Considering the hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and other forces of nature that continue to destroy homes, Hong Kong-based architects at 10 Design have designed a way to protect neighborhoods with a simple but elegant solution: build a house that can duck underground.
Designers at 10 Design have come up with a house that uses a set of hydraulic levers that pulls it into the ground when it is activated by high-velocity winds. Once the house is moved underground, the roof locks to prevent flood water and wind from entering the premises.
“Isn’t The Wizard of Oz a clear example of the awesome force that a tornado can muster?” Ted Givens, an architect from 10 Design, said. “How can Jaws drive people out of the ocean screaming when a house blown through the sky brings back nostalgic memories? Please stay out of the water, but feel free to building your home below flood level and out of cards in the wind.”
The house will be geared to reemerge from the ground automatically once the weather improves. It will rely on sensors that are scattered around the community to keep track of weather conditions and as soon as emergency strikes, it will get into protection mode.
This futuristic house will be built using Kevlar that has proper insulation between the skins, while its exterior will be fitted with solar panels that capture sunlight while letting natural light in.
via: Fastcodesign
