A house usually solves a living problem by providing shelter. An American company went beyond this and thought of building a structure which should consider and answer more problems associated with a living space, such as safety and parking. More than that, the house developed by the American company also offers solutions for a sustainable living, perfectly and harmoniously integrating in the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n

The tree shape house and goes by the suggestive name Elevate, standing a few meters above the ground. Developed by a company based in Hawaii, Elevate was “created with the vision of bringing a practical space that addresses global and environmental concerns,” said Nathan Toothman, co-founder and CEO of Elevate, the company producing it.
\nInitially, Toothman and his wife, Tiffany, both engineers, saw the unit as an off-the-grid housing solution for Hawaii’s remote areas. But in the process of developing the prototype, they saw how it could be adopted for different types of commercial and residential applications.<\/p>\n

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Elevate – the sustainable house: the living walls also incorporate solar panels<\/p><\/div>\n

“It can be used as a micro-home, a cafe with rooftop seating, or a studio,” they write on their website. “Every unit is customizable and the design team can create specifications that bring value to the community.”<\/p>\n

Elevate features a rain water collection system, solar panels, “living” walls that help mitigate CO2 and serve as a natural cooling system, and a hollow “trunk” that allows for parking below and increased security, including against flooding, for the main unit. In addition to providing a solution for affordable housing issues, which Hawaii is well known for, the Toothmans say.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Elevate structures could transform open parking lots by providing drive-through windows, offices, or homes without taking away parking spaces. The solar panels are mixed with in the \u201cliving\u201d walls while the hollow trunk can keep 1,500 gallons of water.<\/p>\n

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Elevate – the sustainable house: green and practical functions<\/p><\/div>\n

Sustainability comes with a cost though. A home or office the size of the 250-square-foot prototype would cost anywhere from $75,000 to $125,000, depending on the amenities.