I’ve seen come cool things in life, but I must admit I’ve never seen a “convertible” house before.

A couple in England, who had never built a house before, decided to move out to the country and use their imagination and capital to build one of the most unique houses on the planet. The top instruction to their architect was, “we are prepared to be radical”.

The brief was simple: to build a house to retire to in order to grow food, entertain and enjoy the East Anglia landscape. The outcome was as unconventional as they come. A structure that has the ability to vary or connect the overall building’s composition and character according to season, weather or simply a desire to delight. Wallpaper* took a trip to the site to capture the physical phenomenon in the only medium that serves it justice – film.

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Damn! Why has everyone lost their freakin mind lately? Basically every where we turn the economic indicators are going absolutely insane! Let’s recap some of the horrible things that have been going on lately, shall we? Yes. We shall…

Before we get started, I would just like to send out a big “I told you so” to all the haters who didn’t believe it when I called in the recession on March 10.
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This is sickening. Thanks to Jimbeau for passing along this little piece of financial history. If you wonder why the economy is completely in the crapper right now, well here is a contributor to the problem. Nine years ago today the New York Times issued this report.

Let’s be clear, although the report gives some statistics about minorities, I’m not pointing this out as a racial issue. This is a credit worthiness issue. If you have the means to pay back a loan – you should be given one. If not, you should be denied. The reason this lending practice changed was pure and simple greed.

“…felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.”

They got caught up in the pre-Internet bubble growth around them, and everyone started grabbing for cash. Pathetic. By the way, I’ve highlighted (in blue) some of the choice comments below. Enjoy.

September 30, 1999

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

By STEVEN A. HOLMES

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

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