With the FlyAway Home, we have attempted to make the function of the interior space so flexible that the 100 square foot footprint essentially houses approximately 400 square feet of house.  Consider the fact that a person can only occupy one room at a time … therefore a 100 sqft space can easily accommodate one room’s worth of function.  Now, rather than changing rooms, simple change the function of the room by transforming the elements of the space.

The Flyaway Home does this by utilizing the the “Fly Away” space above the floor level.  The room elements are pulled down from the rafter space with the aid of smooth gliding rails, counter weights and flexible service connections.  Then when the function is complete, the element is simply pushed back up into the “Fly Away” space.

Other elements of this design are the use of an up-cycled, end-of-life shipping container as the shelter’s structural floor and walls, as well as the exterior deck.  The roof collects rainwater into a 700L cistern (located in the “Fly Away” space) and distributes it to the shower and kitchen functions.  A composting toilet with exhaust system eliminates the need for a septic field.  Bicycles, camping gear and even a small kayak could be hoisted up into the temporary storage area in the “Fly Away” space.

This sustainably built, innovative concept is easily deployed in Urban or Rural areas (both short and long term) because the strength of the container structure eliminates the need for disruptive foundation work.

The center piece of the design features a double-hulled vortex with both hulls being clad in reinforced glass, where each of the floor levels are essentially a layering of concentric rings ranging in size from 30,000 m² down to 600 m²  Inclinators riding along the inner structural ribs provide for vertical/diagonal transportation between floors.  Total floor area of the entire structure (levels, radial arms, barriers) is approximately 212,000 m² (or roughly 40 football fields).  The Gyre’s radial arms feature a pedestrian upper level and a transit system on the lower level to access to the outer protective barriers.  The barriers create an inner harbor and port of approximately 1.25 km in diameter, accommodating the needs of even the world’s largest ships.

In addition to using vertical axis wind turbines, electrical energy is also collected by solar means.  Two applications of solar glazing are used: the first, a semi-transparent solar window is used facing the open-air, inner vortex; the second, a glass with a printed array of solar cells spaced to create partial shading, is used as a solar pergola or roof material.  Furthermore, underwater nacelle’s function both as tidal generators when the structure is anchored and as thrusters for propulsion when Gyre is under way. The structure manages undersea pressures and stresses by virtue of its shape. Rainwater is harvested in the inner vortex and gravity fed to the water purification system at the base of the Gyre. Mechanical systems and emergency freshwater storage basins are in the deepest portion of the structure.

The first two levels of the Gyre’s vortex are dedicated to circulation, community gatherings, restaurants and commerce.  Intermediate levels accommodate long-term residents, oceanic experts, hotel guests and crew quarters totaling as many as 2000 people. The deepest levels are dedicated to a scientific observatory for oceanographic research and an Interpretive Center for public discovery of the depths of the ocean.

The Shipping Cabin design is a luxury, low cost construction conceptualized for a controlled manufacturing environment. These luxury low cost residences could be built on Canada’s West Coast and economically shipped to places like Spain, Bolivia or Iceland. The use of shipping containers serves as the fundamental building blocks of a cabin structure which can be easily adapted to any location and environment. This concept uses a single 40′x8′ shipping container as an upper floor and a simple glass and aluminum frame with a ground level enclosure. The cabin is raised 9′ above the ground and supported on four wooden columns. The roof consists of arched trusses and corrugated 12′ steel culverts. The ground level floor is an open and flexible space for accommodating various living arrangements. The shipping container makes up the structure of the upper floor which includes the bedroom, storage unit and bathroom.

The building block of each ModuLUTE is a structurally sound 20 foot shipping container that has reached the end of it’s useful “cargo” life.  These 8×20 foot ModuLUTEs are easily plugged into a light-weight infrastructure ready to provide a comfortable,“green”, efficient living unit.

Each ModuLUTE includes a compact kitchen, efficient bathroom, convertible living/eating/sleeping area and private balcony.

The ModuLUTE’s primary benefit is its ability to stack, dismantle, and re-stack with structural efficiency.  This property allows a number of potential configurations that can be utilized to make the best possible use of the unique environmental conditions of any building site.  The complex configuration illustrated above is created to function well in a snowy environment like those experienced in alpine conditions.