TurnOn

Since 2001, the Austrian architecture and design firm AllesWirdGut ("everything will go well," in German) has sought to explore less conventional ideas of housing. Invited to participate in a young-designer's exhibition on living space in Vienna, the five-person firm began to rethink the idea of housing, ridding themselves of the typical blueprint of a ceiling, floor, and 4-walled structure. "We wanted something that was not only new but that would also be interactive and fun for the audience of the exhibition," explains architect Herwig Spiegl.

What AWG came up with was the housing concept called "TurnOn." It originated from scenes in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey mixed with a desire to be as forward-thinking as the automotive industry. At first glance, TurnOn is reminiscent of a human-size hamster wheel. The arrangement would consist of several revolving modules linked together. Each module's interior would be outfitted for a specific room or function, such as a kitchen, bedroom, or exercise room.

The wheel literally turns, and as the positioning of the module changes, so does its function. Spiegl explains, "For instance, while cooking, the couch becomes the ceiling, the dining table a wall." The Wet Cell, as AWG refers to it, is the module that would house the bathroom, including the toilet, shower, and bath. One would simply rotate the module to utilize one of the facilities.