You’ve probably seen strange or surprising things happen in nature—nothing too special, just a little offbeat. But the real magic happens when people create those moments on purpose. Architects and designers play a key role in crafting spaces that challenge expectations, blend creativity with function, and sometimes just make you stop and stare. From wheelchair-accessible pools to benches that twist the rules, here’s a look at how design can turn the ordinary into something quietly extraordinary.
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#1 A duck ramp is something we need more of
#2 This railing on gazebo in Naples has braille describing the view for blind people. More of this please.
#3 The building looks semi-transparent due to reflection
#4 Public Bench with Pillow
#5 This is one of the more common Architectural tricks. This kind of “gate” stops cars and forces cyclists to stop or slow down to help keep pedestrians save.
#6 My childhood doctors office has a mini door installed for younger patients
#7 My city has public defibrillation stations and the sign for it looks like a video game health bar.
#8 Solar park bench with USB charging ports.
#9 Amphibian Tunnel, Cycle Highway of Eindhoven, Netherlands
#10 This gate that allows horses but not vehicles
#11 Japanese rail workers build special tunnels to save turtles from train deaths
#12 Parent + Child library carrel, so you can do your research and keep your little one occupied. Fairfield Library, Virginia, USA.
#13 It’s not a solution to homelessness, but a great step in the right direction. Well done Canada
#14 “Brightmoor Runway”, turned a sidewalk into a rubberized running track, with solar-powered speed display! Detroit, USA
#15 Pool that is also accesible for people on wheelchairs
#16 Earthships, passive solar earth shelters around the world
#17 The Fruit Bus Stops of Nagasaki Prefecture (designed to showcase the agricultural output of the region)
#18 Kraków before and after new billboard law
#19 Enzo: outdoor furniture designed for the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna
#20 Tiled patches in cracked pavement, Lyon, France (by Ememem)
#21 Ecopassage over a highway in the Netherlands
#22 Reclaiming “forgotten concrete stairs leading to the river” by No Studio, Wrocław, Poland
#23 Bee Bricks: bricks with holes for solitary bees.
#24 Wall of Kindness, Norwich, Vermont, USA
#25 Wine Windows, mostly Florence, Italy, originally for plague and now reopened and revived
#26 Cap Hill Village getting super meta w/ their Little Free Library ❤️
#27 The tiles around our apartment complex is made up like the enemies in Space Invaders.
#28 This drinking fountain allows you to gill your bottle, and saves the extra water for passing dogs.
#29 Pool and Water Slide, Egmont Højskolen (“Folk High School”), Western Denmark.
#30 Hazelwood School, Glasgow, Scotland
