I'd like to tour the building. Not sure about working there. Though the heating and cooling bills would be minimal.

A regulation-sized basketball court was erected on the grove-like forecourt of the school building of the occupational school. The court consists of a soft orange-red tartan covering and two normed baskets and seems to be forced over the grid of the lamps that have been set up. The playable court has been “morphed” as in a 3D program on a computer and looks like the grounds of a rollercoaster, with heights and depths and calm and dynamic zones. The resulting paradox, which moves between a normative set of rules and pleasurable, anarchic change, requires creative engagement for its use.

In need of a home office but out of space in your home to create an ideal work area? Well, if you don't mind working in a circular, seed-like structure, the Archipod ($40,000) could be just what you're looking for.

Today, the ARC International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition unveiled its five finalist designs for a next generation wildlife crossing at West Vail Pass, Colorado. The competition is intended to solve the problem of ensuring safe travel for humans and wildlife.

Designed by Max Pritchard

I like this. MATSYS took the idea of a Sietch from Dune, and created this project, Sietch Nevada, that projects waterbanking as the fundamental factor in future urban infrastructure in the American Southwest. Sietch Nevada is an urban prototype that makes the storage, use, and collection of water essential to the form and performance of urban life. Inverting the stereotypical Southwest urban patterns of dispersed programs open to the sky, the Sietch is a dense, underground community.

I love spiral staircases. They easily are the focal point of a room, presenting graceful lines to the inside of a house. And they make a room feel ultra-important. Here are a collection of famous and fantastic staircases.

These are just some stunning photos of some amazing ceilings. Yup, ceilings.

Gorgeous 6x11 Alpine hut by OFIS Architects. The hut is situated in a small Alpine village, part of Triglav national park in Slovenia, with very strict rules of construction and architectural design. The client bought the site together with existing construction permit for the generic project. Demand was not to change construction permit but change the elements of the house to suit his family, sustainable factor and open the windows toward the views.

Amazing collection of images of early New York. From 1894 on, just a real solid trip down history.

Tokyo's stunning levels of overcrowding pose one of the most severe architectural constraints around--it's one of the reason that it's become home to lots of amazing architecture and product design. In that vein, two design firms have solved a problem you might not have even guessed existed, by creating apartment complexes aimed specifically at giving motorcycle fetishists a safe place to park—and show off—their rides.

An excellent diagram from Todd Warfel on the Design Process. So many times clients want to JUMP ahead to the visual comps, this will help you show them how much is needed before that point.

I like this (in the proper climate). California architects of the 1970s were a big force in popularizing the idea of indoor/outdoor living, with houses that featured huge patios and glass-walled living rooms. But a new villa in Germany pushes the idea to its logical extreme.

Herzog & de Mueron won the architecture profession's highest honor, the Pritzker, in 2001; last summer their iconic "Bird's Nest" stadium was beamed into a billion homes during the Beijing Olympics. But unlike other starchitects they haven't been recycling old ideas (Frank Gehry, that's you). They just keep getting better. Witness a new museum/library/community center they just unveiled in Tenerife, Spain.

There were many iterations of the Alien 3 script. One of the more exotic ones was the Vincent Ward & John Fasano "monks in space" script, illustrated here. Looks fantastic.

In August of last year, theBig Picture was happy to be able to share some amazing photos of London, as seen from above at night by photographer Jason Hawkes. That entry continues to be one of the most consistently popular ones ever put together at The Big Picture, so its good news to hear that Jason has another 24 photos from 2008 to share.

Wow, this is an amazing wine cellar. It's a trap-door in your floor that spirals down to a wine cellar. It's simply one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

Not so much fancy in terms of glass shape, but fancy in terms of what's inside. Brilliant lighting and growth make for stunning underwater landscapes.

This is a fantastic example of good architecture. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the NFL’s largest practice center (217,000 square feet) to give the Jets an edge. I like the subtle touches, like the clean air vents in the lockers, the striped lighting to simulate hash marks, the tunnel leading to the field, and the building surronding the field to simulate a stadium.

These platforms are brilliant. Scary, thrilling and gorgeous. I'd go on them in a heartbeat. I think the one I'd like to see the most would be Aurland Lookout in Norway, but they are all just fantastic. Why we don't have more thrill inducing types of views like this I don't know.

This underground data center has greenhouses, waterfalls, German submarine engines, simulated daylight and can withstand a hit from a hydrogen bomb. A newly opened high-security data center run by one of Sweden’s largest ISPs, located in an old nuclear bunker deep below the bedrock of Stockholm city, sealed off from the world by entrance doors 40 cm thick (almost 16 inches).

I LOVE this house. LOVE it. I love the sheer wilderness. The Views. The stark simplicity.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill recently completed construction on their incredible Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland. If you have been searching for religious -or architectural- inspiration, check out their awe-inspiring cathedral. The stunning structure makes beautiful use of glass, fly ash concrete, and fsc-certified wood, but we were most impressed by its incredible use of natural light.

amazing photos.

“It’s not about life or death,” he said, admiring the dark, twisting lines of the fennel. “It’s about looking good.”

Ask a child what their favorite subject is at school, and chances are they’ll say recess. The Netherlands-based design team at Carve integrate architectural expression into their playground design thereby generating unique play experiences for children

I want a house that looks like this. So very groovy.

I would happily live in a place that had a green roof. I'd actively choose it over a non-green-roof. I like the idea of grass overhead.

30 seconds of progress.

Sand castles like you've never seen them. Fantastic, exquisite sculptures of sand-whimsy.

Manufactured by a French firm, they're called Livingstones and come in various shapes and sizes, but all look like they have been picked up off a beach. I'd love to be relaxing in one right now, and it's got to make you wonder: why do we stick with sofas,

A giant sculpture that will be truly impressive if it's ever built.

A great pre-fab, post-modern shed.

That's a studio apartment I could live in.

That's a cool house.

An amazing walkthrough an amazing apartment of an amazing artist.

What an awesome place.

Oh.My.God. I want one.