Cardboard Houses

I am currently reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin (because Kikki K did a collaboration and sometimes you can judge a book by its cover) and one of her tasks was to spend a little bit of time each day working on her blog. And so, I have decided to dedicate myself to doing the same, to stop this blog being a dream and to do the work to make it a reality. 

So, my very first thought was that I should write a post about something that really excites me and at the moment that is the work of Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Luckily (and to my excitement) Shigeru Ban has contributed work to the rebuilding efforts in Christchurch, by designing a cardboard cathedral to replace one that regrettably had to be demolished. This cathedral, pictured below, uses the humble cardboard tube as it's main structural support elements. 

Model of the cardboard cathedral from Inhabitat.com

The coolest thing about this design is that it can be quickly assembled to allow Christchurch to resume life in the inner city and it can remain indefinitely until it is taken down and the parts are reused in another project. This work really highlights a new era in the realm of sustainable building design and development, that not only fills a need for buildings in the present but also accounts for the future of what is so called "temporary" architecture. Not only is this building sustainable, I am also highly attracted to the simple geometric design and the idea that the stained glass windows can be created by local artists which really helps connect the project with the city and provide a sense of ownership. 

Shigeru Ban has done countless other amazing projects and has fast become my hero. Inhabitat.com has featured a number of other projects which are definitely worth taking a look at if your interested in architecture, design and sustainability.