DRMM's Sliding House (video)

22 January, 2009

The house is made of a three conventional buildings, two of which stand in a row, one of which is off set from this spine.

Then a fourth structure – effectively a sliding roof and walls, weighing 20 tonnes – moves along the stationary elements to allow the occupants to take full advantage of the light and weather conditions.

Alex de Rijke, director at DRMM, said: "This is an autonomous structure; steel, timber, insulation and unstained larch spanning hidden tracks, recessed into a concrete raft on piles. The mobile roof and walls form an insulating structure that passes over the annexe, house and glasshouse, creating combinations of enclosure, open-air living and framing of views according to position."

The three buildings are 16m, 5m, and 7m long, and 5.8m wide, and are constructed from red rubber membrane and glass, and red- and black-stained larch. The sliding structure runs on a 6m gauge rail, and has been designed so that it can be extended in the future if the client – a mathematician and motorcyclist – wishes to extend the property.

De Rijke said: "The dynamic change is a physical phenomenon difficult to describe in words or images. It is about the ability to vary or connect the overall building composition and character according to season, weather, or a remote-controlled desire to delight."

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