While many designers are making a push toward incorporating more sustainable, environmentally friendly architectural practices into their aesthetic, the Friend House ecohotel in the Ukraine has really run with the concept.
Constructed entirely from naturally occurring materials -- specifically wood, clay, stone and reed -- the cavernous vacation spot makes for a strangely serene getaway.
Each room is spherical in shape and connected to the other rooms in the hotel by a singular, wooden roof that rests atop the suites in a manner resembling how a teeter-tooter balances on a tipping point. Each bulbous dwelling has several windows that, from the outside, appear as finger holes in a bowling ball.
The curiously designed retreat is located on a large patch of land near the Ukraine's Orel River and is truly a spot for those who want to feel closer to nature.
What's Driving This Trend
- Eco-friendly Hotel
- Opportunity to design and construct a hotel exclusively from eco-friendly materials and appeal to environmentally conscious travelers.
- Circular Architecture
- Creation of a unique and sustainable building structure through circular architecture, shaped like a bowling ball.
- Natural Material Construction
- Opportunity to develop sustainable and cost-efficient construction using naturally occurring materials like wood, clay, stone, and reed.
Who This Affects Most
- Hospitality Industry
- Incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable architecture into hotels, resorts, and other vacation properties to attract more conscious travelers.
- Construction Industry
- Adopting construction practices and materials that are sustainable, cost-efficient and eco-friendly to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly structures.
- Design Industry
- Designing unique and appealing sustainable structures that incorporate natural materials such as wood, clay, stone, and reed.
