Nowadays, it is very popular to transform non residential sites into residential facilities, especially, if the transformation is very cheap. In particular, lighthouses, windmills, space stations, churches, railway stations, water towers, platforms are converted into residential complexes. But architects from Pinkcloud Danish architectural studio went a step further. They have come up with a design that could transform 400 oil refineries around the world into giant energy positive communities. According to official website of the company, When the planet hits peak oil and there is no longer any use for the 49,000 silos that are used to store reserves, these spherical structures could make the perfect solar-powered homes. Their shape optimizes sunlight capture and they are also airtight, waterproof, and structurally bulletproof. An individual silo can be turned into a single family day-lit home, or whole refineries can be converted into interconnected communities that share resources. PinkCloud studio recycled oil silos have everything we expect from a 21st century home, but first they have to be cleaned out. Detoxing the silos involves using in situ bioremediation - soil microbes that eat up harmful toxins. Once it is suitably cleaned, one or more families can move in. These 100 percent self-sustaining buildings have a green roof and green wall that absorb carbon dioxide and improve air quality, high-quality insulation, photovoltaic panels, a rainwater harvesting system and even a basement-level water storage area. The house is heated with radiant flooring, and water with solar power. Energy efficiency is achieved through passive design, and each level of the home is reached by way of a pneumatic elevator. It's possible to connect up whole communities of these recycled silos that would share underground heating and all other infrastructure necessary to run an off-grid home on renewable sources of energy. Earlier, The Inhabitat reported, that the architectural studio KEG Apartments from Athens has a great idea to recycle old trucks into apartments that can either remain stationary or stay attached to the truck and be mobile. Hopefully the containers could be cleaned well enough to eliminate any past toxins to ensure safe air quality. Perhaps this is very efficient design for small houses, as a human population increases at an exponential rate, but the aforementioned two projects are still on paper.

The New Jersey mansion that was the setting for Whitney Houston's well publicized drug problems and her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown is being sold with an asking price of US$ 1.75 million, reported The International Business Times. The property at 22 North Gate Road in Mendham Township, N.J., was first listed for US$ 2.5 million in 2009, but lingered in the post-recession market. The 1170 square meters mansion has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a rounded facade, on five acres of land. It appeared in 2005 in the short-lived Bravo reality series "Being Bobby Brown" featuring the then-married couple. According to another publication Dailymail, the home itself is designed with an open plan layout in mind, with the dining room providing space for 12 people. The kitchen features white units and red tiling with a breakfast bar in the middle of the room, while the sumptuous bathroom boasts glass brick walls and a round bathtub. The living room features a skylight and floor to ceiling windows with an exposed brick wall, while the bedroom features an open plan layout with a bed on a raised platform in the centre. Outstanding features include curved window-walls, domed skylights, a gracefully flowing floor plan, and walk-out lower entertainment level allowing for contiguous enjoyment of superb tiered terraces and lawn.

As reported Ukrainian Komsomolskaya Pravda, the Armenian community in Ukraine plans to build an Armenian church. The church design is already done. According to newspaper, the construction will start this spring, most probably in March and will end in 2015. The total area of 40 meters tall church will be 1 thousand square meters. At first, the Armenian Community planned to build the church in historical Podol area, but later, due to problems with the land allocation, building site moved to the Kharkov district of Kiev. Besides, the cathedral site will include an Armenian school and a cultural center. 16 cross-stones will be moved here from Armenia. We also note, that the construction funded only by local Armenian community.

Baca Architects was recently granted approval to build the UK's first amphibious house on the banks of the Thames River in England, reported The Inhabitat. The test home will respond to the issue of rising floodwaters - a pressing world-wide problem caused by climate change. When faced with rising tides, the modern home will rise and float, keeping its occupants safely out of harm's way. The comfortable 70 square meters home will be built adjacent to the river's shoreline with only 32 feet of clearance should the waters rise over their normal levels. The Baca team conducted years of research to come up with a model home that would respond to flooding conditions and work with the flood to protect the home. The firm is a leader in waterfront architecture, and this an ideal site upon which to develop a flood-resistant home. During dry times, the home will rest on fixed foundations that will keep it in place. But if flooding should occur, the entire structure will rise up in its dock, and buoy along with the flood waters. The house will be built in a flood-prone area called Flood Zone 3b, which is located on a tiny island in the Thames in Buckinghamshire. Like other homes in Buckinghamshire, the home will be designed with a traditional pitched roof and other characteristics found in homes in the region. Although it will blend in our the outside, the home will be highly energy efficient thanks to lots of insulation and high-performance glazed windows. A surrounding garden will be planted as the first line of defense against flooding, and the home will react when the water reaches a threatening level, after providing a warning message to the residents. The lightweight timber facade will rest between four vertical guideposts that will keep the structure in place and protected. The house is planned for construction later this year, and it will provide a great model for dealing with flooding problems around the world.

A symbol of Dubai's resurgence and its growing importance at the centre of the global business crossroads will emerge later this year when the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai opens its doors to guests in Q4 this year, reported the official site of Marriott Hotel. This hotel set to be the world's tallest. As reported, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai will open in two phases, with the first section featuring 807 rooms and numerous restaurants and lounges. At a height of 355 meters, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is the tallest dedicated hotel building in the world and is just 26 meters shorter than the Empire State Building in New York. In addition to serving the luxury business traveler, the hotel is targeting the lucrative and increasingly important MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) market, which currently does not have a hotel of sufficient scale to host such large groups. In addition to all the dining and entertainment options, the hotel will have two ballrooms, 24 meeting rooms and a total of 5,100 square meters of event space. Currently the tallest dedicated hotel building in the world is Rose Rayhaan in Dubai. 72 storeys, 333 meters high and certified as the World's tallest hotel by Guinness Records hotel building opened its doors in 2010. But the world's highest hotel is Ritz-Carlton housed in 484 meters high International Commerce Center in Hong-Kong. It is situated on 102-118 floors. The JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. Currently, there are 53 JW Marriott hotels in 22 countries; by 2015 the portfolio will encompass 80 properties in 29 countries.