Airbnb brings the weirdest and most remarkable homes to life as part of the brand’s $10M OMG! fund. Out of thousands of entries worldwide, only 100 participants, including architects, designers, DIYers, and makers, were chosen to build their crazy ideas. Their creations will be ready for occupancy by the summer of 2023.
Airbnb’s OMG! Category
The project is part of the company’s OMG! category, which is a collection of unique and outrageous homes. It includes a UFO house, a gothic-style hobbit hole, and a giant potato hotel. Each recipient will receive $100,000 to make their unique creations a reality.
Airbnb’s future lodgings will include fruit-inspired designs, floating buildings, and constructions straight out of science fiction. Aside from their unusual and eccentric ideas, the final designs are environmentally conscious, with over 7,900 participants proposing solar panels in their designs.
The OMG! Fund
The OMG! fund judging team, which included design and fashion icon Iris Apfel, Airbnb Superhost Kristie Wolfe, Airbnb VP of Experiential Bruce Vaughn, and architectural expert Koichi Takada, had to select only 100 winners from among the tens of thousands of entries. The winning concepts stood out for their unique design and are expected to be available for hosting by next August.
Judge Kristie Wolfe said:
“What an incredible journey it has been to be a part of the OMG! Fund judging process. There were so many inspiring stories and destinations that I had never heard of before that I’m now eager to visit. As a builder myself, I can’t wait to watch these ideas come to life. These are more than just places to spend the night – each one offers an entire experience!”
Entries will undergo a comprehensive assessment by a panel of four judges, who will evaluate them based on originality, feasibility, sustainability, and guest experience.
Design Inspirations
The projects range from eccentric and humorous to bizarre and outrageous. The contestants’ enthusiasm is mirrored in their outlandish designs – from an adobe fossilized dinosaur skull to a lighthouse in Sweden accessible only by boat – and also their titles, which include:
- ‘Floating Avocado in an Avocado Farm,’
- ‘Fallen Wine Bottle With a “Wine” Pool,’
- ‘Giant Coyote Head Casita on the Rim of the Rio Grande,’
- Dome-House Floating in a Koi Fish Pond,’
- Hansel and Gretel’s Chocolate House.’
Pablo C. from Mexico, an OMG! Fund recipient who designed the ‘Liveable Giant Mushroom Spaceship in the Middle of the Jungle’ explained:
“The inspiration came from the works of many science fiction movies. The idea was to do something out of the ordinary, never seen before, something rare and beautiful that would impress any human being. The result is an organic form spaceship – a six-meter-high pillar, embraced at 360 degrees by trees.”
According to the brand’s website, several contestants drew inspiration from local wildlife and tradition. For example, Ignacio R. from Chile, who designed the ‘Floating Avocado in an Avocado Farm,’ said:
“The idea is all about the connection with nature. I have spent most of my life on our family farm – the happiest childhood memories come from there. It has something so special that just resonates with me. That’s why I have this dream, this calling, of sharing it with more people.”
Other designs focused on sustainability and celebrated the site’s beautiful landscape bringing visitors closer to nature. For example, Kimberly S. from the US, who designed the ‘Giant Tire-Shaped House’ idea, said:
“The structure will be fashioned by repurposing 1,000 old junkyard tires and other recycled materials. The effect will be a stunning, unique and unforgettable experience—a creative environmental solution to a deflating tire problem!”
Below are a few of the winning designs.
