The Lighthouse is a revolutionary take on residential design. This circular glass home can continuously rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing its owner to enjoy optimal sunlight and a view that alternates between lush landscape and sunny beachfront.
The Lighthouse (aka 179 Maraetai Drive) is situated next to Maraetai Beach on the Pohutukawa Coast in Auckland, New Zealand. It was originally designed by current owner Don Dunick in the 1990s and was a real labor of love, taking several years to realize. Dunick had to overcome all sorts of issues, including working out the plumbing and electricity in a rotating house and proving to the local authorities that it was safe and practical.
The home is raised on a platform and, when desired, rotates at the flick of a switch. Thankfully the spinning system is actually very sedate and on its standard setting takes a full 33 minutes to complete one revolution. Even on high speed it still takes 15 minutes, so living in this thing won't feel like being on a thrill ride.
According to an interview that Dunick carried out with local newspaper the New Zealand Herald, some kind of weather sensors can be used automatically rotate the house to make the most of the Sun's warmth or a cool breeze to keep a constant indoor temperature. He hasn't shared the finer details on how it works but maintains that it's a simple setup.
The interior of the home consists of two floors, with a spiral staircase at its center, and is arranged to make the most of its glazed walls, most of which are operable. The ground floor has an open plan layout with a stainless steel kitchen, a dining area, a cozy living room and a bathroom. There's also a large master bedroom upstairs, alongside two other bedrooms. Each floor has a balcony area too.
If you'd like to purchase the Lighthouse, it's now on the market for the first time and sold by Carolyn Hanson of Sotheby's International Realty. We've no word on the exact price but the Guardian reports it's valued at just over NZ$1m (roughly US$600,000), and if you're not local Dunick says that the whole thing should be relatively easy to relocate. The video below has more.
Source: Sotheby's
