All my fellow current and ex-skateboarders know that the Holy Grail is finding the perfect place to skate. How many people can honestly say they live close enough to a skatepark to actually go to one regularly? Even if you did, they’re always over crowded with dude’s girlfriends and kids who thought playing Tony Hawk qualified them to get their own board. Anyway, what if this perfect skating terrain, one with smooth surfaces, naturally occurring quarter-pipes, and edges to grind, was your own house? That’s why this dude customized his homebase like a level in a skateboarding video game. Epic!
Pierre-Andre Senizergues is a former pro and founded the popular company Etnies. You might have heard of it or seen those shoes with the upside down “E” (pictured below). Either way, dude is no joke, legend in fact. In the house he is currently designing every room, wall, and piece of furniture is skateable. Rather than come to a corner, the wall and floor our rounded off like the lip of a half-pipe that extends to the ceiling. Every single piece of furniture is either intergrated into the curve, or has an edge for grinding. Basically, when Senizergues says his whole house is skateable, he ain’t frickin around.
Straight from the Horse’s mouth “It’s about imagining a city of the future where skateboards are used as the primary form of transportation and recreation – in and out of your home.” Ok, so he’s a bit eccentric. I’m not sure who exactly is planning the future, but I doubt a wooden plank with wheels replacing all other forms of mobility is on the agenda. But I guess in order to build something like this, you have to be able to dream. A stuff load of money doesn’t hurt either. The prototype for the house was recently on display in Gaite Lyrique of Paris and that alone cost $50,000. Seeing as how a museum prototype doesn’t have plumbing, electricity, or need to pay property taxes, the sky is the limit on how much the house would actually cost to build.
On the topic of energy, the house will be 100% Green Efficient, making use of sun exposure and solar power for all heating, air conditioning, and electrical needs. The process of OKing the house for building has lasted 2 years to date, and continues. Senizegues and architect Francois Perrin are still trying to obtain all the necessary permits. If they need cheerleaders they have one right here. Just have me over for coffee and some thrashing, and i’ll be glad to rally the troops Mr. Senizegues. Shall I expect a call?
