Bizarre Houses

What a great country we live in, where each person is entitled to build their dream house, no matter how outlandish or impractical -- and no matter what the neighbors think!

Bart Prince Residence and Studio

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Designed and built by architect Bart Prince 1983-1984.
Directions: Marquette Avenue and Monte Vista Boulevard.
Last Visited: December 1985.

Snake House

Rio Rancho, New Mexico

A residence, also designed by architect Bart Prince.
Directions: Huron Drive just north of Northern Boulevard.
Last Visited: October 2002.

Mushroom House

Cincinnati, Ohio

Also known as the Tree House, designed by architect Terry Brown.
Directions: Southeast corner of Tarpis Avenue and Erie Avenue, in the Hyde Park section of Cincinnati.
Last Visited: May 2008.

UFO House

Covington, Kentucky

This is one of the futuristic "Futuro" kit houses built around the world in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
Directions: 224 Wright Street. Can be seen on hillside to right as you come from Cincinnati south on I75 over the Brent Spence Bridge.
Last Visited: April 2008.

Golf Ball House

Yucca, Arizona

This 40-foot diameter geodesic structure was built in 1976 by a land development company as a promotional restaurant and lounge. Now it's a private residence; note the flying saucers added by the homeowner.
Directions: East side of I40 at Alamo Road (Exit 25).
Last Visited: July 2008.

Xanadu of Sedona

Sedona, Arizona

Xanadu, consisting of ten interconnected concrete and steel domes painted in Easter-egg colors, is intended to demonstrate how buildings of this type can use less energy, and can also better withstand natural disasters while costing no more than conventional building materials.
Directions: 7625 Highway 179.
Last Visited: September 2008.

Dome House

Mayer, Arizona

This dome house, which resembles a giant football helmet, was constructed by spraying a thin shell of concrete onto an inflated form. A private residence designed by Jim Kaslik of ZZ Consulting.
Directions: 13281 Main Street (at Kofa Road).
Last Visited: June 2010.

Other views (click to enlage):

Grain Silo House

Gilbert, Arizona

Don and Carolyn Riedlinger built this unique house out of three old galvanized-metal grain silos salvaged from a Gilbert farm.
Directions: South side of Pecos Road between Lindsay Road and Val Vista Drive.
Last Visited: April 2012.

Note: All houses are private property; do not disturb the occupants.

Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.