Real-Estation

The Pirate Bay: We're Selling the Site The Pirate Bay this morning announced that the hugely popular torrent site at the center of a highly publicized court case in Sweden could change ownership.

This Architects office could definitely be classified by staff as having a "calming" effect on them whilst working. As they report in the article Once again, Iwan Baan amaze us with this great project between the woods by Spanish practice Selgas Cano: Their own architecture office. You can see the complete photoset here ... via, off course again,.... . arch daily

Crane Rooms / Aristide Antonas | ArchDaily Crane Rooms / Aristide Antonas May 2009 Have a site overlooking a beach with difficult terrain but love the area so much you must have a home or holiday bach there. Easy just get a Crane Home. Simple concrete foundations and elementary water pools are proposed by Aristide Antonas in collaboration with Katerina Koutsogianni, to be installed in non hospitable beaches or arid hills nearby the sea. Link - archdaily

Google Maps Adds a Webcams Layer Google Maps Mania reports that Google Maps has added a new layer to view webcam thumbnails directly on the map. Want to see what NZ looks like in this new style, check it out here .

Image via Wikipedia Recently up high in New Zealand house in London a blind testing for red wine was held. The Telegraph reports We hand in our sheets. Our marks are added together and a collective top six revealed. The first three spots (and fifth) go to Bordeaux and we nod our heads knowingly. Our fourth and sixth favourites though are from New Zealand; a pretty good showing, we all agree. Well done. Ripples of applause all round. But the real jaw dropping moment according to this article is when the makeup of those French placewinners was announced. They cover it well in the report.... Then the bombshell. The wines' identities are revealed and we gasp when we discover who was playing for the Bordeaux team. The three medal positions go to: 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild (£975 a bottle), 2005 Château Mouton-Rothschild (£675) and 2005 Château Angélus (£295). Just off the podium, in fourth, is 2006 Sacred Hill "Helmsman" at – wait for it – a staggeringly modest ...

After they brought a complete restaurant earlier this year on the NZ auction site TradeMe for NZD$181 the girls have had some organising to do. With the help of Mike Pero and Cookie Times Michael Mayell the girls are on to what they believe is a winner to raise capital for their new venture. ....with cookies! Read the full story here

Rachel Say it isn't so.......does Fido really need this ...... This hand-crafted one of a kind dog house belongs to the actress/model Rachel Hunter and is designed by La Petit Maison. The other photo is of the interior of the dog house with terra-cotta floors and all, large enough to fit a human. There even weirder ones after the link. Story via eller.g

House Tour: London Green Home Green Home Tour An eco-conscious British architect built his family's dream home, resulting in a subterranean fun house that's self-sustaining through and through. What youngster wouldn't want to live in this home? Full Story here , at CookieMag

Image via Wikipedia Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of easyJet, is callin g the bottom of the property market. Should you follow suit? The Telegragh in London reports... Optimists are starting to see green shoot appear amid the scorched earth of Britain's property market. In March, house prices rose by a modest 0.9pc, according to Nationwide Building Society – the first price rise the building society has reported since October 2007. FULL STORY HERE via http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Seems that you can....... 63.02º, built in a densely residential area in Nakano, Tokyo, is a small building of a SOHO and an apartment for rent. LINK via Archdaily, Full story here....

Another surprise over at ArchDaily....... Farm House Over in Toten, Norway a couple inherited a property which just happened to have a fab view of the lake, but an existing barn on the site has to be torn down because the main load bearing construction is rotten. However, the cladding of the barn, more than 100 years old, is still of good quality and now used for exterior cladding and terraces of the new house. My father had an absolute love affair with wood, and we still have mementos of his work around home today, so its fantastic to see items like this. Full Story here .....

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Overseas Property Blog reports.... Latest reports from the US show a renewed sense of hope in the housing starts department as figures showed a 22 percent rise in February from the month of January. New work on some 583,000 homes is seen to be a positive sign and indication that maybe the worst of the US housing slump is over. Link to Full Story Here

Wall less house by Tezuka Architects This dwelling does impress, and yes as you can see, very "Open" plan in style. Make a great bach in the Nelson Bays area actually. Full Story over at archdaily here ....

You may recall seeing the adds on TV a few months back. Remember they were following a restaurateur who was building a restaurant in a tree, BUT relying only on the Yellow Pages to find and source all products and necessary services to complete. More fantastic photos and the whole story after the jump - link here PHOTO - architects Pacific Environments Ltd .

Here's a new take on the Open House concept, and Open is the operative word. They report; The beauty of this house-on-wheels lies in the fact that its compact and yet boasts of ample living quarters. You'll find a bathroom, living room, bedroom, kitchen and an office in the 252° Living Area: Mobile Mini House. Full Story here over at Yanko Design

A great way to combine higher density living while still allowing some outside area. The good folks over at Arch Daily have all the info and many more photos on this great idea.... There is also a fantastic animated sequence over here at BIG , with many more photos too. FULL STORY HERE

From Seattlepi comes this amusing piece. This what it's come to, John? Going to parade down Market Street in sandwich boards later?"I'm serious," Morefield said, laughing when asked about his booth, which has appeared two weeks in a row at the open-air street market in old Ballard. "I'm here to answer questions. And I do charge a nickel. I've made a dollar today so far." Full Story here IMAGE SOURCE - Seattlepi

Europe’s Grass-Lined Green Railways = Good Urban Design Great idea here, to merge landscaping with public transportation, as displayed by these pics taken of a European tram gliding along on beds of grass. Many spots in Europe now are benefiting from the potential of lines like this.... Full Story here

Sometimes you do wonder about the strength of a building? Check out this ultra slim looking apartment building in Hong Kong. I can tell you I couldn't live in a building this slim. If an Earthquake or Typhoon hits, I'd rather be at work than home. The left one overlooks Hong Kong Harbour. Photo credits to Gone-Walkabout via Flickr Link via Overseas Property Mall

This is what an architectural firm in Korea, calls the 'dancing apartment'. Designed by korean firm unsangdong architects , the apartments are built using oblique lines in which each unit consists of a terrace. As an intregal part of the structure the building also consists of various community spaces which include parks, leisure facilities, event space, a library, media space and performance space. story & more pictures here via Designboom PHOTO CREDIT - 'dancing apartment' terrace detail image courtesy unsangdong architects

Ahu Tongariki (Middle Front) in Rapa Nui - Easter Island This is simply one of the most stunning panorama's I've seen, make sure you open the Full Screen version as detailed on the screen. You might have to pan around and wait for it to fully load as it is a big photo, but wow, so worth it when done and you can zoom around. ...and just in case one of these stunning panorama's is not enough, heres another.... Chicken & Salad - Zara Escalando in Campos do Jordão

Image via Wikipedia Americas Watchdog Discovers Toxic Chinese Drywall In California & Arizona In Homes Built Between 2003 & 2007 Although not the same issue that we have here in NZ in relation to "Leaky Homes", the US Watchdog & its Homeowners Consumer Center have been leading a nation wide investigation of potentially toxic Chinese drywall. It would appear that this product was used in the construction of new dwellings in California & Arizona. Specifically, Phoenix, Tucson, in Riverside County, Fresno, Stockton, the Sacramento metro & extreme northern California. The group is saying, "if your new California, or Arizona home was built between 2003 & 2007 has a rotten egg or sulphur type smell, and or if your electrical wiring has turned black, you need to call us immediately....." LINK to full press release

Whats this about? Story here over at Seattle Transit Blog

One-hundred and forty-nine years, 10 months and four days have passed since the first publication of the Rocky Mountain News. In that time the Rocky has printed more than 54,500 editions. It came into being on a dark night two years before the Civil War's first gunshots, survived a flood that washed away its press and countless threats to its very existence, then enjoyed, in the twilight of its life, recognition as one of the best newspapers in the country. Full Story here over at Rocky Mountain News

What a creative young mind.....and put to good use here. By enlisiting plastic, wire and packing peanuts, young Max excelled himself. When 12-year-old Max Wallack of Natick heard of WGBH’s Design Squad “Trash to Treasure” design contest, he was ready to give his best shot. The kid stole the show with his “Home Dome” innovation, which is primarily a shelter for the homeless made from plastic, wire and packing peanuts. FULL STORY HERE via The Design Blog