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Nike's new Serena Williams building spans one million square feet, features a two-story theater and has floors made of recycled shoe soles - take a look

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A couple converted a horsebox they bought for $4,130 into a tiny home. Take a look inside.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Loftus Hall in Wexford, <keyword id="6358817" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="ireland">Ireland</keyword>, has earned the title of the most <keyword id="9152454" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="haunted-home">haunted home</keyword> in the country.</li><li>Legend has it Anne Tottenham encountered the devil while living in the home. She entered a state of shock and never recovered. Since then, visitors have explored the property and reported sightings of ghosts and spirits.</li><li>Ghost tours, garden explorations, and house tours bring thousands of curious visitors to Wexford each year.</li><li>Now, the house is up <keyword id="137063" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="for-sale">for sale</keyword>. The current owner is asking for $2.9 million, but more importantly, he wants the house to continue to serve the public. </li></ul><p>When Aidan Quigley misbehaved, his parents threatened to drop him off at the <keyword id="352964" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Haunted">haunted</keyword> Loftus Hall. It was a common threat tossed around Wexford County, <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-you-should-visit-ireland-pictures-2017-2">Ireland</a>. </p><p>The 22-bedroom <keyword id="108066" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mansion">mansion</keyword> has a lengthy track record of <a href="https://www.insider.com/most-haunted-places-america-2017-10">hauntings</a>, starting with the legend of Anne Tottenham. </p><p>In 2011, Quigley's childhood threat became a reality. At 38 years old, Quigley and his brother, Shane, purchased <a href="https://www.loftushall.ie/">Loftus Hall</a>. </p><p>Over the last nine years, Quigley estimates the family has invested $1.76 million in saving the house and opening it up to the public.</p><p>Now, he said his time running the property is over. He's officially put the house up for sale. </p><p>"We brought it to a stage where we're quite happy with what we've done," he told Insider. "We'll let somebody else take it up with new energy, new monies, and new ideas."</p><h2>The house is on the market for $2.9 million, but making a profit isn't the owner's main priority with the sale</h2><h2><div type="image" title="loftus hall ireland mansion insider" height="900" width="1200" msid="77230223" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Quigley said he's trying to find an owner that will keep Loftus Hall open to the public. </p><p>"The area's tourism and economy is built off the back of the hall's seasonality opening," Neill Ikbal, the founder of <a href="https://visitnewross.ie/">Visit New Ross</a>, the area's tourism department, told Insider.</p><p>Each year, between 70,000 and 80,000 people <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> to Ireland's Hook Peninsula to explore Loftus Hall through guided tours of the home, garden, and hauntings. </p><p>Loftus Hall's haunted history dates back to 1775. Legend has it that Anne Tottenham was living in the mansion, and during a storm, a mysterious stranger arrived at the Hall in search of shelter.</p><p>Tottenham and her family welcomed him in, and they passed the time by playing a game of cards. When Tottenham accidentally dropped a card, she bent down and noticed the man had hooves instead of feet.</p><p>Believed to be the devil, the man shot through the roof in a ball of flames. Tottenham entered a state of madness and shock, and she never recovered. Her family locked her in the mansion's tapestry room where she died a few years later. </p><h2>Visitors claim to have heard Anne Tottenham's footsteps echoing throughout the Hall at night</h2><h2><div type="image" title="loftus hall ireland mansion staircase" height="901" width="1202" msid="77230226" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Exorcisms have been done on the building, and paranormal investigations still take place. Over the years, the mansion has earned its title as the <a href="https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/travel-tips/irelands-most-haunted-house-loftus-hall">most haunted house in Ireland</a>. </p><p>Quigley recalls taking visitors on tours and watching their initial skepticism slowly turn into belief.  </p><p>"You watch someone getting absolutely terrified, and the confusion around it is brilliant," he said. "It's great fun — if you count that as fun."</p><p>Whether Quigley believes the house is haunted or not? "Absolutely," he said. "Can I prove it? Absolutely not."</p><p>Quigley said he's been in contact with a few interested buyers. He joked that he's looking for a Charlie from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'' By that, he means someone who shares the same vision as him. </p><p>"I'm looking for the kid who doesn't steal the Gobstoppers," he said. "It's the person who gets it. Because if you get it, you look after the place and you bring it forward."</p><p>On November 13, also known as Friday the 13th, Quigley will host his final tour of Loftus Hall, completing a full circle from the first tour, which took place on Friday the 13th in July of 2012. </p><p>While it's Quigley's last tour, he said he hopes it won't be the end for the building.</p><p>"Yes, it's bricks and mortar has a value, and the acreage has a value," he said. "But it has so much heritage and history, and that's the value of Loftus Hall."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/italians-share-tourist-free-destinations-to-visit-in-italy-2020-7">An Italian woman shares the under-the-radar villages you should visit if you're trying to avoid tourists</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/tokyo-japan-drive-thru-haunted-house-2020-7">A drive-thru haunted house is coming to Japan, and photos show it's not for the faint of heart</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wall-less-hotel-switzerland-zero-real-estate-2020-6">You can stay in a 'hotel room' without walls that offers breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps</a></li></ul>

The most haunted house in Ireland is now for sale, and it could be yours if you're not afraid of a few scary stories

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An upgraded beach park is coming to Bergen, <keyword id="6356961" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="norway">Norway</keyword>. </li><li>The new park was inspired by water, and it will feature a starfish-shaped sea <keyword id="6400400" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pool">pool</keyword>, a city beach, and event spaces. </li><li>The city plans to finish the park by 2023.</li></ul><p>Every aspect of the new park plan for Bergen, Norway, was <keyword id="6373314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Design">design</keyword>ed with water in mind. From diversity-rich wetlands to a starfish-shaped pool, architects focused on merging water, <keyword id="49089" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sustainability">sustainability</keyword>, and urban life into the design. </p><p>The architecture firm <a href="https://whitearkitekter.com/">White Arkitekter</a> won a contest to design the almost mile-long park along the coast of the Store Lungegårdsvann lake in Bergen with its True Blue concept. </p><p>"The vision is to create an attractive and inclusive meeting place for movement, recreation, and events of various kinds all year round," Niels de Bruin, lead architect at White Arkitekter, said in a statement shared with Insider.</p><p>The city hopes to have the park completed by 2023. The new park will include numerous meeting spaces, a city beach, sports fields, event centers, and a floating pool that's shaped like a starfish. </p><p><div type="image" title="true blue park starfish floating pool Bergen, Norway," height="589" width="786" msid="76901548" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>A floating pool will feature triangular shapes that will house a sauna, picnic areas, and kayak rental facilities</h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/07/03/sea-pool-bergen-white-arkitekter-starfish/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Dezeen&amp;utm_content=Daily%20Dezeen+CID_2df2104756990f25a2d968e22624d0bc&amp;utm_source=Dezeen%20Mail&amp;utm_term=White%20Arkitekter%20designs%20starfish-shaped%20sea%20pool%20in%20Bergenol%20in%20Bergen">Dezeen</a>, the star-shaped pool will consist of three individual pools surrounded by triangular shelters. The entire structure will be encompassed in water and connected to the mainland by a pontoon. </p><p>"Linking the triangulated forms together also makes a starfish pattern. The triangle-shaped silhouettes of the surrounding mountains become part of this three-dimensional landscape," Niels de Bruin, White Arkitekter's lead architect, told <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/07/03/sea-pool-bergen-white-arkitekter-starfish/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Dezeen&amp;utm_content=Daily%20Dezeen+CID_2df2104756990f25a2d968e22624d0bc&amp;utm_source=Dezeen%20Mail&amp;utm_term=White%20Arkitekter%20designs%20starfish-shaped%20sea%20pool%20in%20Bergenol%20in%20Bergen">Dezeen</a>. </p><p><div type="image" title="WHITE_Bergen Bystrand_View 02" height="720" width="960" msid="76901550" hostid="261"></div></p><p>A seawall will also be built around the perimeter of the park to protect visitors from the harsh climate of Norway's coast, a design that mimics medieval Norweigan designs. Inside the perimeter, guests will experience the calmness and peace of wetlands and meadows. </p><p>The length of the park works on a natural to urban gradient. One end will feel more urbanized, but as visitors walk throughout the park, it naturally progresses to more outdoor-focused spaces, like lush islands, bridges, and bathing jetties.</p><p><div type="image" title="Siteplan_1_500 true blue" height="848" width="1131" msid="76901552" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The park puts a focus on sustainability, as the finished design will diversify Bergen's natural ecosystem and improve the city's water quality.</p><p>In designing the park, the architecture firm worked with a local art association, high school, Bergen's Aquarium, and an environmental organization. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiny-home-cabin-design-mountain-refuge-2020-7">This cozy tiny home features a floor-to-ceiling window that seamlessly connects the indoors with the outdoors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/cave-house-cycladic-oia-greece-airbnb-photos-2020-6">You could stay in a cave house in Greece that features a whirlpool and breathtaking views of the sea</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wall-less-hotel-switzerland-zero-real-estate-2020-6">You can stay in a 'hotel room' without walls that offers breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps</a></li></ul>

A starfish-shaped pool is coming to Norway as part of a new beach park

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="6439698" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="mountain">Mountain</keyword> Refuge is a prefabricated <keyword id="9121649" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiny-home">tiny home</keyword> that features floor-to-ceiling windows and a cozy <keyword id="6373314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Design">design</keyword>.</li><li>The open-concept <keyword id="57745" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cabin">cabin</keyword> was designed by two Italian architects who were inspired by traditional mountain shelters in the Alps. </li><li>The architects estimate that the home will cost between $45,000 and $57,000 once it's on the market.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.themountainrefuge.com/">The Mountain Refuge</a> is an ideal place to escape.</p><p>The prefabricated <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tiny-living">tiny home</a> is complete with a sloped roof and a floor-to-ceiling window that naturally bridges the indoors with the <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-to-know-before-traveling-in-a-camper-van-tips">outdoors</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/family-lives-in-a-tent-full-time-is-self-sustaining-2020-3">cabin</a> was designed by two Italian architects, Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi, who were inspired by traditional mountain shelters in the Alps. Together, they built a startup — named after the cabin design, The Mountain Refuge — to bring their idea to the market. </p><p>"Refuge aims to find balance between sustainability and design," Gnocchi said in an email to Insider.  </p><p>Although the cabin's design complements a mountain landscape, its open layout makes for amazing views no matter the terrain  — which is fitting because the goal of Gnocchi and Danesi's startup is to make the prefab home available to buyers around the world.</p><p><div type="image" title="mountain refuge interior 1b" height="675" width="900" msid="76863489" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The architects designed The Mountain Refuge to have an open layout where the kitchen naturally connects to the living room and bedroom. The original cabin design is about 269 square feet, but buyers can choose to have the cabin built with an additional module that will increase the home's size to around 400 square feet.</p><p>This addition could be used to expand the living space or create a separate bedroom.</p><p>The architects estimate that the home, including the additional module, will cost between $45,000 and $57,000. </p><p><div type="image" title="mountain refuge bathromm" height="1600" width="1200" msid="76863490" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Gnocchi also said that the cabin design includes several sustainable features, such as a sloped roof that can house solar cells. The design also gives homeowners the ability to collect and store rainwater, which could allow the cabin to exist off-the-grid — meaning that it could be self-sustained and rely solely on renewable resources. </p><p>This could be appealing to prospective <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italian-bungalow-tiny-home-is-sustainable-and-customizable-2020-4">tiny house owners</a>, as many people who decide to move into the miniature homes do so to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-house-guys-urban-tiny-self-sufficient-home-wheels-2020-6">live more sustainably</a>.  </p><p><div type="image" title="mountain refuge exterior 2" height="675" width="900" msid="76863494" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The architects told Insider that they're working with construction companies to get the design to the market.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/amsterdam-restaurant-greenhouses-mediamatic-eten-review-2020-6">What it's like to eat inside Amsterdam's waterfront greenhouses, which have been praised for getting social distancing right</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/cave-house-cycladic-oia-greece-airbnb-photos-2020-6">You could stay in a cave house in Greece that features a whirlpool and breathtaking views of the sea</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wall-less-hotel-switzerland-zero-real-estate-2020-6">You can stay in a 'hotel room' without walls that offers breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/couple-lives-in-tiny-home-with-infant-and-two-dogs-2020-6">A couple lives in a 210-square-foot tiny home on wheels with their son and 2 dogs</a></li></ul>

This cozy tiny home features a floor-to-ceiling window that seamlessly connects the indoors with the outdoors

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Laura Davies and David Buchanan live in an <keyword id="1697562" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="earthship">Earthship</keyword> in Almeria, Spain. Their <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="home">home</keyword> is autonomous, meaning that they rely on energy from the sun and water from rain. </li><li>The couple started building the Earthship in 2007. Over a decade later, they are still working on home improvements. </li><li>The building features many of the traditional Earthship elements, like south-facing windows and planters, but the couple has also added their own elements, like a geodesic dome.</li></ul><p>Laura Davies and David Buchanan celebrated their 50th birthday by moving into a new home.</p><p>It wasn't a house with state-of-the-art appliances or the latest technology. It was a home, in essence, made from trash.</p><p>The couple spent seven years designing and building an <a href="http://www.earthship.es/">Earthship</a>, which is a house built from upcycled materials, like tires, bottles, cans, and doors. </p><p>"Sometimes I'll wake up, and I'll say to Dave, 'Did we really build this?'" Davies told Insider. "There is a real sense of achievement, not in a sort of bragging way, but more the wonder that you can actually do it."</p><p>The couple moved to Spain in 2002 for a change of pace. They initially purchased a Cortijo home, which is a traditional Spanish home, to renovate. After living there for a few years, the couple decided they wanted a home that was a little more remote.</p><p>When searching for where to move next, Davies and Buchanan focused on two things: low costs and a smaller environmental footprint.</p><p>They came across Michael Reynold's <a href="https://www.earthshipglobal.com/">Earthship</a> concept, which seemed to accomplish both.</p><p>"Firstly, they're just so beautiful, so handmade. And the concept was really good. I just thought, 'Wow, we could actually build this ourselves,'" Davies said.</p><h2>Michael Reynolds built the first Earthship in the 1970s in a response to the growing awareness around trash and clear-cutting forests</h2><p>"There was an observation that the way we live on this planet is not really that stable and that secure, not to mention that ecological," Reynolds told Insider in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-living-in-earthship-off-grid-sustainable-home-2020-5">previous interview</a>. "I observed those things and started trying to build a building that addressed them."</p><p>Reynolds designed a home that encompassed what he believes are the six functions humans need to survive: food, energy, clean water, shelter, garbage management, and sewage treatment. </p><p>An Earthship is designed to be autonomous and off-grid, which means it captures its own electricity and water, and it grows its own food.</p><p>Earthships rely on passive solar to heat the building. South-facing windows are angled to collect sunlight to warm the inside of the home. This makes Earthships more successful in certain climates with arid, sunny environments, like New Mexico, and fortunately, southern Spain, where Buchanan and Davies live. </p><h2>The couple decided to adopt Reynolds' <keyword id="6373314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Design">design</keyword> for a home on their 50 acres in Almeria, Spain</h2><p>Originally, they had planned to test-build a one-bedroom home. After that, the plan was to build a larger Earthship as the main home and the first structure would act as a guest home.</p><p>Thirteen years later and more planning, work, and time than they could have imagined, the intended guest home is now their permanent residence.</p><p>"I just think it's brilliant," she said. "When we first came to Spain, we never dreamed we'd do anything like this."</p><p><div type="image" title="entrance_plants2 (1)" height="800" width="1067" msid="76145143" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>The couple spent seven years building the home before they moved in</h2><p>The couple started building their 860-square-foot home in 2007. With help from friends and volunteers, the couple would spend one day each week building their Earthship. </p><p>The couple told Insider they had no goal time to complete the project.</p><p>And throughout the build they were met with multiple setbacks: Buchanan had a handsaw accident, hot Spanish summers prevented them from working, and the planning process took time to get approval. </p><p><div type="image" title="dining_area" height="1152" width="911" msid="76145146" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The couple worked with the local planning department and local architects to get approval to build the unconventional home. In Spain, a vast majority of homes are built from concrete. But it wasn't the tires or cans that made the local planning department pause, it was the wood. </p><p>"It took us seven years to build it, and it took us seven years to wade through the planning process," Davies said.</p><p>In 2014, the Earthship was finally livable. Davies and Buchanan moved in and continued to build. </p><p>"Six years later, and we still haven't finished it," Davies said. "We've had so many other things going on."</p><p>So the home remains a work-in-progress. "The building will stop," Buchanan told Insider. "Not because it's finished, but because it's not that important to finish."</p><p><div type="image" title="earthship bedroom" height="2912" width="4368" msid="76145149" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>The geodesic dome is the home's iconic <keyword id="6399502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="feature">feature</keyword> </h2><p>Sitting atop their home is a bright white dome. </p><p>The couple modeled the design after the Moorish domes, which are popular throughout the southern region in Spain.</p><p>While the domes are typically smooth, the couple added a modern take with skylights. </p><p>Buchanan and Davies described the dome as the most challenging part of the build, as it took two years to finish. </p><p>But it was worth it, the couple said. </p><p>The Earthship also features an open kitchen and living room, one bedroom, one bathroom, and a utility room. Davies and Buchanan use solar panels to power the home and collect rainwater.</p><p>"We catch all our own water, so everything that we use for us and our animals and the garden is all caught on the roof of the Earthship," Davies said. </p><p><div type="image" title="exterior_dome_blossom" height="839" width="1118" msid="76145153" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Davies' favorite part is the temperature. The south-facing windows are designed to trap heat in the winter, and the home always hovers around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. So when it's in the 30 degrees outside, it's warm inside without a heating bill.</p><p>"The first winter we were here, it was snow outside, minus 3 degrees Celsius, and it worked," Buchanan said."To be in<br />a comfortable 17 degrees without any heating, that was just absolutely wonderful."</p><p>The couple has the traditional Earthship planters built along the glass-side of their home. While they're currently not filled with anything, Davies said she plans to grow herbs and other ornamental plants.</p><p>"It's just a beautiful place to live," Davies said.</p><p>Outside of the home, the couple has also built a few other buildings on the property. Two sheds, animal shelters, and a few other projects have been constructed over the years. </p><p><div type="image" title="earthship orch entrace" height="856" width="1141" msid="76145155" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Materials for the home were collected from the garbage </h2><p>Aluminum cans, bottles, and tires all played an important role in the construction of the home. Davies estimates that the 860-square-foot home used over 300 compacted tires. Bottles were used to create the structure and design for the Earthship. </p><p>Buchanan described weekly trips to automobile stores in search of old tires. The couple was constantly on the hunt for items sitting outside of bins, like old doors, which now line their porch. </p><p><div type="image" title="thumping_tyres" height="1145" width="861" msid="76145158" hostid="261"></div></p><p>These materials also helped the couple save money. Although they haven't tallied the cost of the home, they estimate that a builder could create their living room and kitchen area (about 375 square feet) with around $12,000.</p><p>The materials might not cost much compared to a traditional home, but it takes a lot of effort and construction, which is why some Earthships can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  </p><p><div type="image" title="geodesic_interior_cat" height="1144" width="856" msid="76145160" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>While the couple loves their home, it does present some challenges</h2><p>The couple is met with unique challenges in the concrete-flooded town. They've struggled with critters, including termites and woodworms.</p><p>"It's what most homeowners have to deal with," Davies said. </p><p>However, Buchanan and Davies have no regrets in their style of living. </p><p>"The main thing is that you can build them yourself," Davies said. "Obviously it takes time and work, but I find that so exciting and so liberating."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-living-in-earthship-off-grid-sustainable-home-2020-5">What life is like for people living in off-grid, sustainable homes called Earthships — and why lockdowns have created a wave of interest in the lifestyle</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/friends-stay-in-instagram-villa-hideout-bali-lockdown-2020-5">A group of friends escaped to one of Bali's most sought-after villas right before the island went on lockdown</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/man-traveling-every-country-without-flying-torbjorn-pedersen-2020-4">A man is 9 places away from visiting every country without stepping on a plane, but now he's stuck in Hong Kong with no end in sight</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/family-quarantining-tree-house-village-dominican-republic-2020-4">What life is like for a family quarantining in an empty treehouse village that usually accommodates 52 people</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/couple-spain-earthship-home-constructed-tires-bottles-photos-2020-5">Insider</a>

A couple lives in an off-grid Earthship made out of bottles, tires, and other materials collected from the trash

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While a majority of the world's daily lives have changed during the lockdowns, a small population has been living relatively unaffected by the coronavirus. </li><li>People living in Earthships, which are off-grid, self-sustaining homes, haven't had to make many adjustments in their daily lives.</li><li>The homes, which are often in rural areas, provide owners with food, water, shelter, and electricity. </li><li>As the coronavirus puts limits on people's lifestyles, there has been an uptick in the interest of autonomous homes. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>A day in lockdown for Craig Cook is no different than any other day.</p><p>The pandemic has him considering building a greenhouse, but besides that, Cook's life hasn't changed. He didn't wait in long lines at the grocery store or transform T-shirts into <a href="https://www.insider.com/etsy-face-masks">face masks</a>. If he's hungry, he heads to his indoor garden where he'll grab fresh produce, like a banana, fixings for a salad, or sweet potato. </p><p>"As far as the lockdown goes, our <keyword id="15482" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle">lifestyle</keyword> hasn't changed at all," Cook told Insider. </p><p>He attributes that to the <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="home">home</keyword> he's living in.</p><h2>Cook and his wife, Connie, live in a <keyword id="6568550" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sustainable">sustainable</keyword> home called an <a href="https://www.earthshipglobal.com/">Earthship</a> that's located on the outskirts of Ontario, Canada</h2><p>Cook's home is completely autonomous. The retired couple used upcycled materials, like bottles and tires, to build a home that regulates heat, collects rainwater, processes sewage, and functions as a greenhouse to grow food. With the help of solar panels and wind turbines, the building's electricity needs are met. </p><p>"No matter what happens in the outside world, it doesn't affect us at all," Cook said.</p><p><div type="image" title="craig cook wind chasers earthship.JPG" height="900" width="1200" msid="75705921" hostid="261"></div></p><p>There are about 3,000 <a href="https://www.insider.com/inside-germanys-self-sufficient-upcycled-earthship-house-2019-12">Earthships</a> sprinkled around the world. The biggest Earthship community is located in New Mexico, where the founder of the movement lives.</p><h2>Michael Reynolds, an architect, built the first Earthship in the 1970s</h2><p>"There was an observation that the way we live on this planet is not really that stable and that secure, not to mention that ecological," Reynolds told Insider. "I observed those things and started trying to build a building that addressed them."</p><p>Forests were being clear cut for timber and trash was exponentially increasing. To help solve those two problems, Reynolds built a house made of beer cans. </p><p>The idea spread, and Reynolds started using old tires and bottles to build structures. </p><p><div type="image" title="earthship" height="800" width="1067" msid="75705922" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Over the decades, he's identified what he believes are the six things all humans need to survive: food, energy, clean water, shelter, garbage management, and sewage treatment. </p><p>An Earthship meets all of those requirements. </p><p>A traditional Earthship is built into the ground, where the ground helps regulates temperatures. Windows on the south side of the building create warmth and sunlight helps grow food. </p><p>"When you come up against something like the coronavirus, you're sitting in a building that addresses your sustenance issues and you see this is the right direction for sure," Reynolds said. </p><p><div type="image" title="earthship new mexico" height="800" width="1067" msid="75705924" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Mark Fleischhaker said the lockdowns have also reassured him of his life choices</h2><p>Fleischhaker lives in the <a href="https://www.darfieldearthship.com/">Darfield Earthship</a> outside of Kamloops, Canada. He moved in after the family that built the home moved out.</p><p>Fleischhaker has lived in the Earthship for just over two years. </p><p>"For me, it's kind of felt like business as usual because this is how I've always been living," Fleischhaker told Insider. </p><p>Fleischhaker regularly stocks up on food. The closest grocery store is a half-hour away and the nearest Costco is an hour drive.</p><p>During the lockdown, he said he hasn't needed to visit a major town yet. Nearby gas stations provide him with any necessities he needs, but even those he doesn't visit often. He still has dear and fish in his freezer from last season, and tomato sauce, canned peaches, canned pears, and chutney the owners left behind. </p><p>He's also started cultivating his outdoor garden for the season. </p><p>"Nobody around here seems too stressed about anything, and it seems like there's a lot of stress in the cities," he said.</p><p>Fleischhaker also attributes some of the resiliency to rural communities. During Canada's lockdowns, many of his neighbors have come together. They help with projects, trade seeds, and host dinners. </p><p><div type="image" title="Mark Fleischhaker Earthship Outside.JPG" height="800" width="1067" msid="75705925" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Interest in Earthships has grown during lockdowns</h2><p>All three Earthshippers Insider spoke with saw an uptick of interest in their style of living.</p><p>For many, this is one of the longest periods of time people have spent inside their homes. How and where people live is constantly on people's minds.</p><p>Reynolds runs the <a href="https://www.earthshipglobal.com/academy-sessions">Earthship Academy</a>, which offers online classes for landowners interested in building their own Earthship. </p><p>His classes have more people than ever. Reynolds said he's seen the interest slowly grow over the last few decades, but this pandemic has caused interest to "crescendo." </p><p>"It really is reinforcing the last 50 years of work," he said. "It's making me see that you are going in the right direction. Now, just go as hard as you can for the rest of your life."</p><p><div type="image" title="earthship interior" height="800" width="1067" msid="75705926" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Cook's inbox has also been filled with interest.</p><p>"We have got a pile of emails from people saying this has opened their eyes," Cook said. </p><h2>Cook believes that the financial appeal also drives a lot of people to consider building Earthships</h2><p>He estimates that his 3,000-square-foot home cost him $70,000 to build (the couple built the home, so labor isn't factored into the cost). </p><p>And now, his only monthly cost is property taxes. There's no electricity, water, or gas bill. There's no mortgage payment or concern if gas or hydro is raising in costs. </p><p>"Those monthly costs are what people are drowning under," Cook said.</p><p>Beyond the concern for the planet, there's a financial incentive. </p><p>"We consider ourselves to be incredibly lucky to be living here and have what we have," Cook said. "But a lot of work went into being lucky."</p><p>Fleischhaker, a structural engineer, has seen a growing interest in sustainable designs among his friends and clients. </p><p>"A number of my clients are talking about focusing more on agriculture now, which is cool," he said. "I think it's triggered kind of increasing interest, whether it's off-grid or rural living."</p><p>Meanwhile, his friends have been checking in to see if they can visit. </p><p>"It's kind of tough to be bored over here, but I think people are getting bored in the city and looking for projects to do," he said. </p><h2>While a person living in a New York apartment or a suburban home in Texas might not be able to build an Earthship, there are broad takeaways that everyone can consider</h2><p>The largest one is being more self-sufficient. </p><p>While a lockdown had many people considering isolation for the first time, Fleischhaker has always focused on how he's living independently. </p><p>"I think my life choices have been set up to increase my resilience," he said. For the last four years, Fleischhaker has been transforming an <a href="https://www.insider.com/family-of-four-lived-in-a-200-square-foot-airstream-2019-12">Airstream trailer</a> into an off-grid home. </p><p><div type="image" title="Mark Fleischhaker Earthshp Garden" height="900" width="1200" msid="75705927" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Adding a small vegetable garden to a balcony or backyard can be a good place to start. Other skills, like learning to pickle vegetables or keeping a <a href="https://www.insider.com/pantry-items-that-dont-last-long-2019-1">stocked pantry</a>, are simple but helpful skills to build.</p><p>For bigger projects, homeowners can build rainwater collectors or add <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-panels-filter-water-generate-electricity-2019-8">solar panels</a> and become less reliant. </p><p>Reynold's team also works on retrofitting homes to be more self-sustaining. Projects, like building domes over houses or adding greenhouses to a building, help reduce a home's dependence on the grid. </p><h2>Reynolds acknowledges that it's not feasible to replace every building with an Earthship</h2><p>But he hopes that homes and buildings can be retrofitted and that the government can adjust its building codes to allow for new models of living. </p><p>Reynolds attributes these challenges to a misplaced value on tradition and culture. </p><p>"Tradition and culture make a beautiful coffee table book, but stop right there," Reynolds said. "Because tradition and culture are actually inhibiting the evolution of different ways to live on this planet."</p><p>Reynolds hopes that people prioritize how they live and its impacts on the environment. </p><p>"Make the machine take care of you first and then worry about tradition, culture, and aesthetics," he said. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/amsterdam-restaurant-mini-greenhouses-cubicles-social-distance-2020-5">A restaurant in Amsterdam built small greenhouses for diners to enjoy a meal in while social distancing</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/family-quarantining-tree-house-village-dominican-republic-2020-4">What life is like for a family quarantining in an empty treehouse village that usually accommodates 52 people</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/artist-turned-shuttered-diner-into-art-gallery-2020-5">An artist turned a closed diner into an art gallery during lockdown by hanging her colorful paintings in the windows</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/couple-living-on-sailboat-waiting-to-cross-indian-ocean-2020-5">A couple living on a sailboat had plans to cross the Indian Ocean before lockdowns put their journey on hold in Malaysia</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-living-in-earthship-off-grid-sustainable-home-2020-5">Insider</a>

What life is like for people living in off-grid, sustainable homes called Earthships — and why lockdowns have created a wave of interest in the lifestyle

<div type="image" title="Angelene Chan_DP Architects" height="1500" width="2000" msid="78278561" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>DP Architects (DPA) is one of the largest architecture firms in the world. It is the company behind world-famous sites such as Esplanade Theatres by the Bay and The Dubai Mall. </li><li>Angelene Chan, CEO of DPA, recalls the challenges the firm faced, including stop-work orders in <keyword id="34617" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="construction">construction</keyword> sites and travel bans due to COVID-19.</li><li>Post-pandemic, resilient cities and environmental health must go hand-in-hand. Urban spaces will also change to accommodate safe distancing and a predicted rise in self-contained urban clusters.</li></ul><p>Urban planning in <keyword id="6356662" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="singapore">Singapore</keyword> — one of the world's most densely populated cities — calls for a balance of design sensibility, and science. The city's skyline is dotted with projects by DP Architects (DPA), one of the largest architectural practices in Singapore and the world. </p><p>The firm behind world-famous sites such as Singapore Sports Hub, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and The Dubai Mall is no stranger to a challenge. But when COVID-19 came to the shores, it posed an unprecedented set of obstacles, from stop-work orders to travel bans. </p><p>One of the long-term challenges they faced was the closure of construction sites in Singapore, Angelene Chan, CEO of DPA, said. A project was identified as a COVID-19 cluster; not long after, all construction sites were given stop-work orders.</p><p>After projects gradually resumed in phase 1 of the reopening in June, new infections among the migrant-worker population and mass quarantine of at-risk workers continue to hamper construction productivity. "As a whole," Chan said, "the construction industry is still trying to find its feet."</p><p>Construction demand is expected to recover "to some extent" in 2021 according to the Singapore Building and Construction Authority (BCA). As project timelines are lengthy by nature, the industry may take longer to recover, Chan said.</p><p>"At present, we are fortunate that our projects are ongoing, albeit at a slower pace. However, the longer the pandemic goes on, the bigger and longer-lasting the implications on cash-flow and profitability of companies in the entire construction value chain. Recession means shrinking investment, which means [fewer] new projects in the next year," Chan said. </p><h2>The impact of pandemic travel bans</h2><p>When the country was in "lockdown," and foreign entries into Singapore was brought to a standstill, did the shortage of labor impact DPA? Perhaps in minor inconveniences - for example, a small number of their employees who commute daily between Singapore and Malaysia were not able to cross the border. </p><p>The ban on non-essential outbound travel, on the other hand, was more disruptive to their business at the early stage of the virus outbreak. The Singapore headquarters is the "design nerve" of the company's global practice, with more than half of its projects located overseas.</p><p>"This meant that we had to put on hold many scheduled critical meetings and design workshops which delayed project timelines and authority submissions deadlines," Chan said. </p><p>Even with projects brought to a halt, there was still work to be done. The company rolled out enhanced programs to raise professional competency, increase productivity performance, and build new skillsets for employees, including directors and senior management. "The pandemic has become an impetus for digital literacy," Chan said. </p><p>Another way to remain resilient is to acquire and develop serious capabilities to become experts in building typology designs. Chan reveals that the company's Typology Research Groups have been <a href="https://issuu.com/dparchitects/docs/designinprint_11.2_issuu-20200703">investigating the shifts in typology designs</a> that are underway because of the pandemic. In August, they held a <a href="https://youtu.be/YKTjgXDGyK8">"designFUTURE" webinar</a> to delve deeper into the subject, as a way to exchange ideas with others in the design and architecture landscape.</p><h2>A responsible and sustainable future</h2><p>A post-COVID-19 future for DPA is one that builds and designs responsibly and sustainably. "The pandemic has shown us that our individual action has a far-reaching impact on our planet. Environmental health is very much tied to human health. We cannot talk about building resilient cities and resilient urban life without mitigating climate change and its detrimental effects on all life, including human life," Chan explained. </p><p>The way people interact with public spaces has also changed. Social distancing is now the new normal, and Singapore's urban and architectural landscape cannot ignore it. </p><p>"I think we can expect to see more urban decentralization efforts to situate commercial activities and essential services closer to home," Chan predicts. She speaks about self-contained urban neighborhoods with easy access to basic needs. "Creating smaller, inclusive urban clusters will provide a sense of continuity during times of crisis like a pandemic."</p><p>Chan elaborates that Singapore's plans to be an even greener city, "a city in nature," as a means to provide a better quality of life, will become even more urgent. "We expect to see more open green spaces in neighborhoods, easily accessed from all homes," she said.</p>

Award-winning Singapore Architecture Firm DP Architects on design and urban planning in a post-pandemic world

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People can now virtually step inside homes designed by America's most famous architect, <keyword id="370004" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Frank-Lloyd-Wright">Frank Lloyd Wright</keyword>. </li><li>Virtual viewers can explore 12 famous Frank Lloyd Wright buildings across the US.</li><li>The virtual tours are livestreamed every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>After spending so much time in your <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="home">home</keyword>, it might be time to escape to a new location. </p><p>People can now virtually step inside homes designed by America's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. </p><p>From frat houses in Gainesville, Florida, to museums in New York City, Frank Lloyd Wright designed over 1,000 buildings. </p><p>Only a few of them are open to the public through in-person tours. But now, in a partnership between the <a href="https://franklloydwright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.utrf.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unity Temple Restoration Foundation</a>, you can visit 12 of the buildings virtually. </p><p>Every Thursday, a representative stationed at one of Wright's buildings will take viewers on a tour of a new building. The videos will be livestreamed and saved on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the <a href="https://franklloydwright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's</a> website.</p><p>The tours will last until mid-May and include some of his most famous works — like Taliesin West.</p><p>Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the deserts of Arizona. The building served as Wright's winter home and "<a href="https://franklloydwright.org/taliesin-west/">desert laboratory</a>." </p><p>Or visit <a href="https://fallingwater.org/">Fallingwater</a>, a home sitting over waterfalls and tucked inside southwest Pennsylvania's forests. </p><p><div type="image" title="fallingwater frank lloyd wright" height="1904" width="1208" msid="75186002" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"It is precisely at this time, when so many are shut inside, that we need to experience beauty and inspiration. Wright's works bring people together in harmony with the natural world, reminding us that we are all connected, even when we're apart," Barbara Gordon, the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's executive director, wrote in a statement.</p><p>While the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings remain closed, the conservancy is hoping the virtual visits will spark new followers, members, and supporters of Wright's work.  </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/virtual-ways-to-travel-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-3">Virtual tulip gardens, livestreamed ghost tours, and 26 other places around the world to visit without leaving your home</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/london-tour-guide-is-using-instagram-to-do-her-job-2020-4">A London tour guide is adapting to lockdown by taking her Instagram followers on virtual trips to the city's best hidden spots</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/woman-showing-people-travel-souvenirs-around-her-bedroom-2020-4">A woman is traveling around her bedroom by sharing the stories behind souvenirs she's collected from all around the world</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/australia-virtual-tour-guide-great-barrier-reef-2020-4">You can take a virtual trip to Australia with a tour of the Great Barrier Reef and a koala livestream</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/frank-lloyd-wright-virtual-tours-2020-4">Insider</a>

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