http://inhabitat.com/cube-houses-in-rotterdam-represent-living-wood-in-urban-space/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Thu, 23 May 2013 14:55:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc http://inhabitat.com/cube-houses-in-rotterdam-represent-living-wood-in-urban-space/comment-page-1/#comment-384172 Airshipper Tue, 29 May 2012 12:08:27 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=391904#comment-384172 While it's nice that they've wanted to "break" with conventionality and all that, the end result is something that doesn't feel all that great when walking around it. I actually live pretty close-by the Rotterdam Cube houses and my personal experience of them is that the entire complex doesn't feel too good. Sure, it's "novel", but what's the net worth of novelty if what you're feeling is constant anxiety and dread? Luckily for Helmond, the complex is built in a calmer environment which lessens the overall negative vibe to a certain degree. In Rotterdam the complex is a lot more...brutal. Can you imagine walking around those buildings, with the top cubes looming ominously over you like that? Brrr, no thank you. I'm all for novelty and sculpturality, but first and foremost it has to FEEL good. While it’s nice that they’ve wanted to “break” with conventionality and all that, the end result is something that doesn’t feel all that great when walking around it. I actually live pretty close-by the Rotterdam Cube houses and my personal experience of them is that the entire complex doesn’t feel too good. Sure, it’s “novel”, but what’s the net worth of novelty if what you’re feeling is constant anxiety and dread? Luckily for Helmond, the complex is built in a calmer environment which lessens the overall negative vibe to a certain degree. In Rotterdam the complex is a lot more…brutal. Can you imagine walking around those buildings, with the top cubes looming ominously over you like that? Brrr, no thank you. I’m all for novelty and sculpturality, but first and foremost it has to FEEL good.

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