Do you live in a region that is prone to flooding? What are the precautionary measures available when the water levels start to rise beyond normal? Common causes include heavy rainfall, dam failures, storm surges, rapid snowmelt, and others. Areas below or at the level of bodies of water are always at risk. One clever solution proposed is called the Lift House.
As exciting and revolutionary as it sounds, unfortunately, this project is currently in the concept phase. Nevertheless, a prototype is available that demonstrates exactly how future homes could adapt to such an unpredictable natural disaster. If you think about it, the structures on elevated locations usually survive ordeals like this.
The Lift House is the brainchild of Ulf Mejergren, a Swedish architect. What makes the Lift House different from regular dwellings lies in the foundation. With the help of a scissor lift mechanism, a small red cottage can quickly get out of harm’s way. This functional installation was reportedly a commission by the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes).
“The project draws on climate research from Linköping University, which identifies three main strategies for managing risk: to defend, to attack, or to retreat — with retreat being the most radical and costly option,” reads the description. “Lift House embodies a fourth approach — temporary retreat — a gesture of flexibility when the ground fails, a home that can rise, move, and offer security in motion.”
For this working demonstration, several factors were taken into consideration. Since the scissor lift in use only has a maximum load capacity of roughly 500 lbs, the materials of the Lift House needed to be lightweight. Perhaps innovations and cutting-edge materials will enable more design versatility in the future.
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Images courtesy of Ulf Mejergren Architects
