California house that spins 360 degrees should be impossible but genius engineering makes it work

This unique Californian home looks like a flying saucer, can rotate 360 degrees, and is an absolutely incredible feat of engineering.

From the outside, it looks like a standard, if not slightly unusual-looking, home. 

But the house was specially built so that it could spin all the way around – so if you’re not happy with the view, you don’t have to wait too long until you get another one. 

The finished design is a solid display of just how creative designers and architects can be, and YouTuber Tom Scott recently went along to check it out. 

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The house is situated in a great location, and makes the most of the view by spinning 360 degrees

There are some truly mind-blowing homes scattered around. 

Like this one that was dubbed ‘the most ambitious home ever built in Australia’, or this sprawling $11.9 million mansion that once belonged to Michael Andretti. 

But for sheer ingenuity, this disk-shaped home near San Diego that rotates 360 degrees surely takes the biscuit. 

The house is positioned in a great spot, up in some rolling hills. 

And to make the most of the stunning views, it was designed to slowly spin all the way around, meaning every room gets to soak up the scenery. 

Hidden away inside the bricks and mortar, there’s a very clever design built around a central pillar. 

This pillar houses all of the house’s main electric and water pipes as well as internet connection, meaning it’s free to rotate without any issues – smart stuff, right?

Although the house has a retro vibe thanks to its flying saucer-like design, construction began in the year 2000, and it was finished two years later. 

Builders working on the project struggled with the house’s unique design, and owner and inventor Al Johnstone had to step in and correct some issues himself.

While the house, and its central pillar, are an impressive display of genius engineering, it’s actually very easy to maintain: once a year, the house’s bearings need to be relubricated, which takes about an hour in total.

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The spinning mechanism originally had an output of 5hp, but had to be reduced

Look, we know what you’re thinking: ‘How on Earth does anyone live inside a rotating house that looks like a flying saucer?’

But the actual spinning is pretty and measured and slow. 

Originally, Johnstone had fitted the turning mechanism with a five-horsepower motor, but soon realized this was far too strong, and it was spinning too quickly. 

So, he decided to cut it to 1.5hp, resulting in a much more sedate turning speed. 

Now, it takes around 45 minutes to make a full rotation, which is slow enough to be basically unnoticeable when you’re inside – and it puts a real spin on home design.

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