The BBC brings us news of a woman in California who is building a house utilizing parts of an old 747 airplane permanently mothballed. Francie Rehwald wanted her house to look "feminine", have curves and be eco—friendly. Her architect's answer was: "Let's use a 747!" The wing of the Boeing jet will be used for the roof, its nose as a meditation temple while its trademark "bulge" will serve as a loft. The plane's parts were obtained from an airplane scrap yard in California. They cost around $100,000 (£56,000) to purchase, while the construction of the project, which is expected to start in June, is thought likely to cost several million dollars by the time it is completed. Ms Rehwald's family owns one of California's largest Mercedes—Benz dealerships. So much irony potential; so little time. Normally, I would be content to let the matter pass, especially since I love airplanes and find architectural recycling of parts inetersting, if not always aesthetically...(Read Full Post)