40 One-Of-A-Kind Buildings That Are As Bizarre As They Are Unique (New Pics)

To find out more about unique architecture, Bored Panda reached out to Sean Waldron, partner and architect at Waldron Designs.

He explains that to architects, unique architecture mostly means capturing a moment or context in a way that hasn't been (commonly) seen before.

"Whether providing a surface on which the reflection of water ripples can fall or designing with a material that allows the transmission of the sound of the rain when it falls. Moments like these are unique because they're fairly uncommon, but they also pull people more deeply into the architecture they're inhabiting."

However, to stand out, professionals often feel a lot of pressure. "But not necessarily in the sense that they want to be the 'next big thing,'" notes Waldron. "I'm sure many want that, but our focus should be on bettering people's lives and using our creativity to do that, which is why we feel the pressure to be unique in our office. It shifts the power of creativity from a place of ego to a place of duty to our clients."

He further explains, "The idea that standing out as a goal in itself can be extremely dangerous to architects. There's a lot of bad design (environmentally damaging, non-functional, unattractive) out in the world because an architect wanted to "stand out."

However, standing out can also be a great thing. Being honored for work that benefits a family or community and also works in concert with the environment is another way architects can stand out. Yes, it's difficult to do that, but it's also not a bad goal to have."

Luckily, Waldron doesn't feel intimidated by the idea that everything seems to be already done and, on the contrary, sees it as a benefit to architects. "We have the opportunity to build upon the past, but the best architects learn a lot from it. It's the same for other professions too. We all have constraints to operate within, but, again, the best geneticist, politician, or sculptor will closely study those who practiced before them and will learn from that and build on it. There are surely other ways to distinguish oneself, but I think this path is the best."

If we’re talking about unique architecture, it would be a crime not to mention the life-size Polly Pocket house that is now available to rent in Massachusetts.

To celebrate Polly’s 35th birthday as a part of their iconic series, Airbnb has created a 42-foot-tall replica of her compact house. And while she’s away celebrating, guests are welcome to visit her humble abode and try on her accessories and clothes made out of the iconic rubber material. 

It’s located in Littleton, Massachusetts. “Why?” you may ask. “Polly Pocket is actually from a town called Littleton, a fictional town called Littleton," reveals Ali Killam, a communications lead at Airbnb.

"Polly Pocket is known as the adventure doll, so we wanted to pick a place that had a lot of adventure for guests to explore, and this Littleton, Massachusetts town, you'll just experience it for yourself when you're here, but there's so much adventure to be had, it's so charming and quaint and cute."