This £1 million sliding home could be the perfect solution to Britain’s erratic weather – as it adapts to the changing seasons by exposing its glass structure in summer and sheltering it in winter.
The one-of-a-kind three-bed property in Huntingfield, Suffolk, is covered in a moving ‘timber enclosure’ that amazes house hunters.
Images show the glass-fronted conservatory being sheltered by the innovative shell, until the walls and roof slide back to expose the conservatory completely to the sun.
The six-minute transformation also reveals an open-air bathroom on the first floor and a previously covered courtyard.
It ends its solar-powered retraction above a detached outbuilding housing the third bedroom and another living room.
This £1million sliding home could be the perfect solution to Britain’s erratic weather, as the transformation from winter to summer home takes just six minutes
Unique three-bed property in Huntingfield, Suffolk, is covered in a moving ‘timber enclosure’ that amazes house hunters
Images show the glass-fronted conservatory being sheltered by the innovative shell, until the walls and roof slide back to expose the conservatory completely to the sun
The architect behind the design, Alex de Rijke, described the moving shell as “like wearing a puffer jacket” that can be pulled in to let heat into the house and recovered to retain it.
The unusual house, which won Grand Designs’ House of the Year award when completed in 2009, was listed for sale on Rightmove last week, April 5, for £1million.
Alex said, “It gives you the best of both worlds, shelter or openness. The starting point of the design is that you can transform a house in many ways.
“You can put the insulation where you need it, when you need it.
‘It differs from most fixed designs where you have to assume that the climate is the same all year round. This structure is like wearing a puffer jacket.
‘The client wanted to build a glass house to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. A fully glazed house would get too hot or too cold, but this design makes it possible.
“It’s not just about thermal management. It is the joy of transformation. It is not a static object.
The six-minute transformation also reveals an open-air bathroom on the first floor and a previously covered courtyard
It ends its solar-powered retraction above a detached outbuilding housing the third bedroom and another living room
The architect behind the design, Alex de Rijke, described the moving shell as “like wearing a puffer jacket” that can be retracted to let heat into the home and recovered to retain it
The unusual house, which won Grand Designs’ House of the Year award when completed in 2009, was listed for sale on Rightmove last week, April 5, for £1million.
Alex said, “It gives you the best of both worlds, shelter or openness. The starting point of the design is that you can transform a house in many ways’
He said, “You can put the insulation where you need it when you need it. It differs from most designs that are fixed where you have to assume that the climate is the same all year round. This structure is like wearing a puffer jacket’
‘The client wanted to build a glass house to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. A fully glazed house would get too hot or too cold, but this design makes it possible. It’s not just about thermal control. It is the joy of transformation. It is not a static object’
Alex claims the solar and wind-powered house doesn’t need any power from the grid, and the innovative shell can even be completely removed to make a ‘free-standing shed’
‘Everything changes because the roof serves to connect or disconnect the buildings.
“The perfect person for this home would be someone who not only understands but cares for it and isn’t afraid to contact me to make changes if they want.”
According to Alex, the solar- and wind-powered house does not need to draw electricity from the electricity grid and the innovative shell can even be completely removed to turn it into a ‘detached shed’.
The 60-year-old says the original owner, who built the house to his design, wants to retire to a home in a nearby town that has less land to manage than his current 3.5-acre lot.
Alex, a director at dRMM Architects, was a judge on Channel 4’s Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker in 2021, where carpenters compete against each other in a series of challenges.
