'Origami' House Changes Shapes To Take Advantage Of Different Seasons

Since house designs cannot be changed unless the entire structure is renovated, they are normally built with the worst weather patterns in mind. For example, a house in the Arctic would have thick concrete walls to preserve heat, while the opposite would be true for one built in the desert. This means that while residents are sheltered during severe weather conditions, they are unable to enjoy seasonal changes. Now, two British architects are trying to change this with a revolutionary design that believe it or not, uses a math puzzle that you may all be quite familiar with!

Called D*Dynamic the design of this incredible house is based on the Haberdasher's Puzzle. First discovered in 1903 by British puzzle creator Henry Dudeney, it entails slicing an equilateral triangle into four pieces and then rearranging them into a square.

David Grunberg and Daniel Woolfson of D*Haus architects took that same concept to design a structure, which while perfect for any place in the world, would be ideal for people living in areas with extreme weather patterns. That's because if their design really works, thick insulating walls that would help keep residents warm in an Arctic winter, would magically unfold and be replaced with internal walls made completely from glass in the warmer summers. Even cooler is the fact that the doors could transform into windows and vice versa - All, with just a touch of a button! And, if you are one of those people that like to get the maximum sun exposure, the house could even be made to rotate so that it follows the star, throughout the day!

All in all, D*Dynamic, which would be built on tracks to allow for the seamless movements could be re-configured in eight different shapes. Though it has yet to be built, the two architects have in the past successfully created pieces of furniture like the D*Table, that can morph into different shapes. Of course, a house is a much more challenging concept but one can only hope that future residences and perhaps even commercial structures, will truly be this magical!

Also, homes with sliding parts are not a totally radical concept. In 2009, Suffolk resident Ross Russell spent a year designing and building a 'Sliding' home that takes maximum advantage of beautiful summer days and, it still seems to be working rather well!

Resources: dailymail.co.uk, news.com.au