Floating, bombproof, soccer ball-shaped house
Ever wanted a metal house shaped like a soccer ball that floats on water? We thought so. What you need is a Barrier.
The 6-metre diameter model currently available (in red, orange, and yellow as well as grey) is Y10 mn minus tax, and comes with a mini-kitchen, two 15-inch TVs, a DVD and video player, and two beds. Also available for Y6 mn in kit form. That size gives you 40.5 m2 of floor space (we guess; the maker gives the measurement in tatami mats, of which there are at least three standard sizes). The company is also planning a three-storey, 9m diameter version, which would give 122 m2 of space--more than a lot of Japanese houses. They will also make smaller sizes, and it's possible to link more than one unit together. Requires no fixed asset tax in Japan because it doesn't have foundations, and will allegedly withstand earthquakes, typhoons, and terrorist bomb attacks (!), as well as floating on water (it's weighted at the bottom and so should stay mostly upright).
The company says it will ship overseas, though shipping charges are extra. Company homepage is in Japanese only.
[Via Slashdot Japan]
Posted by aragoto at January 06, 2004 05:40 PM | TrackBack