You won't surprise anyone with the construction of gazebos, baths and houses from glass bottles, but few people know that the famous beer manufacturer Heineken has even developed a special container for these purposes. Dutch designer John Habraken spent 3 years designing practical, and most importantly, free "bricks" for poor countries. What came of it - further in the material.
For a long time, enthusiasts around the globe have mastered the skill of building fences, gazebos and even houses from glass bottles. And this is no wonder, because bottles are waste building materials that can be collected absolutely free of charge in the park, on the beach or in the trash can. And if we add to this the durability of glass containers, its ability to transmit sunlight and retain heat (thanks to the air gap), as well as the ability to give an original look to any building, then it immediately becomes clear why bottles are so popular.
The use of a bottle instead of a brick is known not only to amateurs of experiments, but also to owners of large enterprises. Alfred Heineken, executive director of Heineken International, during a trip to one of its branches located on the island of Curacao, saw mountains of discarded bottles on the beaches.
The population of the island was poor, and even a dilapidated hut had nothing to build. Then Arthur Heineken had the idea of creating a special bottle shape. If it turns out to interest the population, Heineken believed, then the bottles can be used in construction, and at the same time get rid of the garbage on the island.
Upon returning home, Alfred Heineken with his ideas turned to the Dutch designer and architect N. John Habraken, who took up the development of the brick bottle in 1960. It took three years before the world was surprised by the new shape of the beer bottle, called World Bottle.
Reference: In 1963, the beer manufacturer Heineken poured the drink into 100 thousand Heineken WOBO bottles with heights of 350 and 500 mm. The release of two sizes was due to the fact that when joining walls, not only full-size bricks are always required, but also halves. At the same time, a short neck and a recess at the bottom of the bottle have been developed to form a secure connection. Also, in addition to the flat shape, pimples were made on the "cuts" so that when laying the walls there was a good adhesion.
The released amount of glass containers should have been enough for the construction of several dozen huts. But no one kept statistics, so to this day no one knows whether these unusual bottles were used for their intended purpose on the islands of the West Indies. But in the Dutch town of Noordwijk, several objects have remained since then.
Unfortunately, after the release of the first batch of World Bottles, they no longer left the assembly line. As it turned out, the customers did not like the bottles of this shape, besides, the financial costs of production increase.
Since then, it has taken a long time, and bottle houses are becoming popular again. Modern enthusiasts are content with traditional glass containers, creating real masterpieces, which are clearly demonstrated by the following examples.
From bottles they build reliable full-fledged houses, which have become a home for more than one generation. So, for example, an Italian who left for America more than a hundred years ago, in just a few months created a family cottage that has been standing for over 120 years.