Hurricane-Proof Monolithic Concrete Home with Shielded SPV Panels
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 10. 6.05
Someone was paying attention when we posted earlier about the challenge presented to Green Building in a hurricane zone. Or like minds follow similar paths. Regardless, the design-build project at Lunarcon looks promisingly cool. We have it direct from them that the building integrated solar panels for this home under construction will come with accordian-style hurricane covers. Apparently, they take a modular approach, with each "unit" (one is shown in this picture) containing stand-alone solar panels, circuits, and backup. [Once the practical stuff is in-hand, let's hope some serious attention gets paid to appearance.] The modules can be linked together according to customers' space and layout needs. Lunarcon already has drop in hurricane shelters for sale, as shown on their main page. These 'drop-ins' give "shelter in place" a whole new dimension: good for a family or group of up to six to take refuge in during a hurricane or tornado. The decorated ones shown indicate it would be possible to artfully integrate them into landscape designs. Aftermarket opportunity here for creative TreeHuggers. If we lived in Florida we'd want the drop-in shelter with integrated SPV panels capable of keeping the wine and cheese cooler going, plus lights and stuff. Got to have some 12V fans too.
What about flooding? Most of the floor space of that building is at ground level. Houses built in areas that are likely to flood should be built up on stilts. The stilts should be able to keep the house up in high winds and storm surge water.
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Failsafe only on high ground it would seem. Conversely, much land in the hurricane zone is beyond the flood and surge impact. Where water is the problelm, depending on the duration of the surge and or floods, and on design, the house could withstand brief innundation periods without filling up to the level of the water outside. All that aside, sustainable houseing in the hurricane zone is a serious challenge, as your comment well instructs us. The answer may lie in backing away from the coast all permanent structures, prefering to install on the coast only the extreme designs of high rise concrete and thatch huts made of cheap renewable materials. If we get a series of Level IV's year after year, that's pretty much what the banks are going to insist on.
Like the previous poster I agree. This may prevent your roof from being lifted but it's not going to prevent the storm surge from dumping driftwood and sand in your living room when those sliding glass doors give way. Raising the structure dramatically decreases the surviablity of a structure in areas where storm surge is a factor.
Plus it gives your dwelling a spaceship like feel.
Isn't the best answer is to NOT build in hurricane flood zones? (green or not) Or right up to the ocean?
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Well yes, of course. But the hurricane "zone" extends inland sometimes hundreds of miles, within which severe winds and local precipitation induced flooding occurs. THe beach and around coastal inlets is where the storm surge is added hazard. Over the thousands of square miles of hurricane zone where wind is the primary hazard, this is a potential solution.