The Nautilus House: "Beautiful, earthquake-proof and virtually maintenance-free."

UK correspondent Fred Swinson draws our attention to the celebrated Nautilus House in Mexico City - which seeks to bring an aquatic feeling into architecture. It was designed by architect Javier Senosiain of Arquitectura Organica and is intended to be a blend of modern architecture and contemporary art.

One description explains it thus: "The Nautilus House falls under the architect’'s “organic works” category, inspired by the sea and taking on the twisting and turning form of the Nautilus shell. The sculptural whimsical house features a striking entry cut into a wall of colourful stained glass. From the outside, it’s enough to draw you in; while inside it casts multi-coloured spots of light onto walls.

But surprisingly, that'’s still not the home's most unusual feature. This interior “grass carpet” is a delight, leading residents and guests through a network of stone paths to the various areas of the home. The bathroom is simply amazing. In it, you actually feel as if you’re under water with the sandy walls, gorgeous blue tiles and the window overhead. This cool home comes together using “ferrocement construction,” which involves a frame of steel-reinforced chicken wire covered in a two-inch layer of composite of concrete. Not only is the result beautiful, it’s also earthquake-proof and maintenance-free."