If a home that changes appearance with the press of a button sounds like a sci-fi fantasy, you may be surprised to learn that it already exists. Architecture studio Silo AR+D completed the Mood Ring House, an expressive LED-studded building that glows a variety of colors depending on the settings of a smartphone app. Located in an eclectic neighborhood in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Mood Ring House serves as a live-work space with beautiful views of the surrounding forest and distant mountains.
Built on a sloped site, the 1,920-square-foot Mood Ring House sports an eye-catching “T” shape largely informed by site constraints and budget. The building was carefully placed to preserve two existing trees and to optimize northern light from a clerestory window as well as landscape views from the south and west. The top-heavy building cantilevers on opposing sides of the home; the workspaces are located on the ground floor, while the more spacious upper level comprises the living spaces.
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As a result of the home’s small footprint, which helped reduce foundation costs, and the use of cost-effective materials, the Mood Ring House was completed for the relatively inexpensive cost of $80 per square-foot. Large windows flood the interior with natural light, thus reducing the demand for electricity during the day. Concealed LEDs attached to the undersides of the cantilevers and along other parts of the home project colored light that can be controlled via smartphone. “Mood Ring House is an exploration of how architecture can have different day and night presences with distinct experiential and spatial qualities,” say the architects. “Colors are derived either automatically from the temperament of the house or directly by owners’ desire.”
Via Dezeen
Images via Silo AR+D, by Timothy Hursley
