Walking House Takes Off

ZHANG:
What if you could move your house just by pulling a lever and telling it to get up and walk down the street? Well if that sounds far-fetched, take a look at this.

STORY:
Build a house on solid foundations. That's been a popular view for centuries. But in uncertain times, a house that can move, be it a bit tentatively, might hold some sway.

This walking house was created by Danish art collective N55 and commissioned by the UK's Wysing Arts center. The Cambridgeshire-based center has been exploring ideas of neighbourliness and different ways of living. This structure was built by volunteers from donated 'waste' materials after a call went out to the local community.

Donna Lynas, the center's director, says the Walking House project explored notions of nomadic lifestyles.

[Donna Lynas, Director of Wysing Arts Center]:
''Artists are actually the people who reflect society back on the rest of us and I think really all we're trying to do with this project is to say there is another way of thinking and what about some of these ideas.''

To be free to roam is one of those ideas and that called for elements of sustainability and self-sufficiency in the design.

Wind and solar power supply energy while a composting toilet and a rain water filtration system support green living.

Modules can be added to accommodate growing families and communities, while hydraulic legs enable slow, peaceful movement.

N55 teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to solve that particular technical challenge.

[Donna Lynas, Director of Wysing Arts Center]:
"It is interesting how artists really once they have an idea like this they have to almost become engineers to make it happen, you know to really genuinely deliver a project. This for an artist is not straight forward.''

But N55 don't appear to shy away from difficulties. Lynas says the collective are now designing a rocket to go into space. Now that really would take the idea of 'free to roam' living to its nth degree.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• walking house
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[XxCrazyYoshixX]

this is kind of useless :O it's small, ugly and slow... and I bet this thing costs a million -_-

[NirradGann]

That's a cool idea but if it were me I think I would add wheels and call it a camper!yeah yeah,i know,its more cool to involve MIT in your design development!

[TheThumper49]

Late to the party pal. Mobile homes have been around for 100 years and they use that novel invention called the wheel.

[SockPuppetCommentary]

Fliers on the light poles "REWARD: Have you seen this house?  Very friendly brick colonial with white trim. Missing since December. Responds to Trixie. If sighted please call..."

[HeavyClassic123]

@Jackniksmith18 i get that thumbs up to you xD

[Jackniksmith18]

holy shit its the command centre from red alert 3

[SuperGreatSphinx]

Howl's Moving Castle is a young adult fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986. It won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and was named an ALA Notable Book for both children and young adults. In 2004 it was adapted as an Academy Award-nominated animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. A sequel, Castle in the Air, was published in 1990. A second sequel, House of Many Ways was released in June 2008.

[icklerob]

Howl's Moving Castle is better.

[CrysRhain]

I'd rather live in a tumbleweed house and hook it up to my truck and move out and about

[alikill]

@XxCrazyYoshixX It's about the idea, you dildo... oh dear :/ no hope for us



[skyhawk431]

"This is useless. It's just a small crappy little peice of metal. Why would anyone want one?" --- Anyone who says this is an asshole and an extremly boring person who will never own a giant robot.