House in a Can

[Image: A future site for Austin + Mergold's House-In-A-Can].

Architects Austin + Mergold have a proposal for how to reuse agricultural silos and other circular structures of the U.S. farm belt: it's what they call A-House-In-A-Can.

Pitched for a farm in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, the project comes complete with a faux-Craiglist hard sell: "36-foot in diameter American grain dryer with 2000 SF single family starter home inside. Instantly assembled off-the-shelf 14 GA galvanized corrugated steel exterior a 2000 SF developer house inside. Optional greenhouse. Buy 5 get one free!!!"

The images are all you really need to see how it would work: an internal shell is slipped inside the grain silo, services are established shortly thereafter, and the client can then schedule a move-in date. In some ways, I'm reminded of Zecc Architecten's project for a converted water tower in Holland, or even Piercy Conner's Martello Tower Y renovation.

[Images: A-House-In-A-Can by Austin + Mergold].

And while these study-models could use a bit more detail, in concept, they're both delightfully absurd and inspiring.

[Images: A-House-In-A-Can by Austin + Mergold].

A thesis presentation performed as a series of metal cans extruded outward into models of inhabitable architecture... Cinema-In-A-Can. Library-In-A-Can. Gym-In-A-Can. Dome-In-A-Can Republic.

(Perviously: Austin + Mergold's Fortifications Tour).