How remarkable it is that designers get their inspirations from virtually anything. We see architecture in a handbag, animal skin patterns in clothes, butterflies in fashion, and a whole lot of other things that generates "ooh's and ahhh's".
Take these designs for instance; inspired by the Cactus - a plant that many may not see as inspiring but designers, well, thought otherwise.
(This one below looks scary. I hope the thorns are not like real cactus thorns.)
The Urban Cactus project. An architectural project in Rotterdam designed by UCX Architects. This will be a future housing project that is planned to accommodate 98 residential units within its 19 floors. Because it sits on a harbor, the architects decided that the tower needed a natural "green" image -- which manifested itself in a stacked set of rotated, swoopy plates. Via Inhabitat.
Now this one's really beautiful.
Not only is this planned to be a sustainable, energy-efficient structure to be built in Qatar, but will also be a beautiful example of how eye-striking architecture can blend with nature and the environment. Bangkok-based Aesthetics Architects Go Group has designed a new office building for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA) in Doha, Qatar, which due to its distinct shape is known as the Cactus Project. Via Eco Architecture.



