French architect Patrick Nadeau designed this unusual home near Reims, France. It takes shape as a hump, featuring a curved roof that’s covered by a carpet of plants and wildflowers. “The wave was the most rational form to support all the heavy soil and plantings,” Nadeau explains. The goal being to build an energy-efficient residence with a budget equivalent to $340,000.
view also: Looking for a Spectacular Secret Garden? Check Out This Manhattan Roof Garden
2 in 1: This innovative house combines the fields of architecture and landscape in one stand-out design. The house is alive, changing its appearance, color and odor with the seasons. New plants can be brought by the wind, insects or birds.
view also: 8 Suggestions for Spectacular Roof Gardens
This particular wave, constructed from plastic honeycomb to hold the soil in place, crests at 23 feet to shelter the prototype’s two-story, 1,200-square-foot interior: living room, kitchen, multimedia space, two bedrooms, one bathroom. The layer of plants also provides thermal insulation to the house. For the front and back facades, he chose panels of transparent polycarbonate.
