The first images of Kanye West's prototype housing for the homeless have been revealed, as the musician faces an order to tear down the structures following complaints over construction noise.
One photo, captured by tabloid news site TMZ, shows a series of incomplete structures at West's sprawling home in Calabasas Hills, California. Another set of aerial shots, published by Metro, captures structures of different sizes and shapes being built.
Comprising domes covered in a wooden lattice, the constructions are believed to be prototypes of the prefabricated, affordable Yeezy Home units, which mark West's first foray into architecture. TMZ added that a source close to West told the publication that the structures are temporary.
West ordered to take prototypes down
TMZ captured the housing as West has encountered some road blocks in the construction of the mock-ups on the site of the property he shares with reality star Kim Kardashian.
Attention was brought to the site when several of his neighbours complained to the Los Angeles County Department of Works about construction taking place late at night.
West has also claimed that the structures were temporary, however, inspectors reportedly found them built atop concrete foundations, which suggested otherwise.
This week, the musician was asked to apply for a building permit to allow him to legally construct the prototypes, or take down the domes, within 45 days.
Yeezy Homes take cues from Star Wars
The hip-hop artist and producer revealed that the units are intended as low-income housing or accommodation for homeless people in a cover interview with Forbes.
The domed structure takes cues from the houses on the fictional desert planet of Tatooine, the home of Luke and Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars series.
The homes are also expected to be partially sunken, like the residences on the movie set, with a lightwell carved into the top to provide plenty of illumination. In the new photos, each of the structures features a large opening in the top.
Musician wants to use architecture to "make the world better"
The musician has been vocal about his passion for architecture for many years, telling students on a visit to Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2013 that "the world can be saved through design".
In 2018, he announced his plans to add the architecture arm, Yeezy Home, to his Yeezy label via Twitter in a bid to "make the world better".
Shortly afterwards, fashion designer Jalil Peraza revealed renders of prefabricated concrete affordable-housing for Yeezy Home on Instagram but the posts have since been deleted.
While some may be skeptical of Kanye's expertise in the architecture field, "hip-hop architect" Michael Ford spoke to Dezeen about the importance of black musicians like West and Pharrell Williams, who heavily promote their involvement in architecture, in improving diversity in the profession.
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