How much does an elevator cost, specifically for a building that doesn’t have one? In addition to the cost of the elevator itself, the space required, the major renovations needed to make that space, the total cost can easily be in the hundreds of thousands.

Here is an alternative that architect Robert Cervellione brought to my attention, a pneumatic vacuum elevator that is compact, uses air pressure to generate lift, and may take as little as a few hours to install. The price is maybe in the neighborhood of $20,000 as Robert tells it. These elevators will not replace traditional elevators in high rise buildings, but they do create an affordable option for town houses and maybe loft spaces with high ceilings.

Here is the site of an elevator company that markets them as well.