Submitted by:

Divyaa Saxena
10110017
AR-414
Futuristic Architecture
The Push Button House,
is a shipping
container that opens up
into an entire house. The
structure is operated with
a hydraulic system, that
transforms from a
rectangular shipping
container to a full
apartment at the touch
of a button.
The open structure contains six rooms spread across the containers
floor and walls. On one wall there is a double bed and bathroom
complete with a full size bathtub. in the middle, there is a kitchenette
and dinning table complete with a chandelier overhead.
To complete the home, the doors of the container are lined with
a library full of books. on the other wall there is a living area
with a sofa and side tables.
the home was originally exhibited at art basel miami in
2005. the home clearly demonstrates how the
technologies of wider industry can be used to create
dynamic architectural conceits.
Fitting that the house's debut is at an art show; Kalkin fancies himself
a fusion of artist and architect: "I'm not into the container per se. It's
what I can do with it emotionally; transforming a commodity into
poetry." No word yet on pricing or production schedules; his Quik
House will go into production next month and will be priced between
US $150,000 and $175,000.
"It works like a flower - you push a button and the
thing transforms itself," Mr. Kalkin says.
The Push Button House was adapted by Illy for use as a temporary caf at the Venice
Biennale in June of 2007, and at the Time-Warner Center later that year. In this
version, illy Coffee teams up with Kalkin to further embody the connection to beauty
through art and design. Just like the original model, this one utilizes a single 8 x 20
shipping container to create a five room home at the push of a button.
On the exterior, the house maintains its original cargo container appearance.
However, when the button is pushed, four motors operated by hydraulic
cylinders open and lower the containers sides. White furniture and interior
finishes attached to the sides of the containers create a pure white interior.