Message about unusual houses of the world. The most unusual houses in the world
Every New Year for more than thirty years we have been watching the wonderful comedy "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" with pleasure. Fate played a trick on the hero, throwing him into another city, but the street was the same, and the houses, and apartments, and even the keys came up!
We live in such averageness and sameness, but there are people who do not want to live like puzzles. And they build their own houses, unlike anything else.
tallest tree house
Tree houses are built not only by children for entertainment, but also by adults in order to equip them with a fairly comfortable home. One of these houses in 2004 was built by environmentalists and became the tallest tree house. 
This house was on the island of Tasmania at a height of at least two hundred feet from the ground and consisted of 2 platforms. The record-breaking house had a kitchen and a shower. For five months, six people lived in it, thus attracting the attention of the world community to the deforestation and development of Australia. Now the tallest tree house does not exist.
"Dancing" house in Prague
The "dancing" house, erected in the historical part of Prague, is absolutely knocked out of the surrounding landscape. It consists of two cylindrical towers, one of which is symmetrical and regular, and the other is curved so that it might seem that the building started to dance. It has long been recognized as one of the most original architectural creations in the deconstructivist style. 
"Dancing" house - the project of architects Vlado Milunich and Frank Gehry
Unusual transparent house
Unique transparent house built in Japan. The project was developed by the architect Su Fujimoto, who uses transparent walls to create a house that unites all neighbors. He called his building House NA. Its total area is only fifty-five square meters. The rooms in the apartments are located on uneven platforms. 
The advantage of such a transparent house is the abundance of light in it. The downside is the same transparency, because it is almost impossible to hide from prying eyes in it. At night, the walls of the house are closed with blinds, making the inhabitants invisible to all those watching them from the outside. It is fair to say that House NA is not the only transparent house in the world. Many countries can boast of their designs of transparent buildings.
"Crooked house"
In 2004, the Polish city of Sopot built not ordinary house fantastic view, later called "Crooked House". His project was created by the Swedish artist Per Dahlberg, inspired by the fairy tales of Jan Marcin Szanser. He planned to give the building a fabulous look. It should be noted that he managed to bring his plan to life. 
On the Internet, "Crooked House" is very popular. Participating in the competition "Great Dreamers", "Crooked House" was named the best architectural project. Numerous tourists seek to be photographed against the backdrop of such an unusual structure. Today it is located shopping mall with many shops, cafes and bars.
House "Piano with Violin" in China
The building is located in Chinese city Huainan. It is made in the form of a violin leaning against a piano. A transparent stringed instrument is the original entrance to the building; it is here that the escalator for going up to the "piano" is located. 
This is a collaboration between students from Hefei University of Technology and designers from Huainan Fangkai Decoration Project Co. Specialists have provided night illumination, which makes the attraction an adornment of the city not only in the daytime.
"Sutyagin's House"
It is also known about Russian unusual houses. One of them was in Arkhangelsk. We are talking about the "Sutyagin's House", which was built of wood according to the old technology. 
Unfortunately, the "Sutyagin House" was not completed to the end. Its owner was arrested, and after serving the term, he no longer had the financial opportunity to continue construction.
The height of this thirteen-story wooden structure was forty-five meters. Eyewitnesses say that being on the thirteenth floor, one could see the White Sea. During construction, the owner of the house planned to enter it into the Guinness Book of Records. Unfortunately, the unfinished house-record holder has been lost. In 2008, by a court decision, it was reduced to 4 floors (there must be a permit for the construction of higher private houses), and in 2012 the building was destroyed by fire (the neighbor's bath caught fire).
Demolition of Sutyagin's house
Unusual "House-basket"
In America, in the state of Ohio, there is a house that resembles a huge monument to a wicker basket. In fact, this is a house that is the office of the Longaberger company, which specializes in the production of baskets and other wicker products. The building was built by order of this company. About thirty million dollars were spent on this construction. 
Thanks to this original appearance at home, the company practically does not need additional advertising, because the Basket House is a real attraction that everyone knows about.
Amazing "Cactus House"
A cactus-like house was built in the Netherlands in the city of Rotterdam. Wanting to bring a person closer to nature, the architects created a project for a house that later entered the top ten "greenest" skyscrapers. The house has been compared to a cactus because of the open terraces. 
The unique 19-storey building has ninety-eight apartments. The balconies of each of them are semicircular, thanks to which the plants growing on them are illuminated from all sides. Outwardly, these balconies resemble large improvised steps, as if screwed up like a spiral. "Cactus House" is a real decoration of Rotterdam.
"Brutal" house of Moshe Safdie
Architect Moshe Safdie built a residential complex in Montreal from 354 concrete cubes randomly stacked on top of each other. There are 146 apartments in this array. This style is called "brutalism".An unusual house built literally in stone is located in Portugal near the town of Fafe. It also somewhat resembles the dwelling of prehistoric people from the cartoon "The Flintstones". This house was built in 1973 by Victor Rodriguez in the mountains between two huge boulders. The purpose of creating this fabulous home is to find a place where you could retire and relax with your family away from civilization. Surprisingly, according to the site, none of the most expensive houses in Russia has made it to the list of the most unusual buildings.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
The most unusual houses in the world amaze with their shapes, bright design, interior layout and even the material from which they are made. The human imagination, with the help of which unique masterpieces are created, has no limits.
The top 10 includes the most unusual houses in the world, photos and descriptions of which are located below.
10."Crooked house"(Sopot, Poland) reveals the 10 most unusual houses in the world. When looking at the building, it seems that the contours of the structure are melted. The optical illusion of deception was realized by two Polish architects at once - Shotinsky and Zalevsky.
Absolutely all the details of the building are asymmetrical, and the walls resemble waves. "Crooked House" was built for commercial purposes, and is currently used as a shopping center.
9."Shell House"(Isla Mujeres, Mexico) is a fantastic piece of architecture designed by Eduardo Ocampo. Every detail of the interior is made here in a marine style, and the building itself reflects the natural beauty of nature. It took about four thousand shells to decorate the snow-white building. The owner of the shell house is the artist Octavio Ocampo, brother of Eduardo.
The work of art is rented out, and everyone can relax here, enjoying not only the interior of the housing, but also the picturesque views around.
8."Hobbit House"(Wales, UK) - a fabulous architectural structure by Simon Dale, which is an environmentally friendly home with low energy consumption.
The main materials for the construction were stone, oak wood, clay and earth. The house was built over 4 months by Dale and his friends. The author of this creation, together with his family, settled in an earthen house.
7. cube houses(Rotterdam, The Netherlands) are the most unusual among all the works of the architect Piet Blom. According to the idea of the Dutch architect, each of the buildings should look like a tree. In total, there are 38 such trees in the complex, which together resembles a small forest of houses.
There are practically no straight walls in the room. It is noteworthy that the residents who originally settled here consider classic houses with straight walls to be very strange.
6.Shoe hotel(Mpumalanga, South Africa) - the most unusual house in Africa. Its author and owner was Ron Van Zyl, who built a magnificent building for his wife.
At present, the remarkable architecture serves as a museum, where the works of the author of the shoe house are exhibited. Inside is a seven-room cavern that Ron Van Zyl called "Alpha Omega". One of the rooms of the cave is a chapel where marriages are held.
5. The list of the most original houses in the world rightfully includes "Mushroom House"(Cincinnati, Ohio, USA), built according to the project of Professor Terry Brown by students of the architectural institute.
In 1992, the architect bought an ordinary residential building and decided to remake it in his own way. Brown wanted to create something unusual, and he quite succeeded. It took about 14 years to rebuild. The material for the reconstruction was wood, and broken ceramics, colored glass and handmade tiles were used as decor.
4.Flintstone Mansion(Malibu, USA) ranks fourth in the ranking of the most unusual houses in the world. The unique building inside and out looks like a cave with elements of modern decor.
In 2013, the house was put up for sale. The advertised cost for it was $3.5 million.
3. " House-stone»(Fafe, Portugal) is one of the most eccentric buildings. It was located near the city of Fafe, in a mountainous area. Giant stones covered with moss serve as walls for an unusual dwelling.
Due to the fact that the building became the object of attention of numerous tourists, the residents were forced to move from the stone house.
2."Crazy House" or the Hang Nga Hotel (Dalat, Vietnam) is one of the most unusual creations created by man. The author of the building work was a Vietnamese female architect Dang Viet Nga. Built in the Expressionist style, the building is an echo of the creations of the Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí. The design completely lacks any straight lines, and the structure itself resembles a huge tree, decorated with multiple decorations. Own unusual name the house received due to the fact that the first visitors exclaimed: "Crazy house!". Indeed, the construction is eccentric to the point of insanity.
Each hotel room is different and has its own theme. The Vietnamese do not really like this building for its non-standard, but tourists are happy to visit the landmark hotel. Dang Viet Nga herself decided to live in her creation, so that visitors have a unique opportunity to personally get to know the creator of the "Crazy House".
1."House Mila" or " stone cave» (Barcelona, Spain) - the most unusual house in the world, owned by the legendary architect Antonio Gaudí. This is the last completed masterpiece by the brilliant architect. The uniqueness of the building lies in the complete absence of symmetry and load-bearing walls. Columns serve as a support for the house, and many walls are movable, which allows redevelopment at any time.
But this is not all that the building can surprise with: it is provided with natural ventilation, thanks to the unusual layout of the courtyards. Even in the hottest weather, the rooms of the premises do not need air conditioning.
The roof of the Quarry is decorated with various sculptures. fairy tale characters. They serve as a mask for ventilation pipes and chimneys. Anyone who comes to Barcelona can admire the legendary creation, which is over a hundred years old. Wealthy Catalans live in some apartments of the house. mezzanine, he showroom, and the roof are used for sightseeing needs.
At all times, a person attached great importance to his home - a place with which the whole future life of his family will be connected. Therefore, it is not surprising that they approach the process of building a house with all seriousness, not limiting themselves in fantasies and, without exaggeration, putting a piece of their soul into their home.
Nowadays, you can see houses that can amaze the imagination with the complexity or, conversely, with the simplicity of their design. We offer you a selection of the most unusual buildings in the world, each of which, of course, has absorbed a part of the personality of its owner.
(Total 22 photos)
1. The house-plane, which you can see in this photo, is located in the village of Miziara, Northern Lebanon. Miziara is known for its extraordinary houses, and seeing buildings there that resemble ancient Greek temples or Egyptian ruins will by no means be a curiosity. (Photo: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
2. On the roof of this house located in Oxford, you can see a statue of a shark. The sculpture, made of fiberglass and reaching a length of 7.6 meters, was installed in memory of the 41st anniversary of the drop of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. (Photo: Eddie Keogh/Reuters)
4. A house that looks like an ancient Greek temple is under construction. Baalbek, Lebanon. (Photo: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
5. On the roof of this 19-story building located in Guangzhou, a gazebo surrounded by green trees was illegally erected. (Photo: Reuters/China Daily)
6. This house is built on a rock near the Drina River, near the western town of Bajina Basta in Serbia. The house was built in 1968 by a group of young people who decided that the rock near the river perfect place for a tiny shelter. So says the co-owner, one of the company that built the house. (Photo: Marko Djurica/Reuters)
7. Houses on the roof of a factory building in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China. (Photo: Reuters/China Daily)
8. A small tumbleweed house driving down a highway near Colorado. The construction of tiny houses originated a few years ago thanks to lovers of the simple life. The area of these small houses ranges from 93 to 9.3 square meters, but, nevertheless, they can hardly be called shacks. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters)
9. 38-year-old Liu Lingchao carries his house in the Chinese town of Shapu. Five years ago, Liu decided to walk back to his hometown of Rongan County from Shenzhen Province, where he had previously worked. From improvised means - bamboo, plastic bags and sheets - Liu made himself a "portable room" 1.5 meters wide and two meters high. The room weighs about 60 kg, and Liu constantly wears it on himself, walking about 20 km a day. On the day this photo was published, Lew was 20 km from his hometown. (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)
10. A heliodome, a bioclimatic solar house, was built in the town of Coswiller near Strasbourg ( Eastern France) in 2011. The house is a huge three-dimensional sundial. It is set at a certain angle with respect to the movement of the sun, so in the hot summer months the house is always shaded and cool, and in autumn, winter and spring the sun is lower in the sky and shines directly through the large windows, warming the house inside. (Photo: Vincent Kessler/Reuters)
11. This photo shows girls jumping on a trampoline near a house built right into the rock. The unusual house is located in the Rockland Farmers' Cooperative in Utah. "Rock", according to the memoirs of members of 15 families living in it, was built about 35 years ago in sandstone deposits near national park Canyonlands. (Photo: Jim Urquhart/Reuters)
12. In this photo, you can see a Bulgarian woman peeking into her house, furnished right in a wine barrel. In central Spain there is a camp of such unusual houses, 40 of whose inhabitants are ethnic Turks who came from Bulgaria to pick grapes during the six-week annual harvest. They sleep in overturned wine barrels about the size of a car. The makeshift camp is located in Castile-La Mancha near the agricultural society of Soquellamos. (Photo: Andrea Comas / Reuters)
13. Bogumil Lhota, a 73-year-old builder, built his house near the city of Jablonec nad Nisou, a hundred kilometers northeast of Prague. Lhota came up with the idea to create a unique house, and in 1981 he began construction. The man wanted to build a dwelling closer to nature and the earth, in order to be able to take advantage of the cool temperature of the dungeon. Construction was completed in 2002, the house can move up and down and turn in different directions, which allows you to change the view from the window. (Photo: Petr Josek / Reuters)
14. This house is located near San Jose del Pedros in the northern state of Mexico, Coahuila. For more than 30 years, Benito Hernandez and his family have lived in a strange house made of adobe bricks, dried in the sun, and a rock with a diameter of 40 meters serves as a roof. The property is located near the city of San Jose del Pedros in the arid desert of Coahuila, about 80 kilometers from the Texas border. (Photo: Daniel Becerril/Reuters)
15. Architect Harry Chang rests in a hammock in his apartment, which is located in Hong Kong and occupies 32 square meters. Chang grew up in the same small apartment and has now come up with an innovative solution for the increasingly cramped conditions of the city dwellers. This is a "transforming apartment", just like in science fiction films. (Photo: Bobby Yip/Reuters)
16. This is one of the narrowest houses in the world. It was built as an art installation between two buildings in Warsaw. The width of the building is only 92 centimeters, it was built for the Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Keret told the TV channel TVN24 that he would live there, coming to Warsaw twice a year. The writer conceived this project as a kind of memorial to the families of his parents who died due to the Holocaust during World War II. (Photo: Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
17. These 70 domed buildings were built by an American organization in the village of Samberhardjo near Jakarta for residents left homeless due to the earthquake that occurred on May 8, 2007. (Photo: Dwi Oblo/Reuters)
We are all used to the fact that at home we feel comfortable and protected. It is hard to say that being in the rooms presented in this article, you can think that you are completely safe. And in general, I wonder how these architectural "creations" have not collapsed yet? Their creators are obviously talented people!
If you like to tickle your nerves, then go to any of the buildings in our today's selection - you are guaranteed a thrill!
1. Holman House, Australia
Its creator was clearly inspired by the work of Pablo Picasso. Block Jaggers swims over the sea.
2. Meteora Monasteries, Greece
Meteora means "suspended in the air" in Greek. There is no other name for this breathtaking monastic dwelling!
The monastery was founded in the 11th century and laid out on top of a sandstone tower without roads, amenities or any technology. By the way, they live there to this day.
3. The HemLoft, Canada
Looking almost like a dewdrop, this secret hideout is hung (somewhat illegally) on a steep slope in a tall hemlock stand in Whistler.
4. Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia
The building is located on a narrow basalt rock between the rivers Fluvià and Toronell. The emergence of the village is dated closer to the Middle Ages. Approximately 1,000 inhabitants still live there, occupying an area of less than a square kilometer.
5. Cliff House, Calpe, Spain
The project of the residence belongs to the architect Fran Silvestre. This private house overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It was built in a year using reinforced concrete slabs.
6. The Hanging Houses, Spain
Cuenca's Hanging Houses (Casas Colgadas) were built on a cliff overlooking the Huécar River over 500 years ago.
As you can see, standing on the railing of some of these wooden balconies, you can literally feel like you are in the air.
7. Sky High Treehouse, France
The structure is delicately balanced on a forty-meter pine tree. Your heart will be racing as you climb the stairs, but the scenery of the nearby Lake Geneva is well worth the tickle.
8. River House, Serbia
This small house on a rocky island in the middle of the Drina River was built by a group of boys in 1968 as their club.
The structure is currently owned and operated by the Bajina Basta Kayak Club.
9. Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
10. Stahl House, Hollywood Hills
In 1959, Buck Stahl bought a mountain lot overlooking Los Angeles for less than $14,000. He built his dwelling out of glass in order to look at the panoramas of the city below.
It took a while to find a smart enough architect. As a result, the house created by Pierre Koenig has become a real miracle of design!
11. Villa Amanzi, Phuket, Thailand
This impressive home is nestled in a narrow gorge overlooking the azure sea. There, in an open pavilion, you can get an amazing massage.
12. Monte Rosa Hut, Swiss Alps, Switzerland
This building, which looks like a ship, was designed specifically for climbers going to the top of the glacier.
Resembling a shimmering ice crystal, the hut generates 90% of its energy needs from photovoltaic solar panels and solar thermal systems.
13. Socotra Island, Indian Ocean
This place is like another planet. The city simply causes dizziness, because it is erected on top of a coastal cliff.
It seems that the houses are part of the rock, and are compressed so that there is no road between them.
14. Takasugi-an Teahouse, Japan
There is nothing fictional here. This is a modern development of the architect Terunobu Fujimori.
This structure was erected on the tops of two chestnut trees carved from a nearby mountain. It is called "Takasugi", which means "tea house built too high". Perfection!
15. Fallen Star, San Diego
Yes, you are not mistaken, it really hangs from the side of the University of San Diego. This is a technical sculpture built as an addition to the Stuart Collection school.
Fallen Star is fully furnished.
16 Upside Down House, Poland
If the hanging building isn't enough for you, there's another one that's completely upside down. The hut was built by Polish businessman Daniel Czapiewski in the village of Szymbark. It is intended to show the communist era and the chaotic structure of the world.
17. Mirrorcube, Sweden
To be honest, you wouldn't even be able to tell this cube from the surrounding foliage.
It can only be reached by a 12-meter bridge. Those brave enough to travel to the Mirrorcube are rewarded with a double bed, a bathtub and a rooftop terrace.
18. “Just Enough Room” Island, Canada
Located in the archipelago of islands on the border with the United States. Now you understand why it is called "enough space".
19. Xuankong Temple, China
Presumably, one person built this temple one and a half thousand years ago. It still hangs above the river bed at a height of about 90 meters.
20. Balancing Barn, Suffolk
This is a very clever English design, created using an optical illusion.
21. UFO, Sweden
This tree-hung fantasy belongs to the same group of minds that created the Mirrorcube. Visitors must be prepared to enter unknown worlds... at least in their dreams!
22 HP Tree House, Australia
This magnificent building rises above the forest with a galvanized steel frame.
23. Nut House, Düsseldorf
This walnut house is supported by stilts. It is used as a playroom for the owner's three children and an occasional guest room.
For many of us, home is a cozy place to eat, sleep and unwind after a hard day at work. We buy various knickknacks, look for furniture and beautiful wallpaper to make everything our own way, in fact there is no fundamental difference between our home and the neighbor's home. But the 10 houses presented in our rating go beyond the "4 walls" and are distinguished by the originality and breadth of imagination of their creators.
The most unusual houses in the world
The Belgian town of Stenokerzel is famous not only for its unpronounceable name, but also for its house located in an old water tower. It belongs to the director of one company, Patrick Mets. All his life, Patrick dreamed of living in such a tower. And his dream came true! The tower has 6 floors, its height is about 30 m. Mets purchased the building for $43,000. Leaving the internal layout unchanged, new owner entrusted the interior of his house to the designer Mauro Brigham, who brought the premises into a residential look.
9. Malator
This house is often called underground, which is not entirely true: only the roof and 2 side walls are underground. At the same time, it surprisingly harmoniously fits into and resembles the holes of the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. Malator was built back in 1998 and managed to gain popularity - his pictures were even in Forbes magazine.
8. The narrowest house
One of the narrowest houses in the world is located in Warsaw. If you decide to find it, you will have to not blink so as not to miss it - the width of the house is about 1.5 meters. Its author is the Polish architect Yakov Szczesny. He responded to the request of his friend, an Israeli writer who came to Poland every year for a few days and asked him to find him some small corner.
When viewed from the side, the house has a triangular shape. To get into it, you first need to climb the stairs (second photo from the left). On the ground floor there is a kitchen, shower and toilet. The bedroom and desk (far right) are on the second floor. You can climb there using the ladder attached to the right wall.
7. Forest sphere
Many children dream of having a tree house. But if childhood has passed, but the dream remains, then the "Sphere of the Free Spirit", as the Canadian Tom Chudley called his invention, is at your service. He founded a whole company that is engaged in the production of such housing. Also exists hotel of 4 room-spheres, which allows everyone to temporarily plunge into the life of a forest hermit.
6. House of a skateboarder
This house is every skateboarder's dream. The idea belongs to Pierre Andre Senizergue, a professional skater. And the designer Gilles Lebont Delapointe and the famous architect Francois Perrin were able to realize his idea. This house was originally presented to the public at an exhibition in Paris, and later recreated at land plot Senizerg himself in Malibu. The unusual interior of the dwelling allows Pierre to stay in shape, turning everyday movements around the house into a workout.
5. Transparent house - an introvert's nightmare
It's nice to deal with open people who have nothing to hide: in Tokyo, commissioned by a young childless couple, design company Sou Fujimoto Architects created a completely transparent house. This is not just an ordinary house with glass walls - its design is very original and, according to the authors of the project, should resemble life on a tree. Many small platforms are located at different heights and are interconnected by small stairs flowing into each other.
The answer to a legitimate question: the house has curtains that allow you to retire or turn on appropriate censorship.
4. Cardboard house
Shigeru Ban is a famous Japanese architect, sometimes referred to as the cardboard samurai - he uses cardboard in many of his projects. Shigeru was able to build a bridge that can support up to 1.5 tons of weight from recycled paper, cardboard and wood. Also among his works is a museum of modern art in Russia, an exhibition hall in Germany, houses for those who lost their homes during natural disaster and even a whole cardboard cathedral in Christchurch.
The main material of all these buildings, you guessed it, is cardboard pipes. To protect against water and fire, they are covered with a layer of polyurethane. Although living in a cardboard house is not as exciting as living in a free spirit realm, Shigeru Ban deserves a high place in our ranking: his bold experiments in finding new building materials and using recycled materials help solve the world's problems. Shigeru received the Pritzker Prize in 2014.
3. Glass house
This creation of the great architect of the twentieth century, Philip Johnson, is unique in that it was the first among its kind. Johnson built this house as a private residence in 1946. Try to remember the traditional architecture, available building tools and materials of those years: it is not surprising that the glass house was recognized as the best work of Philip. Currently, it hosts various creative events, and from May to November it is open to tourists who can admire various art objects that belonged to the master's collection.
The Chemosphere is a spaceship-like house built in 1960 by John Lautner. It was a glorious time of the space race and aerospace fashion. The octagonal house is located on top of a steep slope, so the view from its windows is amazing - it seems like you are inside a UFO hovering in the air.
The history of the Chemosphere was not cloudless - the building passed from hand to hand and for some time was in disrepair, but gradually everything got better: in 2004, the Chemosphere was declared cultural heritage Los Angeles and was included in the ranking of the 10 best houses in this city. In addition, the growing fame of Lautner prompted admirers of his talent to carry out a high-quality reconstruction of this building.
1. Fallingwater
Before you is one of the most famous houses in the world - Fallingwater ("Fallingwater" - "Falling Water"). It was built as a private Vacation home for a wealthy family in 1937. Its author is the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. During the construction, he sought to ensure that the building fits perfectly into the landscape - during the design, he took into account all the trees, boulders, various features of the relief and, of course, the waterfall.
Wright's project was bold not only because of its ecological harmony - the building is located in such a way that it seems that it is not subject to the laws of physics. It is not surprising that the architect had to constantly "fight" with contractors who sought to "strengthen" one or another part of the house according to their own experience and understanding. However, Lloyd closely followed the work, rejecting such "help". And a year later, Fallingwater was completed. Its cost to the owners was $150,000, which is almost $2.5 million by today's standards.