The “sleeve” takes six minutes to completely uncover the house, a process, says the owner, which is both smooth and quiet. The interior itself isn’t unconventional, per se, but it’s modern and practical, with low-maintenance surfaces like flagstone flooring and laminated cabinetry. The interior walls, painted red, echo the red- and black-stained larch on the exterior.

A house that goes from “conservatory to cave,” as the owner puts it, might not suit everyone, but he finds it inspires a constant sense of wonder. “The mobile walls/roof let you experience the myriad qualities of the light, according to the season, the time of day, and type of weather,” he says, adding that the design includes a future swimming pool. “Alex is convinced that one day I will extend the railway tracks to cover that, and perhaps even continue them into the garden and beyond.” Sliding House’s homeowner isn’t the only one who has been moved. De Rijke says he’s heard that other architects’ imaginations seem to have been captured by the project and are working on an unlikely project: a sliding solution for a fashion house in New York City.