Published: November 13, 2012
We love eco-minded concept houses, like this energy-efficient creation that resembles a giant caterpillar.
This self-supporting abode was dreamt up by Michael Jantzen, an architect known for his imaginative conceptual works, especially when it comes to alternative energy and storage systems.
His Transformation House is a design concept that truly lives up to its name. The structure literally alters its appearance to take advantage of weather conditions.
The cylindrical building’s exterior is divided into five sections that automatically, or manually, move so it can catch energy from the sun to power it, let the wind in to cool it, and collect rainwater for its inhabitants.
That makes it a self-supporting home with one-of-a-kind curb appeal: Every time one of the five sections rotates, it alters the building’s caterpillar-like appearance.
And it’s not just the exterior that moves. Everything inside this home can be shuffled around.
The windows move 360 degrees so you can tweak your views at the push of a button. The interior also cleverly maximizes space by storing four containers, each one being a room, under the glass floors.
That’s especially convenient if you want to hide a messy room — just store it away and call up a clean one.
If you want to see more of Jantzen’s work, you can visit his site.
By: Deirdre Sullivan © Copyright 2015 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®