Videos
Views: Ausable Canyon – ‘The Grand Canyon Of The Adirondacks’ In New York
Ausable Chasm, open since 1870, is the oldest and largest natural attraction in the Adirondacks. More than 10 million visitors have explored the chasm on the well-maintained scenic nature trails.
Architectural Views: The Bundeswehr Museum Of Military History, Dresden
The Military History Museum in Dresden, Saxony is one of very few museums in Germany that has German war equipment from both World Wars. Some of the most famous large items in the museum include a V2 flying bomb and Germany’s first submarine. The museum aims to explain how the military, armies and war influenced politics and society, and vice versa.
Japan Views: A Snowfall Walk In Ginzan Onsen (4K)
December 29, 2022 – Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉, lit. “Silver Mountain Hot Spring”) is a secluded hot spring town nestled in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture. The area originally developed around a silver mine; however, these days it is better known as one of Japan’s prettiest onsen towns with historic ryokan lined up along the river.
Ginzan Onsen’s traditionally styled ryokan occupy beautiful three and four story wooden buildings that, with their exposed woodwork and white plaster walls, evoke nostalgic feelings of a bygone era. There is one exception, however, in the Fujiya ryokan at the center of town, which was recently rebuilt by famous modern architect Kuma Kengo. Although purists may find it out of place, its unique modern design incorporates many of the traditional design elements of the surrounding buildings, such as the same exposed wood and white plaster.
Filmed by Japan BackpackersXpress
The Swiss Alps: A Winter Walk In Village Of Wengen
Wengen, the car-free village at the foot of the Jungfrau, is located on a sunny plateau and presents you with a breathtaking panorama of the surrounding peaks. A train trip to the Jungfraujoch -Top of Europe is the top! The Lauberhorn Race and the Jungfrau Marathon are two of the many big events on the calendar in Wengen.
The village is located on a sunny, wind-protected terrace at the foot of the Jungfrau, 400 meters above the Lauterbrunnen valley at 1274 m above sea level. The car-free village, steeped in tradition, offers a family-friendly skiing and hiking area all around the Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg.
Tours: Waiheke House In Auckland, New Zealand
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modern House in the World 00:45 – An Island Location 01:05 – The Aspect of the House 01:35 – Tasked with Entertaining 02:01 – The House Plan and its Materials 03:39 – Hidden Openings and Passages 04:22 – Bathing Rituals 05:27 – The Goal Behind the Home 05:43 – Creating a Centred Feeling 06:09 – Becoming One with the Environment 06:33 – A Vessel for Experience 06:53 – A Home Made with Real Materials 07:20 – A Love for the Layered Experience
While the views of Waiheke House are only part of what establishes it as the best modern house in the world, it is how the structure inserts itself into the landscape that is awe-inspiring. Focused on evoking the numerous meanings of ‘shelter,’ Waiheke House acts as a platform that can open or close for the watching of the weather as it changes. Comprised of two pavilions, which are slightly offset from one another,
Cheshire Architects have separated the living spaces to designate a place of reprieve and a place to entertain. The larger of the two pavilions, known as the seaward pavilion, is framed by landscaping. Shaped by the stone wall that curves around and holds the home, the idea of anchoring the seaward pavilion is seen through the home’s distinct architectural theme. To make the best modern house in the world feel warm and comfortable, the use of stone, wood and brass help the house insert itself into the surrounding nature. Created for entertaining, the seaward pavilion is intentionally designed to be small, with only a kitchen, large dining section and lounge.
Framed by glass on three sides, doors butterfly open so that the living areas can connect seamlessly with the lawn. Conceptually thought of as a canopy atop a mouth of a cave, Cheshire Architects has formed the best modern house in the world to navigate a spatial dialect that speaks to both broad ocean views and small, contained spaces. Throughout the house tour, it is evident that the selected surfaces and materials are chosen to act as a vessel for experience – an idea that Cheshire Architects hopes will still be embodied in 100 years as the home ages in place.
Seen in the stacked stone of the wall to the layered floor, Cheshire Architects avoids using crisp whites or laminates and instead imbues the home with richness from natural materials. Throughout the second pavilion, the adaption of narrower halls, lower ceilings and darker tones have been employed to create a dynamic internal contrast. Intended as a retreat for the owners, Waiheke House is a place to align and connect with the natural surroundings. By focusing on simple, high-quality design choices over scale, Cheshire Architects has created the best modern house in the world so that it may amplify what already exists.
Venezuela Rainforests: A 2022 Trek To Angel Falls
Alaska Views: ‘Salmon Reflection’ (BBC Earth)
Home Tours: ‘House At Otago Bay’ In Tasmania
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Home 00:30 – The Architect and The Home Owner 01:00 – The Location 01:19 – A Walkthrough of the Sustainable Home 01:40 – Expanding Spaces Through Shapes 02:27 – A Seamless Connection of Inside and Outside 02:47 – A Home that Sits Quietly and Calmly 03:00 – Using Local Manufacturers 03:21 – Maximising the Benefits of the Natural Elements 04:01 – An Entirely Electric Home 04:13 – Climate Change Impacts and Planning for the Future 04:48 – Minimising Footprints
Sitting atop the land, House at Otago Bay looks out toward the bay and as far as Mount Wellington – offering the owners a home that is flush with the landscape. Modest upon arrival, House at Otago Bay is positioned at the end of the drive with its back towards neighbours and its front facing the opposite bush reserve.
Made of locally sourced bricks, bushfire-resistant timber and glass, the home’s design showcases a passion for building sustainably for the present and future. Entering the home at the main living level, Topology Studio has designed the space to open and focus on unrivalled views of the bay. Though sitting on a narrow site, the insertion of unique architectural and design choices inside a home, such as the continuous curved ceiling, help the home to branch outwards and avoid being marginalised by frames. Stairs that sit off to the side lead down to the lower ground floor, in which a bedroom and ensuite have been partially set into the foundation of the home, offering a distinctive view out across the grass and towards the water’s edge.
With a seamless connection that isn’t often seen inside a home, the external façade blurs the lines between inside and out and adds a layer of connection to the surrounding environment. Sitting quietly and calmly upon the land, the architects have chosen to use tones that reference the rocks, water and greenery of the landscape. Using locally sourced and produced materials inside and out took away the need to import from overseas, avoiding unnecessarily increasing the home’s carbon footprint during construction.
After specifying the Tasmanian brick, Topology Studio positioned the building to maximise sunlight during winter and shield the inside during the summer, while also taking advantage of the expansive views. To cater to the changing temperature inside a home, the masonry and concrete floor provide a high level of thermal mass through the seasons and take away the need for external heating technology.
House at Otago Bay is supplied electricity by the solar panels on the boat house – taking away any need for gas and minimising running costs and impact on the environment. Though inside a home can be thought of as sustainable, Topology Studio has taken the extra step to respect the environment by providing robust materials across both outside and inside – proving that homes can provide longevity for its owners in sustainable and eco-friendly ways
Winter Views: Good Earth State Park, South Dakota
Good Earth State Park southeast of Sioux Falls is an important cultural and historical site as well as a unique nature retreat adjacent to the most developed and populated part of our state. The site itself is one of the oldest sites of long-term human habitation in the United States. The river, abundant wildlife, fertile flood plains, availability of pipestone (catlinite) and protection from winds made the area an important gathering place for seasonal ceremonies and a significant trading center for many tribal peoples from 1300-1700 A.D.
During this time, occupants were primarily Oneota Tradition Peoples, including Omaha, Ponca, Ioway and Otoe, but many other tribes were attracted and participated in trading agricultural product as well as hides, pelts and pipestone (catlinite).
This is the largest Oneota cultural site discovered to date in the upper Midwest. There are two other significant Oneota cultural sites located respectively in southwest Iowa and central Missouri.
Boomers Daily 