from gizmag



Reminiscent of Fuller's vision for the Dymaxion House and advanced mass producable autonomous dwelllings, Architect Marcin Panpuch has designed a hight tech spherical house which can either float on water or be lifted by crane and fixed to a tower beside other such spheres. Stairs, kitchen, bathroom and toilet are all located in a central core which also serves a conduit for ducts, cables and pipes. Sound familiar? The ailing US auto industry might be well served to start seriously thinking about diversifing their under utilized production capabaility into production and leasing of hyper-homes. Panpuch's inspirational design won a 2004 commendation from the Royal Institute of British Architects' annual Future House London Competition and Exhibition.

The Idea - London is one of the cities that grew from the river and a great deal of its development has happened thanks to the river. Recently Londoners have turned their backs on the river, because of the pollution.It is no longer a great pleasure to spend time in close proximity to the Thames. But perhaps if people feel more involved with the Thames they become more responsible for it's quality.

The Thames is tidal and one should take advantage of its significant changes in levels. Taking into account the current situation of the housing market, can you imagine yourself living in the centre of London? Perhaps not. But you can afford a car and you may be able to afford city car parks and congestion charges. So if the housing industry takes on board experience from the car industry you might pay the same for your house as for your car.

Yes there is a land issue but there is also the Thames. The river could be the answer to your housing problem. You could own a house and be able to live both in a quiet area of east London and in the middle of the capital, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere and beautiful river views, right on your doorstep.

The river could take you and your house everyday from the suburbs of London to the centre without the need for high-energy consumption. The house itself could become a mode of transport.




Design objectives - Currently houses are largely static and unresponsive. Modern and future materials, technologies and design allow us to create dynamic, evolving places that respond to the complexities of life.

The home will soon be a source of energy rather then a consumer. It will become more of a work place as well as a home. The London house, more than any other, will have to meet density requirements of the future.

The proposed design not only uses the river, estuary + docks, but can also be stacked in a "tower of houses" using a crane on top of the tower. The house module can be relocated as often as required by family and work demands; a city tower, a river home, a rural retreat.

The proposed house can satisfy future needs for mobility, energy production, and applicable changes to the place we live and work.

The proposed design takes into account today's problems of the housing industry, which is decentralized, resistant to change, wary of new technology, and labour intensive. Most people live in places that are low-grade, low-tech, inflexible, difficult to upgrade, high maintenance, and ill-designed.

Environment - The aim is that the house will produce as much energy as it consumes. The energy is produced by photo voltaic cells and accumulated in batteries. "The main floor" is designed to store heat during the day and distribute it at night. The water tank can also act as a medium for heat storage.

The house is designed to be naturally ventilated using the stack effect - the air intake is situated at the bottom of the transparent screens and allows air to migrate up to the top of the core at each floor. All the devices that control the internal environment of the house (sun screens, air intakes/exhausts) are designed to be manually and automatically controlled. All waste produced by occupants is designed to be stored while the house floats and when moored the waste is disposed of to the public utilities.




Design - A sphere has 25% less surface area than a cube of the same volume; minimising the perimeter means reducing the heat loss.

The designed "sphere house" is divided into three floors that are organised around a core - "services/distribution wall". Open plan design allows easy changes to work and living spaces. The central core includes stairs, kitchen (social and family assembly point), bathroom and toilets. The service/distribution wall accommodates all ducts, services, central heating system and electrical connections between floors.

The upper floor is designed as a highly flexible living space with up to two entrance points allowing you to connect to the outside. The lower floor houses working space, sleeping area and the main entrance. The sleeping area is divided by a light partition system. The system can be easily repositioned or, by adding additional components, can create further bedrooms. The working area is open plan space that can be organised according to home occupier's needs.

The lowest floor is designed to accommodate batteries (ballast), storage, water tanks, heating system and central IT equipment necessary for automatic operation of the house. Layers of light, composite materials create the external envelope: the transparent cladding, shades with photo voltaic cells cover the upper part of the house.

The lower part of the envelope is divided in to two parts: under water and above water. The under water part of the envelope is designed as a light insulated aluminium body attached to the main frame. The above water part is covered by transparent cladding and retractable screens for privacy.

» Read more about Marcin Panpuch's vision and design objectives

» RIBA London