# Conch-Shaped Abodes ToTeMs Architecture Creates a Cozy Guest House Without Destroying Trees By Sarah Robson | Published 2012-05-11 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/conch-shaped-guest-house References: [plataformaarquitectura.cl](http://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/2012/05/09/casa-guest-totems-architecture/) & [totemsinc](http://www.totemsinc.com/index.html) ToTeMs Architecture has created a [cozy guest house](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/catalejo) without destroying a single tree. This 488 square foot conch-shaped abode is in the delicate [mangrove forest](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-lodging-in-the-pige), and the ToTeM designers were able to preserve nature by hiring a steel specialist to [raise the structure above the trees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/house-in-the-forest). The Casey Guest House in Florida has a view of Sarasota Bay and the oak forest it is surrounded by. In the arched roof lies a small loft where pine supports blend the wall and the roof so it appears connected. On the first floor there is a bedroom, kitchen, and living room whereas the ground floor has plenty of open space that can be used for storage. This unique shell-shaped quarter is a cozy twist on a typical guest house. ToTeMs Architecture has created a home away from home that conserves the surrounding environment at the same time. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.6/10 - Popularity: 95% | Activity: 94% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) > [Eco Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/ecoarchitecture) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Eco-friendly Architecture:** Creating structures that preserve the natural environment and utilize sustainable materials, like the conch-shaped abode, provides disruptive innovation opportunities for the architecture industry. - **Preservation of Natural Landscapes:** Finding ways to build structures without destroying trees and landscapes, as seen in the case of the conch-shaped abode, offers disruptive innovation opportunities for the land development and construction industries. - **Creative Use of Space:** Designing unique and unconventional living spaces, such as the conch-shaped abode's compact and efficient layout, presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the interior design and home improvement industries. ### Where This Applies - **Architecture:** The architecture industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by incorporating eco-friendly designs and building techniques, as demonstrated by the conch-shaped abode. - **Land Development:** The land development industry can discover disruptive innovation opportunities by finding methods to preserve and enhance natural landscapes while still constructing buildings, like the conch-shaped abode in the mangrove forest. - **Interior Design:** The interior design industry can find disruptive innovation opportunities by embracing creative and space-efficient designs, such as the compact layout of the conch-shaped abode's bedroom, kitchen, and living room. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Elevated Timber-Clad Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/victory-bay-house.md) - [Temple-Inspired Idyllic Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/k-residence-1.md) - [Elevated Treetop Modern Cabins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buitenverblijf-nest.md) - [Repurposed Wooden Shoreside Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tree-house-by-the-lake.md) - [Forest Nestled Vaulted Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wendy-house.md) - [Geometric Structural Forest Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/c-house.md) - [Nature-Shared A-Frame Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kumiki-architects.md) - [Tree-Centered Cubic Home Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tonalli-house.md) - [Natural Landscape-Surrounding Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/under-the-rain-trees.md)