Look at a shallow profile filing cabinet, and pull out every other drawer, now scale it up in your imagination to the size of a building. Every apartment now has two floors, one of which is the extendable balcony.

In the summer, you crank out your balcony, and have an outdoor garden, in the winter you bring it in and have an indoor garden.

see link - depicting winter mode.
-- xenzag, Jul 22 2006

(?) shallow drawer cabinets http://www.furnitur...557&productId=13518
winter position [xenzag, Jul 22 2006]

http://weburbanist....utm_term=feed-title [xenzag, Jul 29 2014]

shallow door cabinets https://www.google....Ag&biw=1004&bih=621
Files like these. [popbottle, Jul 29 2014]

B-but, what happens to all your indoor stuff when you crank in the balcony? Maybe they could be simultaneously cranked out the other side of the building creating a (cold) outdoor room?
-- faffer, Jul 22 2006


read it again [faffer] you have two floors - only one cranks in and out, so "indoor stuff " is unaffected.
-- xenzag, Jul 22 2006


This is highly funky, I like it. Though if you crank the garden out intending to sunbathe, you'd better make sure you're living on the top floor.
-- fridge duck, Jul 22 2006


"What Irishman gets cranked in every winter?"

"Paddy O'Furniture."
-- baconbrain, Jul 23 2006


See last link..... I trust my cheque for having the original idea is in the post. Ha
-- xenzag, Jul 29 2014


But filing cabinets only allow one drawer at a time to be opened to prevent them toppling over.
-- hippo, Jul 29 2014


Each unit should be built at 90 degrees from the one below, with the elevators immediately adjacent to the plumbing stack and those two items in a vertical column. That way your neighbors above will not shade you. The nearest balcony above will be 4 floors up.

What will go on during summer in the intrabuilding winter quarters of the garden? There will be a void. It seems a shame to just leave it to the roaches and dustbunnies.
-- bungston, Jul 29 2014


[hippo] the bubble burster.
-- blissmiss, Jul 31 2014


Sorry. This idea would work if each balcony was paired with another on the opposite side of the building (e.g. on the floor below) such that they both move out and back in together (connected by some big cogs and ropes, or something). This would keep the building balanced, and allow many balconies to be extended at once.
-- hippo, Jul 31 2014


In the text of the idea are these words "shallow profile filing cabinet". In this type of filing cabinet alternate drawers can all be extended, as they are not mechanically linked. Existing buildings with permanent balconies do not topple over, so I see no reason why this one would.
-- xenzag, Jul 31 2014


the seal ink is broke N.
-- pashute, Aug 01 2014


Because of bungston's stack and elevator reminder, the transforming floor space will have to be a fraction of the fixed floor space. Maybe, the balcony could be in a floral shape with unused summer space as a giant air humidifier from stack spray jets. Perfuming agents cost extra.
-- wjt, Aug 01 2014



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