If you’ve ever wondered what the home of the future will look like, take a gander at the Dupli Casa in Ludwigsburg, Germany. A quick glance of the home resembles a modern sculpture that has melted over lush grass. And the interior looks more like the inside of a spaceship rather than a family dwelling place. Yet, this white, three-story building is in fact a family residence designed by J. Mayer H. Architects.

Dubbed the “most futuristic house in the world”, the Dupli Casa features an open floor plan with pod-like bedrooms protruding from the building. The top level, where the bedrooms are located, boasts several large windows strategically angled to take advantage of the surrounding landscape and buildings. The middle floor, the common living area, features a large entrance hall in the lobby and impressive panoramic windows.

When discussing the plans of the building, the architect told Icon Magazine that he is “very proud of the homogenous skin that covers the building and the ground surrounding it.” According to Mayer the skin anchors the building on the site. He also said that the dwelling place was the firm’s first white building and their most difficult design to date in terms of geometry. The home looks different from every angle.

Few homes represent innovation more than the airdrop house. Designed by Andrew Maynard Architects in response to various natural disasters around the world — including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina — the airdrop house is an egg-shaped emergency shelter kit that can be dropped from a military bomber throughout a flood-affected area. Through an airstrike of housing kits, each airdrop house can be quickly delivered to any flood area without the need for imported manpower.

So how does it work? When the kit hits water, it immediately soaks up the liquid and expands like a sponge. Fully expanded, the airdrop house stands nearly 7 meters in diameter and hardens into a durable and permanent residence. Designed out of a lightweight foam polymer structure, the home can be easily moved to more convenient locations.

However, the airdrop house is more than a shelter. The home is also embedded with modified seeds from food crop vegetation, providing both food and shade for the residence. In addition, homeowners will have the option to embellish the home into a permanent residence or move on. If left unrendered, the temporary dwelling place will slowly decay until it breaks down into fertile crop bed.

Sounds too good to be true? While the blueprints are ready, the airdrop house has yet to be created.

What will the home of the future look like? The more we become aware of our carbon footprint and the impact our lifestyles have on the planet, the more the way we design and build homes will evolve. But some people are not waiting for the rest of the world to catch up before they design a futuristic home. Many architects and homeowners have already designed and built the homes of the future, today.

One of the most futuristic homes on the planet is on Bird Island. Designed by Graft Lab architects, Bird Island is an urban renewal project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The unique dwelling place is the perfect solution to the need for shelter without damaging the environment. It features a lightweight bamboo frame surrounded by a tensile, eco-friendly fabric. The silicone glass exterior changes the transparency of the walls, making it possible for residents to see the outside world without having to walk out into it.

The zero-energy home is also a sustainable dwelling boasting a variety of energy-efficient building practices. The outer layer collects rain water and the home includes a grey water recycling systems that channels water from sinks and showers back into the plumbing. In addition, the home harnesses solar energy and wind power. The shell material also reflects sunlight, maintaining the cool air and eliminating the need for AC.

One of the greater comforts in this modern age for those who travel is indulging in the luxury of private aircraft charter flights, which are a wonderful experience, not just for harried executives, but also for those who truly want to experience the finer things in life.

Executive jet charter has been with us for many years, and is still a popular choice for business people on the go. Top-level executives have long enjoyed the comfort and atmosphere of a chartered jet, which allows them to work uninterrupted or simply relax if they choose, without the hubbub associated with standard commercial airline flights.

But private jets aren’t just for business trips. You can book your own jet for anything from a fantastic vacation getaway to exotic locations around the world to a romantic honeymoon at a charming private beach resort, or a luxurious cabin in the mountains. The possibilities are endless, you’ll discover, as you begin to explore the options open to you with your own private jet transportation.

You’ll want to investigate the option open to you when you begin choosing an aircraft carrier that can provide the kind of service that you’re looking for. Begin by searching online, and explore the variety of jet cabins that each carrier provides. If you’re planning a romantic getaway you’ll likely prefer an interior that feels more like a flying limousine than, say, a businessman would engage if he was most concerned with accomplishing as much work as possible during his time in the air.

For your romantic getaway, ask carriers what sorts of amenities are provided when you are onboard. You might want a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket for you. Perhaps you’ll want to have a bouquet of cut flowers waiting for that special traveling companion as you prepare to be whisked away to the destination of your dreams.

You may want to look at floor plans and photos of the jet’s interior before you make a final decision about which chartering firm to engage for your special trip. Ask them if they are accustomed to providing the sort of romantic getaway or special vacation that you have in mind. Perhaps they can offer suggestions that will make your trip even more enjoyable.

Bear in mind the number of hours you expect to be in the air, and the amount of comfort, leg room and other amenities the jet will afford, and study the floor plan to determine whether or not the craft being offered will fulfill your needs. If you take the time to explore and compare services that are available, you’ll undoubtedly come up with the perfect travel solution for you very special getaway.

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If you’ve ever wanted to live in a dwelling place straight out of a classic children’s fairytale, now is your chance. For $1.1 million, you could be the new owner of a rare home in Pittsford, New York that has been dubbed the “Mushroom House.”

Surrounded by a verdant landscape and adjacent to Powder Mill Park, this three-bedroom, three-bath “pod”-style home was designed by the architect James H. Johnson and was, in fact, modeled after a stem of Queen Anne’s Lace. It features a fountain-furnished family room, a master bedroom suite, a guest suite, a patio, and a three-car garage. Potential buyers will also be impressed by the mahogany door and frame designed by Wendell Castle and the unique walls and ceilings which have been sand-molded and decorated by various other artists. But perhaps the most delightful feature of the home is the family room carved out of a knoll below the pods and which connects to the pods through a tunnel.

And if you’re wondering if this Alice-in-Wonderland-style home offers practical amenities, it does. Laundry is available on the first floor, heating is available via several mosaic-tiled gas fireplaces, and you can keep cool in the warmer months with zoned air conditioning. The kitchen is equipped with an oven, dishwasher, microwave and refrigerator. Sitting on 1.2 acres, this 1971 beauty is truly one-of-a-kind.

In the latter part of the last decade, Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle and the world’s fifth-richest man, got into an intense imbroglio with a couple in his neighborhood. This couple was Jane and Bernard von Bothmer. Ellison lives in a1958 home originally designed by William Wurster for Anna Spreckles Coleman on Broadway. That’s in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. The von Bothmers live down the hill on Vallejo.

The unseemly entanglement between the two parties concerned the height of some backyard trees that were growing on Vallejo, specifically, some redwoods and an eighty-year-old acacia in the von Bothmers’ backyard. The problem was that the trees blocked part of Mr. Ellison’s view of the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Clearly unacceptable for such a town and for such a man.

After Larry Ellison complained that the trees blocked his home’s view, it seems the couple trimmed them, but not sufficiently enough to appease Mr. Ellison. Trying to solve the problem in one fell swoop, Ellison offered to buy the couple’s home. Let’s keep in mind Ellison’s wealth ranking. However, the von Bothmers declined the offer and the dispute ended up entering the justice system. The case would have gone to trial last week but the warring neighbors came to a last-minute settlement outside the courts.

Now, in exchange for some unknown amount, Jane and Bernard von Bothmer have agreed to conduct a more rigorous trimming of the trees and Ellison has just bought the late Dodie Rosekrans’ old house, which is next door to his and has truly unobstructed views of the Bay.

The adjacent mansion’s price was $40 million, and for his money Ellison got a 1916 home designed by Willis Polk and a 2840 Broadway address. Although the new home doesn’t come with a garage, the new house does have twenty-two bedrooms, all richly decorated by Michael Taylor. Ellison’s first house, the one with the compromised views, has a garage that can hold three cars.

As for the von Bothmers, they still have a Mediterranean style home on Vallejo Street. It was raised up in 1925 and designed by George Applegarth. It may or may not still have a garden especially friendly to hummingbirds. That whimsical touch came from the hands of Thomas Church.