Several thousand people answered the call to help design a Dilbert House. Read some of the funnier and more interesting suggestions below. And you can also download the full Spec for the house, still a work in progress, plus the complete list of funny suggestions, in Word format through the links above.
Feel free to make comments on the design as it stands, especially if you have direct experience with any of the features mentioned in the spec. For example, if you have cork floors, and love them, or hate them, let me know at scottadams@aol.com. We'll be building the actual home in full computer model so you can do a virtual walk-through in the fall.
Funniest Suggestions
Solar panels to power electric fans. These fans will power wind powered generators on non-windy days. The wind turbines will power kleig lights to recharge batteries attached to the solar panels on windy nights.
No reason to have a toilet AND a shower (redundant)
Walls and ceilings covered in Velcro, so you can stick the kids to it
Pointy-haired boss punching bag
Brick corner, sharp, so you can scratch your back on it.
I have always thought a riding vacuum cleaner would be excellent.
Build it in Bangalore because that's where Dilbert's job will be
THE FURNITURE SHOULD BE ON THE OUTSIDE FOR IRONY
The Dilbert House shouldn't have any doors or windows ... keeps it clean
If Dilbert got married and had kids he would definitely need a hideaway,
say a garden shed, to escape to if things get uncomfortable.
If you removed the microwave generator from a microwave oven and threw the
casing away you'd have a device that could heat the occupants of a room
from the inside out without the need to heat the whole house. If anyone
tries this don't hold me responsible for their early departure from this
world.
Getting back to that most dreaded of man-tasks, taking out the garbage:
Why not make the kitchen sink waste disposer an industrial-strength trash
disposer? Put everything down the drain — milk jugs, cereal boxes,
old socks, broom handles, cat food cans, etc.! Never miss garbage day again!
To paraphrase the old marine slogan, shred'em all — let the city sort'em
out!
Dilbert's new house will be connected to his boss's office via insulated
piping. This will allow hot air from the mouth of the pointy haired boss
to flow to Dilbert's hot air powered electrical generator, thereby providing
all the power he needs for his house.
As you walk in the door there should be a reception area with a cabinet
for keys, rechargeable personal electronics, plug in cell phones, to sync
PDA's, etc. Also there should be a place to throw clothing - coats, sweaters,
dirty gym clothes, etc. This would be part of a larger system with depositories
in each bedroom, bath and kitchen.
If the house is two stories, put in a baffle in the riser so that more air
conditioning can be sent upstairs in the winter and more heat downstairs
in the summer. Do not put this baffle in the attic above the bedroom closet
where it is impossible to reach, but you have to go up there twice a year
anyway.
Combination refrigerator and compostor. Just leave the food you don't want
in there.
I would recommend a giant kitchen sink for informal meals where everyone
just leans over the sink.