Wobinna’s Dream Home Contest: Submission #1 Conservatory

Image: Design Competition 2010
Wobinna Wants to Know: What's Your Dream House? Is It ...
#1 ... Maybe Lots of Glass, Like a Conservatory ...
Illustration by Dawn Palfreyman
Copyright 2010 © Wo-Built Inc.

Earlier this year we resurrected our intention of hosting a Dream House contest and bit by bit it is taking shape. The contest explores the notion of the dream house or home and we want to see the many forms this can take.

Over the next several weeks we are going to publish several dream house designs concepts and stories from our staff. As much as we want to see your design ideas we want to hear the reason and the stories behind the dream.

Dream House Ideas Which Will Be Featured from the Wo-Built Staff

We are influenced by popular culture or movies. Many of our ideas come from the images we see. My personal favorites are often the designs of futuristic movies, such as the set for Blade Runner. Creating environments for the future apparently gives us the leeway of dreaming big, different or out of the box.

In an age where we as a society excel in mediocrity and where often the lowest common denominator rules this contest will push the envelope of home design, of ideas, of finding out what is important to you. Dream houses do not have to be realistic or obtainable. Part of the joy of dreams is that one works towards an ideal.

We will feature:

• the conservatory
• the tree house
• the grand staircase
• the condo
• the houseboat

The Conservatory

My idea for a conservatory started when I went with my sister to Doi Angkhang in the northern parts of Thailand close to the Burmese and Cambodian borders in 1999. Doi Angkhang is a research station which studies the viability of different crops that can be farmed successfully in the area.

When we visited, the facility had grown to several large garden compounds, cultivating fruit trees, vegetables and other crops and a simple resort. One of my favorite places was large tented area with its own stream/pond and walkways. Since then I wanted to own a conservatory, but not a small one attached to the house, but a small house attached to a large conservatory.

Even though the Thai facility did not have buildings attached to the green houses, the idea is really an extension of the court yard one. Court yards were used to regulate temperature, used for relaxations and other purposes.

I don’t like large living spaces for the sake of being large, but I love the idea of a large garden you can live in through out the year.

Therefore my dream home is a conservatory with satellite buildings.

The satellite buildings would house small bedrooms, offices, kitchen and bathroom facilities, but the bulk of the central area would be used for growing food (hydroponics), lovely dining experience and the relaxing living area (no TV) amongst the plants.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

Next design idea: The Tree House

Wo-Built Inc. is dedicated to women in the trades. We created Wobinna & Friends to encourage women to look at the construction industry as an alternative career choice with a multitude of options. Wobinna & Friends is interested in all aspects of the construction industry. We would like to see more women explore the many opportunities open to them and become successful.

Wobinna & Friends and any associated characters, storylines and/or merchandise are the sole property and copyright of Wo-Built Inc. This includes all media.