The Orb Has Landed
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 07.20.07
The UK shed scene is so creative; so many designers are offering holiday homes, caravans and sheds that one could devote an entire website to them. (hey, someone did!) Philip Simpson "wanted something that would enhance the user's appreciation of the outdoors, from both inside and out." and sketched up the Orb (on backs of envelopes and restaurant napkins, of course.) Architect David Miller and interior design consultancy Real Studios polished it off.
"Its unique oval shape and generous glazing provide a luxurious sense of space and light, as well as intrinsic strength, flexibility, sustainability and superb insulation efficiency."
The blurb says "The Orb's stylish elliptical shape gives the structure its intrinsic strength and unique look. The oval shell allows the heating and air handling to be superbly energy efficient (we can provide stand alone solar power) and requires very little heating input. Its shape has an intrinsic void below the floor, which allows for easy access to services and plenty of storage." which is making a virtue out of a problem: there is a lot of waste space when you put a flat floor into an oval building.
The Holiday Home version comes in a two or three bedroom version.
The Orb's "monocoque construction is more durable and long lasting than any other traditionally built structure on the market. The materials and technology used in the Orb's construction are exactly the same as in marine construction. Boats are designed to be incredibly strong, lightweight and water resistant - so is the Orb! Being light weight it will be easy to move on site."
Boats are also expensive to build; GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic) is also not particularly sustainable. So it ain't cheap and isn't particularly green, but it is cute and has a small footprint. No information about price or availability from ::The Orb
Wow, I love the shape...