The Architecture of Happiness

When Alain de Botton, the philosophical Swiss writer, was working on his 2006 book, The Architecture of Happiness, he thought that one of the great, but often unmentioned, causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we’re surrounded by. Then he got another idea: Living Architecture, an innovative approach to vacation--in modern structures. There are four places available for booking so far, all in the U.K.,The Balancing Barn in Suffolk and the non-profit is soliciting new designs from the bright lights of design all the time. 

According to this group of thinkers, curators, and architects:

Living Architecture is a social enterprise dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of world-class modern architecture. We have asked a series of great architects to design houses for us around Britain and are making these available to rent for holidays all year round.

We started the organisation from a desire to shift perceptions of modern architecture. We wanted to allow people to experience what it is like to live, eat and sleep in a space designed by an outstanding architectural practice. While there are examples of great modern buildings in Britain, they tend to be in places that one passes through (eg. airports, museums, offices) and the few modern houses that exist are almost all in private hands and cannot be visited.

We see ourselves first and foremost as an educational body, dedicated to enhancing the appreciation of architecture. But we also hope that you will have an exceptional holiday with us. We are making available a standard of house unusual for the UK rental market (where the ancient cottage has until now been the norm), with the best of contemporary materials and technologies. Our houses are all in fascinating locations and have been meticulously designed for comfort and aesthetic delight (with prices starting from just £20 per person per night).

Maybe happiness is actually a destination.