There's a luxury hotel in town that I really admire — The Ritz-Carlton at 24th Street and Camelback. I have been there a few times - Most recently for a symposium. Have you ever seen "Working Girl"? That scene in the hotel's bathroom at the wedding reception for Oren Trask's daughter? The bathroom at the Ritz-Carlton is just like that, right down to the real folded towels, love seat and gilded edges everywhere. But what I love most about this building is its exterior. The facade is just beautiful. It is a tall building with simple, clean lines, and topped with a spire that gives the entire building an aura of graciousness, which is perfect for a hotel. Whenever I drive by it, I always slow down so I can glance at it. I have always been keenly interested in architecture and unusual buildings. Compared to other architecture, the Ritz-Carlton is pretty straightforward.

In the shadows of Mt. Fuji

You can find some pretty unusual examples of architecture and architectural innovations in China. Architects in the Fujian Province have designed private residences that occupy a small amount of land yet provide enough living space for large extended families to share the dwelling. 

The earthen houses consist of four floors, and each floor has a designated function — One floor has areas for cooking and eating; another floor is dedicated for storage; and another floor houses the sleeping quarters. Many of these houses have 70 rooms!

The center of the structure is open-air, which creates a spacious feeling, as well as a space for residents to hang their laundry out to dry, and for animals like chickens to free-range. Air and sunlight also permit dwellers to keep small herb gardens or shrines if they wish. Each structure is immediately adjacent to its neighbor, providing a sense of security for its dwellers. All anyone has to do to walk on their farmland is take a few steps outside, as the communities are clustered at the center of a valley surrounded by their crops, with the surrounding mountains for protection.

It is hard to imagine living in a place like this, but I could get used to it in a hurry!

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has found an innovative way to give condominium dwellers the feeling of more space with his shutter houses in the Chelsea district of New York. Residences can open up an entire wall, which is essentially a giant shutter that they can raise or lower as needed with the push of a button.

People can easily see out when their shutters are down, but others cannot see inside. Shutters can open up walls between interior rooms, or onto a private deck where residences can take the evening air and relax a bit. Think garage door, only better! Each shutter is constructed of metal slats that, when lowered, are imperceptible to passers-by. Interior windows are also motorized and can be raised or lowered as well, depending on what spaces the residence wants opened.

Prices range from around $1300 a square foot to $3,000 a square foot.

Perhaps the most stunning of all from the standpoint of pure design is the structure housing the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I first became aware of this incredible architectural wonder a couple of years ago, and would travel to Singapore just to visit it!

This building occupies a quiet wooded area of the campus, and appears to be cradling the people inside with its sweeping circular design The roof is covered with growing green grass, and its facade is almost all glass. It almost appears to blend into its beautiful green backdrop instead of overpowering it. Because much of the structure is glass, it allows natural light to permeate muchof the interiors, while at the same time the curves of the architecture and growing plants on its walls provide cooling shade.

What design student wouldn't be inspired to creative genius in a building like this one?

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