10 Bewitching Hobbit Houses Seemengly Inspired by Tolkien’s Fantasy Novels
With so many of you in love with The Hobbit Movie and with the characters depicted by J.R.R. Tolkien, we decided to put together a special post. And because design and architecture is our thing, we made a list with some of the most striking architecture projects that resemble or are derived from the famous fantasy novels. Enjoy!
#1.Sustainable Woodland Home in West Wales
Simon Dale of Wales envisioned a sustainable woodland home in a hill on the countryside, which may be considered “cartoony” enough to match the small hobbit homes from the Lord of the Rings. The project is daring, highly practical and it only cost its owner £3,000 to build. A nice way to escape the hassle of monthly energy bills, wouldn’t you agree? 
#2. Lord of the Rings Residence in Barbados
If it wouldn’t have been built in 1975 (long before the movie itself), some would probably argue that this 3,500-square-foot multilevel home by Ian Morrison on top of a hill in Barbados, is definitely inspired by the Lord of the Rings movie. Built in a stunning setting with soothing interiors that seem to be brimming with green life, the house brings a relaxing atmosphere that you can “almost” feel.
#3. Cute Lord of the Rings Hobbit Houses in New Zealand
The Hobbit scenes from Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy were filmed on a hillside lot in Matamata, New Zealand. Now the little Hobbit Homes have become a tourist attraction, but also they became homes for some of the sheep from a nearby farm. The interiors of these white structures were never finished because the scenes shot inside were actually filmed on a studio set. Although the place where these Hobbit houses rest under the sun are not an intimidating fun Disneyland-like amusement park, one can visit the countryside and get a chance to learn more about the sheep raised here and even pet the lambs.
#4. The Dune House
Even though architect William Morgan did not intend for the Dune House in Atlantic Beach, USA to resemble any fantasy dwelling, the project may strike some interesting correlations with Tolkien readers. Initially built in 1975, this original looking residence consists of two almost identical 750-Square-foot, each having a bedroom and a bathroom.
#5. Shire-Inspiring Underground Residence in Switzerland
The unusual architecture display for this home was envisioned by SeARCH and Christian Muller Architects. This particular “hobbit home” includes all the facilities a common house has, such as a guest room, an entertainment area, but also “specialized” interiors like an underground pathway. The entrance is a wide oval opening that you are driven to by some traditional stairs made in stone. Large windows make it noticeable and draw attention to the inside decors.
#6. The Hobbit House of Peter Archer
Architect Peter Archer designed a perfect little retreat in rural Chester County, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, USA. “We wanted a single structure, a relaxing place that was diminutive in scale, for the owner to come and hang out and just be in solitude with his collection,” explained the architect. The fantastic abode inspired by the two famous novels- “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings”- was built in collaboration with a team of craftsmen and it is not meant to be a Hollywood interpretation, but a timeless dwelling.
#7. The Water Wheel House by Chris Whited
Displaying a charming undulating shingle roof, asymmetrical walls and even a water wheel, the home built by Chris Whited in Bainbridge Island, Washington meets our idea of a fairytale dwelling. The project has a total surface 1,200-square feet, is perfectly fit for human life and was built out of sheer passion, without the intension of making the headlines.
#8. Hobbit House in Montana, USA
The Hobbit Villageis a real-life “Shire”-inspired place dedicated to Tolkien characters. During the spring and summer months, visiting hobbit enthusiasts can inhabit the village for prices beginning at $195 per night. It is here that we came across this charming hobbit house with an interior that does not lack the comfort of modern living.
#9. Standard Abode in the Hobbit Village
Round windows and front door, earth walls and grass covering- now this is how a real hobbit home should look like! Admit it- you would love to inhabit a small home like this, even if it does require a little sacrifice. At least for a little while.
#10. Bilbo Baggins House
Last, but not least, check out Bilbo Baggins House at the Hobbit Village in Montana, USA. Particularly inviting, this picture perfect dwelling will probably not be as appealing to adults, as they can only take a peek inside and not actually…live inside it. Find it as pretty as the “real fantasy” version?
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5 CommentsNature-Embedded Retreats in Silicon Valley: Tea Houses by Swatt Miers Architects
The idea for these minimalist Tea Houses was triggered by the need of a nature retreat, located not far from a family home in Silicon Valley, California, USA. The creative team at Swatt Miers Architects was in charge with transforming a vision into reality, designing the three tea houses as perfect observation spots. According to the official description provided by the project developers, each new tea house was created as a “transparent steel and glass pavilion, hovering like a lantern over the natural landscape. Cast-in-place concrete core elements anchor the pavilions, supporting steel channel rim joists, which cantilever beyond the cores to support the floor and roof planes. With its minimal footprint, the design treads lightly on the land, minimizing grading and preserving the delicate root systems of the native oaks“. How would you comment on the design and function of these nature-embedded home additions?
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Leave a commentStone Houses by Leroy Street Studio
Leroy Street Studio designed two “Stone Houses” for a mother and daughter on a property in
Long Island, New York.
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Description from the designers:
This weekend retreat sits on a flat, open 12 acre site in eastern Long Island. The clients, a mother and daughter, requested a low-maintenance residence that incorporated Westchester granite and great expanses of glass to take in views of the property. LSS introduced dry-stack stone walls to unify exterior and interior spaces and to knit the compound together. The walls, linked by water features, provide a unifying texture and distinguish the private, southern-oriented arrival side of the buildings from the northern-facing curtain walls.
The mothers’ house is split into public and private wings by a gallery overlooking a sculpture court. The public wing is a singular volume subdivided by wrapping roofs: the lower roof creates an intimate dining area and screened porch, and the upper one defines the entry vestibule and living room.
The daughter’s house is composed of perpendicular roof planes which over-sail the stone walls; and a taught box of oak glu-lam portal frames wrapped in a continuous skin of louvers.The two buildings together create an abstract composition of planar materials which redefine the property as a series of internal and external courtyards spaces for the family.
Visit the Leroy Street Studio website – here.
Photography by Paul Warchol and Charles Mayer
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Sustainable Prefab Residence with Contemporary Interiors by PLACE Houses
PLACE houses is a company you can go to, if you decided you want the flexibility and sustainable living solutions provided by a prefab home. According to Design Rulz, PH-1 is the first completed residence in its range, “an expanded PH Large with an additional accessory building featuring parking for two and office space above. Built for a busy family of five plus dogs, the stock design was adapted to create a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath open plan home that’s stylish, durable, colorful and fun. Solar domestic hot water supplements household systems and entirely heats the backyard lap pool; green construction saves money and resources, and the house is always filled with natural light, fresh air, views – and friends and family“. Find the design of this prefab home appealing?
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Leave a commentTwin Houses by MGP Architecture
MGP Architecture designed Twin Houses in Bogota, Colombia.
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Description from the architects:
Two eloquent, L shaped concrete containers that depend on each other in order to live individually. Each house complements its neighbour to configure the central patio and to have intimacy at the same time. The houses live inside from the outside. The concrete containers shape both patios in a sequence descending on the terrain. The inner and the outer spaces merge and acquire the same spatial value.
Visit the MGP Architecture website – here.
Photography by Andrés Valbuena, Ivan Ortiz, and MGP
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Metal Shutter Houses by Shigeru Ban
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has completed the Metal Shutter Houses building in New York.
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HEEA Development LLC is pleased to announce the completion of Metal Shutter Houses, a luxury condominium building designed by architect Shigeru Ban and his New York-based partner Dean Maltz, located in Chelsea’s art district, just west of the High Line. The building is at 524 West 19th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues on New York’s ‘Starchitect Row’ next to Frank Gehry’s IAC Headquarters and across the street from Jean Nouvel’s 100 11th building.
Metal Shutter Houses take its name from two distinct features, the shutters that cover the two major facades of the building and the creation of condos that feel like individual homes within one structure. The building’s façade, with its “retractable skin” of motorized perforated metal shutters, echoes the after-hours shutters of neighboring galleries thereby contextualizing the building within its environment. Its façade represents a uniform minimal cube when all of the shutters are closed and presents a number of dynamic patterns based the arrangement of open and closed shutters at each resident’s discretion. Each apartment has direct access from the lobby through a single elevator and is a floor-through duplex providing abundant light streaming in from both the north and south facades. The double height exterior walls on the north façade apartments can be opened via sweeping floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors thereby creating continuity between the interior space and outdoor terraces – blurring the boundary between inside and out. To achieve the complete opening of the apartment to the exterior Ban re-designed and newly adapted an industrial bi-fold door, commonly used in airplane hangars, and transformed it into an environmentally sound window wall.
Ban, a recent recipient of the National Interior Design Award, known for his “poetic” architectural style, fully designed each home’s serene interior spaces. Instead of regular walls separating rooms, interior sliding glass doors create an open “universal floor.” The uninterrupted area, along with sliding glass doors to the rear balconies, creates a home that completely opens up to its surroundings. Other Ban features include cantilevering islands for the kitchens, curved countertops for the bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling white lacquer with matte finish cabinetry and custom designed hardware throughout each home.
The building stands approximately 120’ tall and consists of eleven stories, featuring eight duplex houses ranging from1,950 sq. ft. to 4,644 sq. ft., an art gallery and a 24-hour doorman on at the ground floor lobby. Although most of the units were sold prior to breaking ground, the recently finished penthouse has been brought to market for $12.95 million.
Visit Shigeru Ban’s website – here.
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Two Terrace Houses Turned into One: Paddington x2 House
Paddington x2 House is a complex project implemented by MCK Architects and consisting of turning two terrace houses in Sydney, Australia into a single living space. Here is more information on this architectural conversion from the designers: “Via research and investigation we arrived at a concept of retaining and refurbishing the terraces, maintaining all characteristics and feature to the external skin while hollowing out the insides to allow the new program of contemporary family home. Being a heritage conservation area, the design is respectful and sympathetic with it’s context, while still engaging and challenging in some ways our understanding and perceptions of what heritage actually is and how we are to move forward as architects and 21st century people living in a city, and within a a culture, that is complex and multi-layered, with a need to act responsibly and sustainably for the environment. Our clients were of the same opinion and passionately believe that all aspects of our culture and tradition can co-exist in a 2010 world without any compromise or loss, it just takes intelligent affirmative action.” What do you think of the results? (Photos by: Willem Rethmeier)
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Practical Advertising: Houses Turned into Billboards for Free Mortgage
Adzookie is an advertising firm that recently came up with the creative idea of turning common homes into billboards. One may think this is a crazy advertising concept, few would willingly agree to turning their homes into colorful neighborhood attractions. Which is why the advertisers added an extra perk: paying the owners’ mortgage every month, as long as the house stays painted. Talk about a win-win situation! Of course, there are a few rules to the equation. First off, the house has to be owned, not borrowed or leased. The actual painting process will last between 3 and 5 days and the house must remain “imprinted” for at least three months, a period which can be prolonged to a year. At the end of the deal, the residence will be painted back in its original colors. Sounds appealing?
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Leave a commentArdesco Houses by Teget Architectural Office
Teget Architectural Office designed the Ardesco Houses in Yalikavak, Mugla, Turkey.
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Visit the Teget Architectural Office website – here.
Photography by Hande Köksal
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Cute Lord of the Rings Hobbit Houses in New Zealand
The Hobbit scenes from Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy were filmed on a hillside lot in Matamata, New Zealand. Now the little Hobbit Homes have become a tourist attraction, but also they became homes for some of the sheep from a nearby farm. The interiors of these white structures were never finished because the scenes shot inside were actually filmed on a studio set. Although the place where these Hobbit houses rest under the sun are not an intimidating fun Disneyland-like amusement park, one can visit the countryside and get a chance to learn more about the sheep raised here and even pet the lambs. From inside the little houses the scenery opens to a beautiful valley with trees scattered here and there. The panorama is almost untouched by humans and it gives one the feeling of being in the right place at the right time. Round entrances and windows blend beautifully with the green grass creating a surreal environment that could give Lord of the Rings fans an exquisite travel experience.
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