Avant-garde architecture isn’t typically what comes to mind when one thinks of the Italian countryside, but that’s exactly what architect Roberto Rossi crafted for client Riccardo Vignali. In hopes of integrating his passion for machinery and background in engineering into his dream home, Vignali requested an experimental dwelling that could spin 360 degrees using energy drawn entirely from renewable sources.

Perched atop a hillside near the northern Italian city of Rimini, the home—known as the Rotating House—is an unusual sight to behold. The timber-clad octagonal structure mechanically rotates atop a central pillar over three feet in diameter and nearly 13 feet tall.

Italian construction company ProTek constructed the dwelling's timber envelope by using lightweight prefabricated elements.

Guided by a desire for low environmental impact, the client and architect chose prefabrication as a way to reduce waste and open the door for modular reproductions of the Rotating House in the future.

In addition to solar panels, the home features a heat pump, solar thermal system, and climate-controlled interior that allow the unit to reach net-zero energy consumption. To further remove the abode's dependency on the grid, rainwater is harvested and reused for non-potable uses.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Roberto Rossi

Structural Engineer: Cenerini Giovanni Maria

Prefab timber construction: ProTek