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Sink Estate
Ireland's countryside is beautiful - certainly among the most scenic areas of Europe. Problem: Not only the Irish think so - 200,000 holiday homes, built mainly by Dutch, German, French and American owners, dot the landscape and threaten to "spoil the look of the place", as they might say on the Emerald Isle. As cheap flights draw more seasonal settlers and the Irish - among Europe's richest people - get richer themselves, parts of the stunning west coast could be ruined by development.
Solution? The Tideaways project, conceived by Donegal architects Antoin and Tarla MacGabhann for this month's Venice Biennale. The MacGabhanns have devised new age seaside bungalows which can be lowered under ground and remain out of sight when not in use. When the buildings are lowered, sheep can even graze on their turf-covered roofs. Some buildings can be "floated" in marina-style enclosures and removed when not in use.
The concept has a new age feel, drawing on an ancient system of land-sharing and tied to ideas of seasons changing and tidal flow.
These hide-away homes are estimated to be built for as little as 150,000 euros or £100,000, which could make them even more popular than the ubiquitous white bungalows they are designed to replace. Perhaps it is just a question of rise and fall.
