Now, Santa’s Battle Wagon and a team of 12 robot reindeer occupy a patch of lawn near the pool, while a 50-foot-tall, 54-ton robot made partly of junked electronics diverts attention from the tasteful desert landscaping.

And forget about playing a few sets on the tennis court.

“Now it’s elf village, with post-apocalyptic extraterrestrial nuclear elves,” Kenny Jr. said, leading a visitor on a walk through a landscape resembling the set of a Tim Burton film. Wearing a beige shalwar kameez and a long, untrimmed beard (he became a Muslim a decade ago), Kenny Jr., 39, had the gleeful smile of a child given a very large sandbox to play in.

Georgia Eisner, his older sister, recalled how, years before he took over the backyard, he would appropriate her possessions as material for his art while she was away at boarding school. “It was clear my typewriter ended up in one of his structures,” she said. “My shell collection disappeared. He glued it to the wall.”

Remembering her exasperation, she added: “I would think, can’t I have a normal brother who plays sports? He was the weirdo that was always off playing by himself and talking about outer space.”

Kenny Jr.’s ideas come in a geyserlike rush, he explained, inspired by vivid dreams of aliens and distant planets. His main challenge is keeping up with them. “The amount of energy that goes through me is absolutely, utterly relentless,” he said. “Think of it as the floodgates are unleashed and the flood doesn’t ever stop. It’s been that way my whole life.”

For several years, his creative energy has been channeled into Robo Lights, the ever-expanding holiday display he began in 1986, at age 12. Last year, 20,000 people visited the sprawling installation, which features Santa’s Pink Robot Store and a manger scene with baby Jesus wearing a Sumo-style topknot and wise men bearing gifts of toy microwaves.

Twin Palms, the estate Frank Sinatra owned one block over, grows paler as a neighborhood attraction every year.

In October, an indoor version of Robo Lights will be on display at the American Visionary Art Museum, or AVAM, in Baltimore, said Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, the museum’s director and founder. Kenny Jr.’s work will be part of an exhibit on technology called “Human, Soul and Machine: The Coming Singularity.”

“Kenny is one of a handful of people who continue to fascinate me,” Ms. Hoffberger said. “There’s a lot of sci-fi work out there, and it tends to look alike. His work looks like no one else’s.”

LIKE A ONE-MAN RECYCLING CENTER, Kenny Jr. collects old phones, cassette tapes, wood, the innards of slot machines, garbage can lids, pool filters, a neighbor’s wrecked glider, an air compressor from a commercial building — anything he can get his hands on, basically — and using multiple cans of Touch ’n Foam sealant, gives form to his visions.

His sculptures have a Seurat-like quality: a pink Clydesdale looks monumental from a distance; up close, its hooves are revealed as boxy computer monitors, its noble head a printer and fax machine glued together, its mane a tangle of power cords.

Aliens, robots and monsters appear in Kenny Jr.’s work with obsessive frequency. But he maintains that his inspiration doesn’t come from comic books or B-movies. His robot sculptures are “instantaneously generated creations that go through my mind,” he said. “I know exactly what they look like, and I make them.” (An interest in the far-out is perhaps hereditary: Kenny Jr.’s paternal grandmother was a singer and bandleader whose 1969 album, “Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela,” a jazzy account of her “trip” to the moon, is a cult classic for its wacky naïveté. Tony Kushner wrote a play about her called “Flip Flop Fly.”)

Kenny Jr. beamed into the larger culture briefly in 2010, when Conan O’Brien asked him to design the holiday set for his talk show. The host appeared delighted with the results (Godzilla wielding a candy cane; a Christmas U.F.O.), though it was hard to tell if the creator was in on the joke. In a backstage interview, Kenny Jr. answered Mr. O’Brien’s sardonic questions about “Mr. and Mrs. Sanmagnetron Claus” with deadpan sincerity, seemingly oblivious to the incongruity of a man in full Islamic dress designing Christmas decorations.

Judged against its current surroundings, Ron Druker’s
proposed building in Boston’s South End fits in about as well as a spaceship in a cornfield.

The 11-story office and retail building at 80 East Berkeley St. is designed to be modern and bold, and it would tower over the low-rise industrial and residential buildings that surround it.

But within three years — about the time it would take to build it — this corner of Boston is slated to be transformed. Scrubby lots will be replaced by several large-scale buildings with more than 1,400 new homes, restaurants, shops, and a Whole Foods grocery store.

“Our building will be contextually compatible with the new zoning and all of the proposals under consideration in the neighborhood,” Druker said of his $150 million project.

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“We intend to be the gateway to a new part of the South End.”

Redevelopment of this part of the neighborhood between Washington and Albany streets was painstakingly planned during three years of community meetings held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. The process resulted in new guidelines to allow buildings as tall as 200 feet. Now, Druker and several others are following through with proposals for major developments.

Some projects have already been issued permits and construction has begun.

National Development is building
Ink Block, a multibuilding complex with 471 residences, a Whole Foods supermarket, and shops at the former Boston Herald headquarters.

Work is to start soon on 380 homes and stores at 275 Albany St., and another developer is seeking approval to build 560 apartments at 345 Harrison Ave., currently occupied by the Graybar Electric building.

Each of those projects would feature multiple buildings between five and 20 stories, meeting many of the goals of the planning study, which called for “opportunities for a broad range of business development, including retail, office, manufacturing, and related commercial uses.”

Druker, who hopes to start building next year, is the only developer so far to propose an office building. During a community meeting Wednesday, his plan did not sit well with everyone. Several people complained the building would overshadow their homes and create more traffic problems. Others praised the proposed design and said the building would bring welcome activity to a dead spot.

Druker previously developed Atelier 505, a residential and retail complex on Tremont Street in the South End, and Heritage on the Garden, residences and stores on the edge of the Public Garden, among other projects.

His plan for 80 East Berkeley St. fits within the new zoning limit of 150 feet. The property sits on the corner of East Berkeley and Washington streets, where the residential South End meets parking lots and buildings from a bygone industrial area. It is currently occupied by an auto detailing business.

Druker and architect David Manfredi, of Elkus Manfredi Architects, outlined plans Wednesday for a 308,000-square-foot building with ground-floor retail spaces. One or more of those spaces could house restaurants, with seating spilling onto the sidewalk.

No office tenant has been signed, but Druker said the building is designed to attract a technology or “creative economy” type of company whose employees would be drawn to nearby retail, entertainment, and cultural amenities in the South End.

He said the building would include 5,900 square feet for start-up companies. “Our hope is to spawn new ideas in the building,” Druker said, adding that it could serve as a magnet for companies looking for alternatives to Kendall Square in Cambridge or the South Boston Innovation District.

The project would also result in new landscaping and street trees, although several neighbors urged Druker to add more green space to the project. The building would also contain two levels of underground parking with about 200 spaces.

The BRA has set a Sept. 30 deadline for public comments on the proposal. It will then go to the authority’s board for a final vote.

Between noisy neighbors and misbehaving kids, your home can feel more like a madhouse than a personal sanctuary. If you’d like to reclaim some peace and quiet, here are four DIY projects to give you a calm place of your own.

Green House

For green thumbs looking to extend the growing season, a greenhouse is a must. Fortunately, a greenhouse can also be an affordable and easy project for those with a little DIY know-how. The Door Garden has an simple step-by-step guide on how to build a basic hoop-style greenhouse for around $50. Rather than rely on glass, which can be expensive and difficult to install, these greenhouses rely on clear plastic sheeting, which makes construction a snap.

If you do want a traditional glass-based greenhouse, many people have turned to old windows as an affordable DIY option. By heading to a salvage yard, or turning to a contractor with a surplus of old windows, you can stitch together a bunch of frames into a makeshift greenhouse.

“Man” Cave

Long the refuge of the domesticated male, man caves are a great way to create a place where you can kick back and relax. Fill a garage with an old couch, a TV and a little insulation for the winter months and you have yourself the perfect retreat from the stress of family life. But increasingly, women are looking to set up a “man” cave of their own in the home.

If your man has already claimed the garage as his own retreat, worry not. Many people are turning to tiny structures, like the ones built by Tumbleweed Homes. These 100 to 200 square-foot structures are the perfect size for a sanctuary or a home away from home. And because they are so small, they often don’t require a special building permit, making them an easy addition to a back yard. For those looking for a truly DIY option, the company also sells blueprints, allowing you to put together one of these quaint little cottages on your own at a much lower price.

Bird-Watchers Paradise

A easy hobby to pick up, bird watching is a great way to relax while gazing out the back window. If you’re a bird lover looking to transform your yard into a avian sanctuary, you can turn to simple backyard additions like bird baths, houses and feeders. But to step things up a notch, you’ll want to invest in a little landscaping to help attach the right kinds of birds. For instance, by adding small trees to your yard, you can start to draw robins and jays. Fruit-bearing shrubs like elderberry and sumac will attract thrushes and tanagers. And taller canopy trees will bring in birds like warblers and woodpeckers. Take a look at a few websites that specialize in bird-related landscaping and see what will work in your area.

Of course, once the birds start flocking to your yard, you don’t want to miss a moment. By attaching a weather-proof camera — like the Hero GoPro — to your feeder, you can keep track of your feathery friends even when you’re not around.

Bathroom Spa

Upgrading a shabby bathroom to give you a spa-like experience at home doesn’t have to cost a fortune or even require a ton of DIY know-how. While a low-flow fixture can shave a few bucks off your monthly bills, those looking for a more luxurious morning ritual should consider upgrading to a more immersive experience, like the Blue Ocean Shower Panel. The panel features multiple shower heads and multidirectional mist jets for a fully immersive showering experience.

For longer soaks, DIYers can turn to plug-and-play hot tubs. Unlike the hot tubs of old, these ones don’t require a plumber to install, making them truly do-it-yourself options. Simply fill them up and plug them in to a typical wall socket, and you’re ready to relax.