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First Photos Revealed For Prototypes of Kanye West's domed-shape Affordable Housing
United States Architecture News - Aug 09, 2019 - 04:16 13704 views
First photographs have been revealed for prototypes of Kanye West's star wars-themed affordable housing which is planned to be developed as part of West's new architecture brand Yeezy Home.
West has built these 4 dome-like prototype structures on a 300-acre of land he owns in Calabasas Hills, California, reports TMZ. Two photos have been released by TMZ, while another source Metro revealing an aerial photo of the prototype structures.
However, according to TMZ, West's prototype structures may be torn down since he didn't get a built permission as they are temporary structures. Following several complaints of the neighbors to the Los Angeles County Department of Works about construction - as the construction work continues at night - The Department received another call from a neighbor a week ago, again complaining of construction noise.
After a new inspector coming to the site again, the inspector saw that domes were sitting atop a concrete foundation. For that and several other reasons, the inspector determined the structures did not appear temporary, according to TMZ. As a result, it was decided that West's prototype buildings needed a building permit that Kanye and his company never applied for them.
Aerial view of prototypes. Image courtesy of 82 /SWNS
The Los Angeles County Department of Works is now demanding that Kanye and his company need to submit plans and get building permits to legally construct them within 45 days, or otherwise, they may be torn down.
The recent photos of the structures show that the three dome-shaped buildings are covered by wooden lattice and these prototypes are very close to where Kanye and wife Kim Kardashian own a $60 million mega-mansion. The homes will be made of prefabricated concrete elements and will be available for low-income families.
The structures has a skylight on the top and they are planned as half-sunken homes - as Kanye called them "underground homeless housing" - inspired by the desert planet of Tatooine, the home of Luke and Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars series and a fictional desert planet that appears in the Star Wars space opera franchise. West called them as "wooden spaceships" in his previous interview with Forbes.
West's affordable housing prototypes. Image courtesy of TMZ
These type of units - and were shot in Southern Tunisia’s Djebel Dahar Region - are typically used in arid areas where its underground approach produces earth temperatures to keep warmth in cold weather and absorb heat in hot weather.
A source close to Kanye told TMZ that the structures were always intended to be temporary, because they're built as simply prototypes. "They are in touch with the county and intend to comply with the requirements," a source added.
According to the source, "the concrete base was necessary to secure the structure for safety and structural reasons but will eventually be removed along with the structures."
Top image via Backgrid, courtesy of TMZ.