House of the Future, Experimental residential building in Ahwatukee, Arizona, United States.
The House of the Future is a three-bedroom residence in Ahwatukee, Arizona, designed by Charles R. Schiffner of Taliesin Associated Architects. Most of the house lies below ground, with a two-storey atrium, or sky-lobby, from which all rooms open off. This central space holds plants and serves as a conversation area.
An architect from the Taliesin office designed this residence in 1980, drawing ideas from Frank Lloyd Wright's earlier sketches. The project reflected how architects of that era were thinking about underground living as a forward-looking solution.
The building drew large crowds during its years as a public exhibition, reflecting widespread public interest in forward-thinking residential design. Visitors came from around the world to see how architects imagined homes could evolve.
The house is privately owned and not open to the public, so visits are not possible. It stands in Ahwatukee, a village of Phoenix, Arizona, and can be seen from the street. The original 1980 tour cost $3 and drew about 250,000 people over four years.
The house ran on ten Motorola MC6800 microprocessors, a system that cost $30,000 in 1980 dollars. It opened and closed windows, adjusted blinds, and stored tax records, shopping lists and video games. Motorola helped design it, making this one of the first microprocessor-controlled houses.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,638 contributors worldwide.