Photo circa 2008 courtesy of Joanna J., used by Creative Commons license. In 1975, construction began on a high-rise building in the center of Kraków, Poland. The massive structure (planned to be 24 stories high) was to be the headquarters for the Polish Federation of Engineering Associations (aka Naczelna Organizacja Techniczna, or "NOT"). After the skeleton of the building was completed, political and economic unrest hit Poland and the project was halted. 37 years later, the unfinished shell still... READ ON

Last week we toured some of Europe's most beautiful libraries. Now let's see what South America has to offer. 1. The Royal Portuguese Reading Room,... READ ON

Designers Charles and Ray Eames built a beautiful house in Los Angeles. They moved in on Christmas Eve 1949, and lived there for the rest of their lives. They called it Case Study House No. 8 (it was one of many "Case Study" houses designed by prominent architects and designers), but it's better known simply as the Eames House. It was built as a place for work, life, and play, and to me it epitomizes the mid-century modern aesthetic that permeated so many of the homes I've lived in. According to... READ ON

Passive homes are popping up all over Europe and Japan, and, finally, here in the U.S. What is a passive home? A house that keeps its aggression at bay, of course! No, a passive home uses insulation and an airtight shell so that barely any heat escapes and barely any cold seeps in, which means it can use up to 90% less energy than a conventional house. Appliance heat and human body heat are both used, along with the sun, to heat the house. The real kicker is that in some countries, like Germany, the real... READ ON