Stairs in high-rise buildings are rubbish- often dark and covered in graffiti, piss or muggers.
So are lifts, with the additional problem that you have to wait for them to arrive.

Why not move the whole home to where you want it to be?
In the morning, you get out of your ground-floor apartment. During the day when you are not in, your rooms are stored safely somewhere out of the way, then picks you up when you arrive home.
Entertaining? Why not take a scenic penthouse tour, or visit the convenient roof-gardens? Late arrivals may use the single stairway to catch you up.
Suddenly need to get out, or let someone in? Wait in the comfort of your own home for a few short minutes for arrival at ground-level.
Don't like the neighbours? Program the system to help you avoid them. Conversely, planning something which may annoy neighbours like a loud party? Simply request the stowage section, where noone will notice.

All flats fitted with all modern conveniences, and can be accessed by standard means when not stowed in burglar-proof storage. Also, emergency 'greasy pole' exits for rapid egress.

Additionally, this gives an excuse for massive machinery for me and small boys to watch.
-- Loris, Sep 03 2003

moxxy's link http://www.uam.ucsb.../Pages/current.html
no charge for this service [po, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

http://www.smh.com..../1125302599915.html [yikes!!!, Jan 08 2008]

http://www.fabprefa...ontainerbayhome.htm interesting a-z of container/accomodation designs [yikes!!!, Jan 08 2008]

good design here beyond the experimental http://www.containercity.com/
their projects are listed on their website [yikes!!!, Jan 08 2008]

I had imagined that there would be multiple 'slots' at most types of position to minimise the problem of there being no free space. But since some places would be more desirable at different times, I'd guess there would have to be a sort of trading system, involving points you would receive each week, and a booking system.

I must confess I hadn't considered parking, but the system could be extensible to supply garage spaces which would appear to magically connect your room to a garage with both an entrance and exit ramp.
-- Loris, Sep 03 2003


How about having the garage/house all in one linear design ... order your house down, then park your car, and enter the house through the garage ..?
-- Letsbuildafort, Sep 03 2003


I've just noticed that the idea was moved from the admittedly whimsical home:shelf to public:architecture:elevator.

I've moved it again to public:architecture:house on the grounds that it is in practice a house and the 'elevator' aspect of it is, while integral, an implementational detail. An elevator takes you from one level to another, whereas with this idea you are already at an appropriate elevation. Hope this is OK.
-- Loris, Sep 03 2003


Letsbuildafort: That would work, but it isn't very extensible. Some families have 2 cars. I don't have any cars at all. Also, sometimes visitors will need to park.
In addition, cars are a bit stinky, so I don't want one next door all the time if I can avoid it.
-- Loris, Sep 03 2003


Do I have to call it a "bungalow"?
-- DeathNinja, Sep 03 2003


This reminds me of a movie called "Cube", in which there was a structure which was built in exactly this manner, complete with rooms moving all about.
-- X2Entendre, Sep 03 2003


I saw a prototype of this very type of housing at the University Art Gallery in Santa Barbara, California, wherein architects were commissioned to transform a standardized shipping container into a fully functional portable living space. Called Mobile Dwelling Units, they can be shipped all 'round the world, where they can be stacked by forklifts and plugged into common electrical, air and sewage ports. Here's the link: http://www.uam.ucsb.edu/Pages/current.html Good idea, Loris!
-- moxxykate, Nov 10 2003



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