AIR house

The Air House addresses two of the most primary forces of nature – gravity and wind.  The main living space of the house can be lifted by a helium balloon enabling it to be raised for a better view or winched into an alternative location. The house takes cues from weather and observation balloons in that the supporting balloon simply provides lift and the house is not meant to be an independent flyer. More like a parade balloon, it is always tethered to the ground and is pulled into different locations.  The form of the balloon is inspired by a cumulus cloud. Lighter-than-air living would greatly heighten the awareness of air currents and wind directions since daily life would be greatly affected by air movement.

 

The site plan shows two possible alternate docks, one on an island in a river and the other at a platform in the tree tops.  The island dock is low and close to the river surface.  A terrace built of concrete allows water to flow over it at flood times.  The woodland dock is a platform at treetop level.  Both locations are only accessible by balloon.

 

The suspension lines connecting the room to the balloon are gathered at a pair of sliding rings so that the balloon’s rotation is independent from the gondola room rotation.   This allows the balloon orientation to be determined by the prevailing wind direction so it can function as a giant wind vane. It also enables the living room to be turned to align with the dock as required without reorienting the balloon above.

 

When in a dock the lighter-than-air room is fixed in the upward direction only so that it responds to activity in the room with a gentle dip, reminding us of our dependence on gravitational forces and the fluctuation of live loads, and encouraging us to appreciate the firmness of the ground under our feet. 

 

The living room construction is an exercise in efficiency.  It is built of the lightest weight materials since every pound must be countered with extra volume added to the lifting cloud above.  The gondola room has a small toilet room equipped with an airplane toilet that would be emptied automatically when the room is docked at the home port.  The home port is carved into a hillside and its walls and floors are made of concrete and stone to emphasize the mass of the building and to heighten the contrast with the lighter than air central living room. 

 

Additional tie downs are connected when the gondola room is in dock to secure it in case of sudden winds and the balloon can be pulled to the side and deflated for storage if not in use for extended periods of time.