As difficult to understand as it is to pronounce, the GucklHupf is nevertheless architect Hans Peter Wörndl’s enduring claim to fame. The structural elements of the 516-square-foot, two-and-a-half story building were simple enough – marine grade plywood over wooden posts and rafters on a concrete foundation – and when it was all closed up it looked unremarkably boxy. But Wörndl had a surprise for visitors to the Mondsee, Austria, festival where the GucklHupf was displayed back in 1993. He’d incorporated an ingenious system of stainless steel wire and hinges that allowed almost any part of the structure to be moved, raised, folded, or extended. Once that happened, it looked less like a box than a giant cabinet or chest of drawers. The fact that the space could be reconfigured at will was probably a great advantage in the GucklHupf’s primary role as a venue for theatrical performances. Before it was taken down it also saw some use as a weekend cabin and boathouse.
h/t busyboo
While this isn’t the sort of place most of us would like to call “home” and I’m not a fan of the minimalist/industrial sort of style, it does show off a very creative concept for a living space that could provide a great deal of flexibility for smaller homes. As an experimental building it definitely serves as inspiration though, and you can imagine how a family might borrow some of the concepts for their own home.