, and this is how rooms are created.






The number of holes varies depending on the size of the family. Several pits can be connected - this is how large houses are created, and also pits can be expanded if necessary.

In 1969, after a period of heavy rains, the villagers I had to ask the authorities for help - their houses began to collapse. people helped - ground houses were built, but instead of move, most families remained to live in underground dwellings.

Melnikov House, Moscow



The peak of Lenin's power in Russia led to the fact that by 1929 private property, including houses, was banned, as was the idea any kind of architecture that goes beyond the mundane or homogeneous. But that hasn't stopped architects from trying to find ways bypass the rules. And although most of the buildings of that time are generally dull and monotonous, there is one structure that completely contradicts the accepted then trends. This is Melnikov's house, located in Moscow. His designed by the architect Konstantin Melnikov, who managed to convince the authorities that this is an experiment in saving space and materials, which can serve as a model for future homes. However, such houses are no longer built. The architect and his family were allowed to live in this building for a while. home.



This is a great example of avant-garde, unlike anything else. other. The house consists of two intersecting circles. Thanks to this, in the interior required fewer internal walls, so less materials during construction, and bricks are needed for honeycomb structures were only around the window frames, which were hexagonal and This allowed a lot of light to pass through. A decade later Melnikov deprived of the right to engage in architecture (mainly because of this house). However, despite attempts to demolish the house, the building remained standing. Melnikov remained to live there, having received special permission, because he was also the person responsible for the design of Lenin's mausoleum.

Beforem from cans for beer, USA



As a rule, houses are usually made of the same materials, such as brick, cement, clay, metal sheets, and sometimes plastic. But this does not mean that other materials are not suitable for building a house. Today, when people produce more and more garbage, it is possible that usually considered junk, can be used in a new way - for construction of new houses. One of the most unusual and outlandish examples of this can be found in Houston, Texas. The person who built this home, John Milkovich, was an avid beer and wood drinker. According to him family, the man drank at least six cans a day. When John in the 1960s years of retirement, I realized how much waste it produces, and decided, that instead of throwing away the cans, he would use them for repair and refurbishment of your home.



The beer can house, as it is called, became an obsession for Milkovich, and it took him 18 years to create the house.

During this time, he covered his house, fence and tree with 50 thousand cans, as well as bottle caps, bottles and other items associated with beer. The man began to build a house, filling the house and yard with concrete after being tired of mowing the grass. Concrete was the perfect addition to banks and items. John also made sculptures - windmills and bells, and also created fences and gates from beer cans. This house, certainly stands out from other houses in the area, so it has become a local attraction. Although most people would not want to live in such a place, it certainly serves as a reminder that garbage can always be reused, and not sent to a landfill.

The Villages, USA



Usually, places where many people live are inhabited by people of different origins and different ages, but there is a place in Florida that looks like another reality. The Villages, which is located northwest of Orlando, cover an area of just under 88 square km, and it is the largest community of retirees on the planet. Over the last decade The Villages also held the record as the fastest growing urban area in United States. It is divided into 17 special purpose areas.



The idea to build this place came from a landowner in 1960s. Today, each The Villages is part of one whole communities. It has its own special rules of residence, as well as strict requirements for the appearance and maintenance of all houses. For example, at least At least 80 percent of homes must be occupied by at least one person older than 55 years. People under 19 are not allowed to spend more than 30 days, except in rare cases.

There are currently about 80,000 people living in The Villages. inhabitants, and it is estimated that their number will rise sharply in the coming years. But this place is not for everyone. Controlled lifestyle gives no sensation freedom, but also benefits. The areas are all clean and surprisingly there is little crime going on here. The number of thefts, for example, about a third lower than the Florida average.

Elefante Art House, USA



Located on 12,000 m2 in Cornville, Arizona, Elefante Art House was conceived and built by Michael Hahn and Layla Levant. It has been in the making for 28 years since 1979. Elefante has something what can be seen in most houses - central heating, electricity and plumbing, and this is almost all the similarity ends as this handcrafted home is meant to be alive a work of art. The house has five separate zones, each of which are connected by a common theme: a zone for meditation, an art gallery, bath, garden sculptures and wetland ponds. Majority materials used for the construction and decoration of the house were collected in desert.



The combination of stone, glass, mosaic, tile, wood, metal and plaster creates one of the coolest home interiors. For a couple, when she started, there was no general plan of the building, instead she followed organic construction process and made the necessary decisions during construction time only at the last moment.

Since the creation of the first and main house, several others artists moved to this place and built their own buildings, and now Elifante is the name given to the whole sculptural village, which, due to unusualth community living here attracts visitors from all over the world.

High Desert House, USA



The houses of the future will no doubt be very different from those which we are used to today. But why wait for the future to come? Already today, designers have begun to implement ideas to minimize the impact on environment and the use of new building materials. One of the most unusual, futuristic and discreet houses in the world can be found in Joshua Tree National Park. Although you may not be able to find it, unless you know exactly where to look. Designed by Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, High Desert House is on the edge of the park and designed in such a way that it fits elegantly into the environment Wednesday. Its living area is 464 2m, the house consists of 26 separate standing concrete columns that look like giant ribs, left behind by a long-extinct monster.



Each of the columns is immersed in the rock to a depth of 2 m, which ensures its stability, and is connected by glass panels, sandblasted, which scatter light throughout home during the day and provide incredible views of the night sky. All on five floors of this building was created from local materials. At It took Kellogg five years to complete the construction - it happened in 1993 year, but it took another 14 years for John Virgin, artisan designer to make furniture and other decorative interior elements by hand. When the house was finally completed in 2014, he immediately took his place as one of the most creative, progressive and stately homes in the world. And although it will never be copied for sure, There are many design techniques that will be used in other houses of the future.