Push-Button House by Adam Kalkin
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 12. 2.05
Shipping container prefab houses certainly aren't anything new (we featured them some time ago, here) but the latest incarnation from architect/artist Adam Kalkin is pretty darn slick, so we had to mention it. The Push Button House is exactly that: it starts as a shipping container until a button is pushed, and it turns into a house. Motorized walls unfold like a flower, revealing a fully functional house, complete with refined, understated furnishings. Kalkin is unveiling the house (in more ways than one) at Art Basel Miami Beach, a renowned art show that started yesterday and runs through the weekend. Fitting that the house's debut is at an art show; Kalkin fancies himself a fusion of artist and architect: "I'm not into the container per se. It's what I can do with it emotionally; transforming a commodity into poetry." No word yet on pricing or production schedules; his Quik House will go into production next month and will be priced between US $150,000 and $175,000. ::Adam Kalkin via ::Future Feeder and ::New York Times
But.. so.. are you outdoors in a way? When it opens up are you exposed to the elements. Do you sleep in it when it's all shut closed?
I just don't get it.
the toilet is mounted on the fold up wall!
This is such a waste of money what use it is if you take a crap and pack up, it will empty the contents n your dinner table not to mention you will be in the full veiw of everone in the area what a waste of time and money
shipping containers!!
Is there actually any point to this?
Does it serve a purpose?
Does it make crowded areas better to live in? Will it help house people on low incomes comfortably and safely? Will it help to reduce the number of homeless in the world?
What practical value does it have?
Whats the diff between this and a mobile home?
Fill the bathtub up with water and fold it. I can see some big flaws here.
The difference between this and a mobile home? Privacy and mobility. A mobile home with (at least partial) opening up could be useful.
No walls, no wheels, and all for > $150,000. Sounds more like an art project than a home. Does it even have plumbing and electricity? I like the wall-mounted toilet. That must be symbolic of something.
that is soo cool!
The way to look at a proposal like this one is not to focus on the externalities, like all the comments have been doing, but rather look at it as an alternative that is fast (to ensemble), mobile, and contemporary. 1,2,3 cirilo!