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Habitacle #2

Andrew Block (1895-1966) was first engineer and worked in a factory until he met in 1921 with Le Corbusier's influence and the fact that many look to the architecture. Editor, in the beginning, technical journals, he was the founder of the indispensable magazine "L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui" and "Art of Today" which brought him close to many artists and architects such as Frantz Jourdain, Henri Sauvage and Auguste Perret. In the garden of his villa in Meudon, built in 1949 and where is the family for 20 years Seroussi, there are two "sculptures interiors": - The Habitacle No. 2 of 1964 - The Habitacle "The Tower" 1966 The whole house interiors and sculptures has been classified a historical monument in 1983 and is open to the public one day per month.

Shabono Structures

The Yanomami are the largest relatively isolated tribe in South America. They live in the rainforests and mountains of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. At over 9.6 million hectares, the Yanomami territory in Brazil is twice the size of Switzerland. In Venezuela, the Yanomami live in the 8.2 million hectare Alto Orinoco – Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve. Together, these areas form the largest forested indigenous territory in the world. the yanomami live in large, circular, communal houses called yanos or shabonos. Some can house up to 400 people. the central area is used for activities such as rituals, feasts and games. each family has its own hearth where food is prepared and cooked during the day. at night, hammocks are slung near the fire which is stoked all night to keep people warm.

Palm Leaf Houses

- Palm Leaf Houses - "Traditional buildings made from the leaves of date palms have provided shelter from the extreme climate of the Arabian peninsula for generations. Just as bamboo is central to many forms of Asian vernacular constructions, so is palm leaf in the United Arab Emirates and surrounding countries. They are light to transport, strong enough to survive the desert but, when used as a wall, can allow a breeze of air to slip through. Palm leaves have been used in ingenious ways to create habitable structures that have endured for decades. In many regions this is referred to as Arish."

Cueva de los Cristales

Buried 300 meters below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, this astonishing cave was discovered by two miners in 2000. Mexico's Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) contains some of the world's largest known natural crystals - translucent beams of gypsum as long as 11 meters. The cave reminds of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. New studies report that for thousands of years the crystals thrived in the cave's extremely rare and stable natural environment. Temperatures hovered consistently around a steamy 55 degrees Celsius, and the cave was filled with mineral-rich water that drove the crystals' growth. The Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock about 10 meters wide and 30 meters long. The volcanic activity that began about 26 million years ago created Naica mountain and filled it with high-temperature anhydrite. When magma underneath the mountain cooled and the temperature dropped, the anhydrite began to dissolve. The anhydrite slowly enriched the waters with sulfate and calcium molecules, which for millions of years have been deposited in the caves in the form of huge selenite gypsum crystals. The humidity is 100% inside the cave which in combination with the extreme heat, you cannot visit this wonder without a heat resistant suit. That is also cool.

Penguin Pool

Lubetkin seems to have seen this building as an opportunity to creatively explore the possibilities of a new building material available in 1934 - reinforced concrete. Having studied the habits of penguins he created a penguin enclosure and pool that provides an interesting environment for the penguins, a multiplicity of viewing angles for the spectator and a Modernist building of true clarity and style. After setting up the architectural group 'Tecton' in 1932 the penguin pool was one of his first commissions, from the Director of London Zoo. The overall elliptical shape is referenced in the spiraling intertwined ramps that connect the different levels; these sloping cambered ramps give a dynamic feel to the building. The large elliptical blue pool provides the birds with a large swimming area and also gives a contrast to the white concrete used throughout. There is a partially shaded area to provide the birds with protection from the direct sun, and the gently curved walls are designed to echo the penguin's cries. This building cleverly combines practical considerations, such as a shaded area for the penguins and gently sloping access to the pool, with a powerful aesthetic statement of form and line. The penguin pool is a Grade 1 listed building in the UK Government scheme for protecting important buildings.