D*Haus’ dynamic new house transforms shape with the weather

by Jessica Festa on

When it gets stormy outside, I usually just close my windows. But with the new innovative design concept by D*Haus, homes may soon by able to simply morph when the weather changes.

The London-based company has come up with a eco-friendly house that sits on rails, allowing it to change its form into different configurations, pivoting open and closed, based on the weather. According to Daniel Woolfson of D*Haus, “The dissection of the square into four distinct shapes allows it to be rearranged to form the [equilateral] triangle. This concept alone is fascinating, but the possibilities are endless when applying this formula to the world of architecture and design.”

When developing the home, designers had the regions of Sweden and Lapland in mind, hoping to create something that would respond to the harsh climates of these areas. For example, when it’s chilly out and you need to conserve heat the house can pull itself into a tight square.

There is still some work to do before the house is perfect, as you can probably imagine there are a lot of technical issues that go into a project like this. To get a better idea of how this shape-shifting house works, check out this video:


D*Haus Dynamic from The D*Haus Company Ltd on Vimeo.

A video tour of Antarctica’s McMurdo Station

by Kraig Becker on

McMurdo Station is the largest research facility in the Antarctic. Located at the southernmost tip of Ross Island, the facility includes over 100 buildings, three landing strips, a harbor, and a fleet of vehicles. During the austral summer, which is going on right now, the station is home to more than 1200 people, many of whom are there conducting scientific studies on a host of different projects.

If you’ve ever wondered what life is like at a remote research base like McMurdo, then the video below will be of particular interest. It was shot by a research diver by the name of Henry Kaiser, who visited the station back in October, and at nearly 12 minutes in length, it really does deliver a good look at the place.

When we think of Antarctica, we immediately think about what a cold, desolate, and remote place it is. But in this video, the station looks like it could be a small town located just about anywhere. Well, anywhere that experiences long, cold winters that is. Folks who live in northern Minnesota would probably be right at home at McMurdo.


Trick out your bike with animated wheels

by Grant Martin on

Well here’s a new way to hipster out your bicycle for your daily commute (I’m looking at you, Portland). Youtube user TheManimation concocted a paper insert to go on top of a bicycle wheel that when rotated turns into a groovy animation. You won’t see it at first. Initially, the whole thing will look like one of those folded paper snowflakes that we all used to make in kindergarten. But once the wheels get moving, everything hits the right frequency and the gears start spinning (literally). The result is pretty impressive.

Could you be a Papantla Flyer in Mexico?

by Jessica Festa on

Do you think you could handle having one leg tied to the top of a shaky 30 meter pole while you hang limply from the top? How about then being quickly spun in circles as you slowly fall to the ground?

The feat is known as the Danza de los Voladores de Papantla, or Dance of the Flyers. The ritual, which is thought to have been used to call on the gods during times of drought, is best associated with the town of Papantla, Veracruz in Mexico, where it still takes place. There are five people who take part in the dance, including four flyers and one person who stands at the top of the tall pole dancing and playing a flute and drum.

We’ve seen the thrill seeking travelers of Fuel TV‘s “Strangers in Danger“, Mike “Rooftop” Escamilla and Zach “Catfish” Yankush eat live octopus in Korea, and tonight we’ll get to watch as they do the Dance of the Flyers, a feat which seems to scare them even more. Check out a clip of what you can expect here or watch the full episode tonight (and every Tuesday) at 10:30 E/P.