California Curiosity - Houses & Noise Barrier Combo

Yep, Californians are retarded and will place houses anywhere.
Even utilizing highway noise barriers as the structure's back wall.
This small development is adjacent to I-405 (or "the 405" in the local vernacular) in Westminster. I've past it a few times while traveling from L.A., but never had a chance to snag some shots of it.

(sorry about the blurriness, I was traveling at ≈50 MPH when I randomly snapped the shots)

At least the last one has some natural light coming in from one point on the back half of the house. One of these days I'll have to check out the houses from the other side. Oh wait, there's Google Maps for that.

Overhead view:
And from the street (and via teh innernets at least), you'd be hard-pressed to tell that the houses have no back yard.
Still, I bet it's loud and that it smells.

Lake House Lust

So my boss was cruising the World Wide Innerwebs this morning and stumbled upon this gem.
Not only is it an award-winning masterpiece...
...so elegantly blending in with the rolling Wisconsin landscape...
...but it is also on my beloved Green Lake.
Named The Camouflage House because of the way that the natural-colored panels were harmoniously integrated into the façade by pixelating and distilling autumn hues.
Having practically memorized every home on the lake over 30+ years of recreating on it's clear, spring-fed waters, I'm surprised I wasn't familiar with this home until now.
I discovered that it is located on the south shore of Norwegian Bay. And based on this photo...
...it appears that it's on the western edge of Norwegian Bay. Which really makes sense if the builder didn't demolish an existing structure. See, this part of Norwegian Bay is quite shallow - shallow enough that many lake-goers anchor on the sand bar to enjoy the waist-deep waters. One of only a few places on the deep, dark lake that accommodates those not looking to constantly tread water. The shallowness of the water can also makes the lot less-desirable to those with piers and motorboats as the pier length has to be sufficient in order to properly launch and store said boat. Therefore, it could have stood vacant through Green Lake's development. But that's pure speculation.
And though my favorite Green Lake property is quite evident to anyone who really knows me, this home is definitely one of my favorites. I hope to see it in person (from the lake of course) one of these summers.
Photos and information from this link and this link. Architect - Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Milwaukee.

Taiwan I - Architecture

Ye Olde Rusty T Motel, this is NOT where I stayed.

One of the first things I noticed about Taiwan was the architecture. Very "brutal" in nature, most every building is made of concrete, and the deluxe buildings have glazed tiles on the outside. Stainless steel water tanks capped everything from homes to factories. I think they help increase water pressure.

This is what I imagine the buildings look like in Soviet-bloc countries of Eastern Europe. Built strictly for function, most of buildings looked like this in both the small towns and in Taipei. One of my coworkers stayed in these motels when he first started coming over in the 1980s as there were no western-style hotels at that time. At one motel he was given a rat trap upon checking in. If he caught a rat, his room was free.

Most buildings are also covered in soot. The air is choked with exhaust - diesel and lots of two-stroke from the abundance of scooters.

Still, the countryside was green and lush. Even though most of Taiwan has been forested, there are still hillsides covered in trees.