Bharathi Research Station (Antarctica) Resembling a space station from a vintage ‘60s sci-fi film, this incredible creation by Germany’s BOF Architects inhabits another extreme environment, a coastal hillside on the bottom of the globe. Built to house researchers from India, this structure is easily removable to lessen environmental impact. Photo by BOF Architects

HotBox: Michaela MacLeod and Nicholas Croft (Toronto) A mysterious monolith on the landscape, this warming hut, a cubic room wrapped in rubber and egg shell crate foam, provides a space for socialization.

"I wanted to preserve the canopy, the sales space, the garage door, everything," Judin tells FvF. "It wasn’t until later that I realized there was also still space for a garden."

Judin was fascinated by the abandoned gas station ever since he first discovered it in 1992. At the time, it had been unused for seven years. He finally purchased it in 2005 and transformed it into a one-of-a-kind residence.

Arguably a symbol of American modernism, these eight high-design gas stations will make you reconsider your next pit stop. Via Architizer

Gas Station Architect unknown; built in 1965 at Daugavpils 74 in Ogre. Photo by Zigmārs Jauja, NRJA

Brompton Road Station -- London Entrepreneur Ajit Chambers told the BBC in 2012 that he wanted to purchase the Brompton Road station in London and create a “tourist attraction,” which would include a rooftop restaurant and turn the chambers leading underground into climbing walls. He’s already created a company for the venture -- The Old London Underground Company -- and supposedly, plans are in the works to open the station for events in 2014. Photo courtesy Annie Mole, Creative Commons.

Railway Station Architect—Ilya Yavein. Built in 1977 at Jūrmala, Latvia. Photo by: Jānis Vilniņš, lv.wikipedia.org

"When I was furnishing the place, I made sure it’d also be a good place for art," Judin tells FvF. "After that, I considered my other passions: cooking, for example. My kitchen is the heart and center of the house."

The Welcome HD smart camera by Netatmo uses advanced face-recognition technology to send an alert to a user's smartphone when it detects an unfamiliar (and perhaps unwelcome) visitor.

Samsung's CEO, BK Yoon, used his CES keynote address to discuss his company's acquisition of SmartThings, a startup that's developed a "hub" to serve as a command center for a line of devices—enabling users to control appliances remotely via their smartphones. Samsung saw SmartThings as its entree into the connected-home marketplace while SmartThings saw, in Samsung, a quick route to a huge customer base for its products and platforms. SmartThings' SmartPower outlet lets users control lamps, electronics, and small appliances remotely.

The coffee station features a professional-grade Rocket Espresso machine. Jang and King designed a stainless-steel pullout shelf for a cream and sugar station.

When he moved in, Judin noticed that his existing furniture fit right into the new space—many pieces are also from the '50s. See more images here.

"The railway | moment"

Snowcone: Lily Jeon and Diana Koncan (Ryerson University, Toronto) A welcome burst of color against the white landscape, this geodesic, kaleidoscopic take on the warming hut was inspired by the natural shape of a pinecone and the insulating properties of an igloo.

Converted Gas Station (New Orleans, USA) For those journeying to the Crescent City, this may be the perfect place to refuel. The 2,000-square-foot station turned open loft space in Bayou St. John has been retrofitted with gas station-chic furnishings (sconces made out of headlights, drawer pulls created from hood ornaments) and boasts a hot tub and a rooftop deck. It’s self service, but it’s unlikely many guests will complain. Listing at Gas Station Modern Renovation Look

A rendering of Farrells' design for a new multi-modal rail station in Delhi, India, which is being built to handle 272 trains and 500,000 passengers per day. Image copyright Farrells, courtesy of the Royal Institute for British Architects.

Netatmo Weather Stations monitor climate changes in various areas and deliver warnings if the temperature gets out of range.

Apple may not be exhibiting at CES this year, but it will still have remarkable reach thanks to HomeKit, a platform that lets companies develop smart-home gadgets that users can control with an iPhone or iPad. The introduction of HomeKit has sparked a race among innovators to create gadgets that can run on the platform. One of these, Withings, made a name for itself with wearables and other gadgets that promote health. This year it is branching out with Home, a smart HD camera and air-quality monitor that users can control from anywhere with an Apple device via HomeKit.

In a like-minded trend alongside Quirky's recent smart home launches, the sleek additions to the WeMo ecosystem announced at CES 2015 use sensors to relay information needed to help keep your home in ship shape condition. The products connect to your house's WiFi network via a bridge, allowing you to control and monitor them using the WeMo app from anywhere in the world.

More accurate than a motion detector, the WeMo Room Sensor detects heat to see if someone enters a space. Program this to work with smart bulbs to automatically shut off lights if you leave a room, or turn them on if you enter.

A work station in the couple's office.

The drought on the west coast has made more people consicous of water consumption. While energy monitors on outlets and power strips allow you to see exactly how much electricity it takes to run your Play Station (or other specific electronic device), information about how much water a shower, toilet, or sink uses isn't as readily available. You get your monthly meter reading from most utilities, but being able to pinpoint they thirstiest item in your home with WeMo Water could help save you hundreds of gallons of water.

The magnetic contact sensor in this gadget works on nearly any type of door or window in your home—refrigerator doors, medicine cabinets, interior and exterior doors, doggy doors, you get the picture—to detect if they've been opened. The sensor can connect to other smart devices in your home and programmed to run an action. For example, if you have the air conditioner on and a window is opened, the sensor can shut off the A/C to help conserve energy. (No need to cool the entire neighborhood!)

The compact keychain sensor allows you to keep tabs on when family members come home (ie. kids returning from school).

Flower Power by Parrott is a sensor that tells you, via a smartphone app, how much sunlight, moisture, and fertilizer your plants are getting (as well as whether they are too hot or too cold), and suggests adjustments so you can take better care of them.

Driftwood Throne: DM_Studio (London) Standing like a sentry on the beach, this angular sculpture assembled from reused timber hides a small bench below a raised viewing platform.

The "lost" subway stations of NYC.

Recalling the work of another prefab precursor, Buckminster Fuller, Prouvé’s inspirational gas station concept, made of glass, steel, and aluminum, puts most service stations to shame.

Need a streamlined way to know whether you should be dressed for snow or rain this winter? The Urban Weather Station from Neatmo comes with air quality sensors as well as wifi to track and monitor your environment, making it the first personal weather station for your iPhone or iPad. ($180)

The Kolbenova Metro station, Prague, designed by Chalupa Architekti and d u m architekti.

Not only does LG's new Twin Wash System allow for the simultaneous washing of two separate loads (the mini-washer is suited for delicates that require unique wash settings), it also allows users to download preprogrammed wash cycles to a smartphone and activate them by simply tapping their phone to a sensor on the appliance.

Keen Home's Smart Vent lets users remotely close heating and cooling vents in unused rooms, or rooms that tend to get excessively cool or hot—slight adjustments that could add up to big savings on the next utility bill. Decorative faceplates may be purchased for $20.

Slide-In Induction Chef Collection Range with Flex Duo™ Oven Induction cooking is gaining interest in the United States (it still trails gas and electric stoves, though) and Samsung introduced a new range as part of its Club des Chefs collection—an appliance line developed in tandem with Michelin-starred chefs around the world. This range is designed to offer the look of pricier built-ins but with easier installation and an easier sum for the pocket book (retail is $3,699). The glass cooking surface extends slightly from the edge of the range for a snug fit with adjacent countertops and the control panel is in the front, allowing for a the back of the appliance to sit flush with the backsplash. In a move that makes induction a little less "foreign" to consumers, this model also features LED lights on each of the cooking zones to illuminate the base of pots, much like a gas flame looks. The stronger the cooking power, the brighter the flame. Yes, there's a lot of show in this product, but there's ample utility, too: the flex-duo oven allows users to divide the cavity into two separate temperature zones if so desired.

Haiku Ceiling Fan with SenseMe by Big Ass Fans The fan is now compatible with the smart home darling Nest's thermostat. The devices communicate to offer the optimal cooling level for energy consumed. From $1,045.