Dragspelhuset: the Accordion House
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 01.17.07
There are so many reasons houses get designed the way they do. The charm of this design is that it expands and contracts according to climate, making a larger space in the summer and a smaller, easier to heat space in the cold Swedish winters. However, as is so often the case, 24H-architecture had another motive- zoning restrictions that limited the additional space to 300 square feet and restricted the setbacks. Temporary structures are subject to different rules, so as soon as the building inspector leaves, they roll out the addition on steel rails and double the space. “I’m an enormous Frank Lloyd Wright fan,” says [Architect Boris] Zeisser. “I’ve been to Fallingwater five or six times, and that’s what I wanted—to have my house over the stream.”
According to Architectural Record: An amorphous pod clad in western red cedar shakes, Dragspelhuset, when viewed from the lake, appears to be a big rock. Devoid of luxury, the house, which the architects built themselves with help from friends over the course of four summers, has no electricity, heat, phone, or running water. At about 775 square feet (with the extension deployed), it consists of an open living/dining/kitchen area, with one bedroom and child’s sleeping loft occupying the old shack, which is connected to the new structure. ::Architectural Record and pdf portfolio of ::24H architecture
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Zoning restrictions and building codes are put in place for the overall good planning, health and safety of a community.
Treehugger shouldn't promote the bypassing of these regulations by these questionable designs.
They wouldn't think they were so smart if their house fell in the stream and hurt the someone.
Very irresponsible of Treehuger to post this.
I think that this is a pretty cool and innovative design. I can't think of any other stationary homes that can do this!
Safety? Well, if it was designed and engineered correctly, than there should be no problem.
This house IS complying with the zoning restrictions. The additional space is temporary, as the article mentions, which is not part of the permanent zoning requirements.
Also, many zoning laws are arbitrary, and often even incourage non-sustainable building. It's far more important to work with the local geography and ecology than to follow some general political policy.
Oh, and that house is beautiful!
any idea how that 'pod' was built? it's clad in shakes, but what is the underlying structure?
Wow! I'm in love! Fantastic work.
There are more pictures availble from http://www.24h-architecture.com/ Select "Office portfolio" and then "Leisure".