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Architecture | 21 Aug 06 | Comments (6) | Stumble
+ Over at Apartment Therapy someone is selling a 3 Suisses “house-in-a -box” Starck House kit. It’s a wooden box containing a hammer, Philippe Starck's notes, blueprints, notebook, flag, and videotape (more pics here and here). The house design is rustic nouveau and is made with timber and even uses logs to hold up the porch. Per Starck, “... you can make a cheap wood house with a strong image. This was intended to be the best design you can get by mail order; it was a solution to oblige the big companies to change their designs." (read more here). Starck’s kit was as much a political statement as it was a real design for an affordable house. Apparently the European building industry didn’t appreciate his effort.
This was a terrific idea from Starck! Provocative and forward thinking for Europe at this time.
What would the actual version of this be? An addition of Ebay offers to get the best people / price to build it? With modulartity and pre-built systems, we can now ensure a good quality more easily. Hmm something to brainstorm on :-)
The building industry was not against this idea, but it was never meant to be sold in huge number. At this time, the "3 Suisses" didn't made any special advertising, and they sold approximately 100 boxes... And only 3 became real houses! Why? Because it was mayors of cities where people wanted to build Starck houses who were against the idea to have such an oddly looking house in their cities!!
I WANT TO BUY A BOX WITH THIS INTERESTING STARCK HOUSE. WHERE CAN I ORDER IT ? THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER ! V. KIEHN
would be interested too ! if anybody knows where to get the Starck House Kit
please let me know ! Thanks !
I'm sorry, I just don't believe this. Starck said at the time that it was a political statement that met with tremendous opposition from the architecture and building industry, but off-the-shelf houseplans aren't new at all.
And except for the raw tree columns on the porch, I can't see anything remotely odd or controversial about the design, either. The idea that a government official anywhere would care enough to oppose it just seems like PR hype to me.
Where can I find these Stark house plans? Thanks.