The need to impose ecologically viable alternatives in our lives has, of late, been the call of the hour. So, it’s no surprise that we should shift the focus to the homes we live in. While recycled homes are definitely the way to go, inflatable homes take it a notch higher by making homes a movable, space-saving structure. Check out these awesome abodes from the future:
1. Inflatable Tea House by Kengo Kuma: While Japanese tea houses are known for their tranquil and minimal structures, designer Kengo Kuma has taken the idea and funked it up. The inflatable tea house he built for the garden of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt looks as flexible as a rolling ball. The house swells up with the help of a ventilation system into an interior surface of twenty square meters replete with tatami mats, an electric stove, and a preparation room.
2. Bubbletree: The Bubbletree designed by Pierre Stephane Dumas is a transparent bubble which allows one to be in the midst of nature, while completely in the comfort of an equipped home. Architecturally, these shapes are meant to transfix you with a curious acoustic advantage. The shape inhibits external noises while echoing the noises inside around the structure’s center. This echo encourages people to speak softly which in turn contributes to a feeling of meditative relaxation.
3. Inflatable Dome Home in Louisiana: Charlie and Margaret Simmons’ pursuit for energy-efficiency led them to construct an Inflatable Dome house. Wound-up around steel-reinforced concrete tension rings, the inflated dome has a foam spray dual insulation on the inside, and a concrete base to use minimum energy. The home has even been tested in a wind tunnel at Texas A&M University and it can bear winds up to 600 mph, while the shape of the dome gives it an aerodynamic edge against fierce winds. The GE paint used can resist temperatures of up to 550 degrees F.
4. Inflated oilcloth house: If just having an ecologically viable inflatable home isn’t enough for you, then this is for you. This Inflated house is made out of recycled plastic sheet, steel and oilcloth. Add to it the luxury of being able to change the size of your home according to your mood or needs (with the help of an air pump). No, you can’t carry it around in your pocket, but you can deflate it and move it with you to another locale or city depending on your cool schedule.
5. Tricked-Out Inflatable House: Packed into a four foot high cube, this ‘Life Cube’ inflates into a 12 foot tall structure, and has been built and marketed as an alternate resource in intense survival situations. This survival shelter, when blown-up, has a bed, a couch, a water bladder, a first-aid kit, a radio and a cookstove, and uses the same plastic as an inflatable house. The only glitch would be its whooping $ 3, 900 tag which means even if you do survive the calamity, you still got to be rich.