CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 9/23/2013

MVRDV: Buildings

"In 2008, Swiss philosopher Alain De Botton set out to democratize contemporary design. As a follow up to his book The Architecture of Happiness, De Botton established a vacation rental non-profit called Living Architecture and appointed Mark Robinson, the former manager of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions, as its director. By renting out bespoke holiday homes at affordable rates, Living Architecture wants the public to experience 'what it's like to live, eat and sleep in a space designed by an outstanding architectural practice' – a luxury usually reserved for a lucky few." Balancing Barn, completed in 2010 in Suffolk, UK, is the first Living Architecture holiday home. Designed to accommodate eight people, it is reproduced from nai010's new monograph on the influtential Rotterdam-based architecture and urban design practice, MVRDV.