Alain de Botton

What is the link between modern architecture and human happiness?

In 2005, the British author Alain de Botton of "The Architecture of Happiness" said, "The world is so alien that we need a shelter to support our state of mind." He also launched a non-profit rental project called Living Architecture, which commissions leading architects to build tiny single-family rented houses across the UK.

Living Architecture's "rentals" are scattered across the UK. De Botton argues that while there are many modern buildings in Britain, they tend to be public spaces, and the few existing contemporary houses are almost all privately owned, with little opportunity for an intimate experience. Living Architecture wants to give more people the chance to truly live in modern buildings.

01
A House for Essex
Grayson Perry、FAT Architecture
Essex

An hour's train ride from London, Essex House is Living Architecture's most resplendent building. It took five years to complete the fairy-tale cabin by Grayson Perry (Turner Prize-winning artist) and Charles Holland (FAT Architecture architect). Perry dubs it "the Taj Mahal on the Stowe" -- a monument dedicated to a woman.

This uncompromising house stands out in the continuous Essex landscape. The soaring roof and long facades are decorated with about 2,000 handmade ceramic tiles and sculptures designed and made by Mr. Perry.

Perry and Holland are both native sons of Essex, and it was here that Perry fulfilled his long-held desire to build a chapel in his native Essex that would "commemorate" details of the Essex life of his fictional "plain Essex woman"-Julie Cope.

The living room is lined with decorative wood paneling, a statue of The Goddess and tapestries made by Mr. Perry. There are also other specially commissioned artworks, including furniture, jars and Mosaic floors, that tell the story of Julie Cope's life.

Do you think the house has a church-like style? Yeah, Holland and Perry referenced the old church form. Many fascinating and quirky details are hidden in the building, such as a hidden staircase leading to the balcony. Habiting in this two-bedroom house can feel like entering a fairy tale.

It's also a great living experience. A clean, bright kitchen and a bathtub covered in Mosaic tiles are enough to enjoy life in an idyllic setting.

Perry hopes Essex House will make people feel that art and architecture can lift people's spirits and experience the world, whether it's reality or fiction, through the eyes of others.

02
Secular Retreat
Peter Zumthor
South Devon

Secular Retreat is the final building in the Living Architecture project, and one of the world's greatest architects, Peter Zumthor, was invited to design the detached home, the first permanent building he has built in the UK, on the hilltop plot de Botton bought 10 years ago.

"It has become a cherish thing to sit in a house and look out over a beautiful view without any trace of other architecture interfering with the rolling mountains," Mr. Zumthor wrote, "I badly want to build this house."

So Zumthor took the Devon landscape a priority: floor-to-ceiling glass windows dominate the walls, natural light in every room, and views of sheep-dotted farms and wooded hills. You can stroll through the Monterey pine forest surrounding the house.

Zumthor's furniture and light fixtures bring more warmth to the pristine space: Orange furniture and velvet-textured seats soften the straight-edges space. Getting a place in the Retreat isn't easy, and bookings for 2019 are said to be fully booked.

03
Balancing Barn
MVRDV
Suffolk

This striking cantilevered house was designed by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV. A few miles off the Suffolk coast, it used to be a farm owned by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

MVRDV designed the project with particular respect for the site's history and native flora by wrapping the main body of the building in reflective steel shingles, reminiscent of the local metal-clad barns, and perfectly blending the plant colors against the building's surface into the rural landscape.

In addition to "planting" their famous balancing game in the 30-meter-long house, you can relive childhood memories by hanging on a swing at the end of a 15-meter-long cantilever.

Canvases and rugs covering on the walls and floors are the works of local painters John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. These abstract works bring a wealth of color and depth to the space.

A transparent window inlaid on the sitting room floor makes you feel real modern family life in the air.

Furniture and light fixtures designed specifically for the house embody the best Dutch design. It also gives the balanced house in the countryside a livable modern feel.

04
Long House
Hopkins Architects
Norfolk County

The Long House stands on the site of a house designed by Sir Michael and Mrs. Patty Hopkins. Along with east Anglia's architectural history, the long-lost estate inspired Hopkins Architects to build a contemporary home there.

Local material traditions and modern architectural concepts are fused here: the lower half of the exterior wall is covered with a layer of stone sourced from a local quarry. Outwards are huge flint-like walls. Inside, the entire glass facade brings abundant sunlight to the interior. Two semi-enclosed courtyards are located at the east and west ends of the house.

Common areas in the middle of the building include a gallery, library, living room, dining room, and a wooden spiral staircase leading to bedrooms and balconies on the second floor. This openness has been common in the projects of Hopkins Architects over the past 40 years.

The dining room and bedroom are embellished with turquoise furniture and silver light fixtures. The moment you enter, there is a real feeling at home.

05
Shingle House
NORD

Kent County

Shingle House is the first house to be completed in the Living Architecture project. Dungeness Point, where it is located, is a nature reserve because it boasts rich rare plants and animals. Scottish architecture firm NORD's preference was for the building to blend in with its surroundings. Therefore, Shingle House references the old tarmac huts of local fishermen scattered along the shoreline.

The black wood of the facades, the white wood and the toned concrete of the home's interior contrast with the warmth of the rich deep purple wood floors.

The interior of the Shingle House is comfortable and compact, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The open-air dining room faces the pebbly beach.

Particular wood floor color was inspired by the Viper's Bugloss flowers that bloom in the summer at Dungeness Beach in Kent.

On top of that, the house is off the road and has no neighbors, making it a place for a truly detached poetic Walden life.

06
Life House
John Pawson
Wales

Built from hand-crafted Danish brick, black on the outside and white on the inside, the Life House is the fruition of a five-year collaboration between architects John Pawson and Alain de Botton that they hope will minimize the risk that "we forget to spare time for ourselves and forget to understand our own ideas."

John Posen was deeply influenced by Japanese design and benedictine architecture, with brick, wood and terrazzo bringing warmth and intimacy. The emergence of a black-brick corridor in a predominantly white brick interior is both surprising and intriguing.

This variation of pace and perception prepares guests to discover a hidden room not normally associated with a family home: a place of pure, undisturbed contemplation. On a large slab of granite in the ground is a quote from PASCAL: "All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone."

Three separate bedrooms offer guests the opportunity to experience different forms of meditation: The library bedrooms are lined with therapeutic works from eastern and western literature.

The music bedroom possesses an excellent sound system and a carefully selected CD.

In the bathroom bedroom, you can reassess your presence with views of the Welsh valleys.

In addition, Life House is located on a walking route curated by British walking artist Hamish Fulton. Since 1972, he has created works based solely on the experience of walking, believing that "walking is an art form in itself". At Life House, strolling freely on the path Hamish Fulton and ponder the nature of art and life, which is a unique life experience.

07
A ROOM FOR LONDON
David Kohn Architecture
London

In early 2010, Living Architecture partnered with architect David Kohn to design a small space for London -- a unique building overlooking the River Thames. And so came a boat stranded on a roof: inspired by a ship that the novelist Joseph Conrad took as a captain in the Congo in 1890, a journey that echoes his most famous work, "Heart of Darkness."

With the support of the Southbank Centre and the London 2012 Festival, the one-bedroom room was installed on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This one-bedroom gadget provides a retreat. Two people can spend a unique evening in a typical architectural landmark.

The interior theme of "Stranded Ship" is distinct and offers the creature comforts of a good hotel. Sadly, in mid-2016, A Room for London went out of business.

08
Dune House
Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects
Suffolk County

Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects is known for beautifully designed buildings in Norway. Dune house, just meters from the sea. The complex geometry on the roof is inspired by the various pitched roofs that line Suffolk's beaches, adding a Nordic vibe to the coast.

The four sides of the glass facade allow the house to almost connect with the beach. A small hidden room behind the kitchen ensures privacy on the ground floor, serving as either a separate guest room or a lazy nap.

Many of the furnishings were designed by the architect specifically for the house. To provide a friendly and peaceful experience.

The library on the second floor leads to the platform. Each bedroom has a bathtub to soak in the water like a sea creature and gaze at the rolling waves.

Dune House offers real fun seaside life: watch the sunrise over the sea from the comfort of your bed and walk along the shore to buy fresh fish for dinner. If you don't feel like cooking, famous local bars and restaurants are not far away.

All images via Google.

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