Accordion Houses

If you ever wondered whether the house of those seven dwarfs was ever found, I will have to admit to it and say yes; it sits by a lake in Sweden and is known as Dragspelhuset. But do not let its baffling name mislead you; its wooden amorphous structure is as eco-friendly an abode as it can get, with its only peculiarity being that it expands.

It was strict house size and property distance regulations that ignited the imagination of the owners, Boris Zeisser and Maartje Lammers of Dutch firm 24H-architecture. The 19th-century fishing shack was refitted with an expandable addition of about 300 square feet, the maximum allowed, which sits on wheels and rolls out to create a scenic 775 square feet retreat. 

Adapting to weather conditions, the magnificent lakefront construction assumes a cocoon form during winter, compact with a double-skin against the cold, while during the summer the eco-friendly building unfolds like a butterfly to further embrace its natural surroundings.

With no electricity, heat, phone, or running water, the accordion lake house is absolutely green, blending fully in the forest landscape. It boasts a cedar wood exterior with a cave-like shape, as well as pine lattice walls covered with reindeer hides, which turn the living area into a sensuous fur-lined refuge.

Obviously I was not kidding about those dwarfs; they must have added the expansion for the lovely Snow White, that much is clear, but why oh why leave this heaven to go to the city? It must have been one handsome prince.