th comments
Kylie Wrath said: "Whether or not leather is a product or by-product is irrelevant: there are tons of people who buy it regardless. I think the fact that this company..." [read]

thespyofcharles said: "hmm... perhaps i shall reconsider my excessive gift packaging gag i was planning... or maybe do it out of old boxes that would otherwise simply hav..." [read]

mike said: "I think it is humerous at the record losses posted at GM. They really had the jump on technoligy with the EV1 but decided to put all their effort i..." [read]

Louise White said: "I have a 2002 Prius with 143,000 miles on it. Recently I started checking on my trade in value for a new Prius. Every sales person told me that I..." [read]

Lori said: "Regardless of whether or not this "soup" exists, the fact is that we need to all be aware and responsible for how we treat this planet. We have to..." [read]

Barier: the Soccer Ball Shaped House from Japan

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.11.07
Design & Architecture

barier%20field.jpg

It floats. It is earthquake proof. It comes in sizes from doghouse to full 30- tatami mat (540 square feet) family dwelling. The Barier is " a soccer ball-shaped house developed by us [G-Wood] (international patent pending). A soccer ball with which you played in your childhood gets bigger like a dream ball and appears as a place to live in. It floats on the sea and can be a rescue ship. We believe it will be a gift to those who never give up a dream."

It has urethane walls and like a geodesic dome, the shape encloses the maximum volume possible for the amount of skin and the airflow around it is not turbulent, carrying away less heat. "As its 32-sided, rigid surface distributes force, it is in structure strong with an earthquake. It can be used as an ordinary house. It is very strong when lifted or buried under the ground."

Here, in a medium sized unit, is a "unique pub-like, small room. You can enjoy a Nabe dish (assorted casserole)" on the central fireplace.

barier%20house.jpg

and here is the dog sized version.

barier%20for%20dog.jpg

it can be combined together in multiple-unit configurations. ::Barier from Japan's :G-wood via ::Splurch

barier%20multiple.jpg

kimidori.jpg

Comments (5)

This concept is so wrong, I've been designing/ building geodesic domes for some years now so know a little of the challanges involved. A few observations:
High winds would blow these structures just like footballs all over the countryside
Floor area is reduced because of the sphereical shape.
There seems to be no provision for services of any sort.
Imagine trying to fit a standard bathroom into one of them
Oh and how do you go about recycling something with urathane walls?

They do look pretty cool though.

jump to top Paul says:

This does seem a bit silly with regards to a permanent living space, but something like this, buried halfway, would make decent, non-intrusive, lakehouse cabins or short-stay structures.

These would make great saunas too.

jump to top Patrick [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

come on treehugger ... stop sending us this hypothetical nonsense and give us real things we can buy ... you know all we really want to do is consume!

jump to top ecohitler says:

I'm getting more convinced that geodesics are best used as a dome over a conventional home. The framework should be set up over the home and vines allowed to grow over it. Useful as shade and habitat in he summer--also lengthens roof life. Cut back the vines in winter on the southside.

jump to top Pat Mccorkle says:

Go to: http://www.freespiritspheres.com/index.htm that's more usefull.

jump to top Piotr says:

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

th ads
th top picks
th ads