Dome was Built in a Day
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 03.17.07
So many ideas from Japan. Here is a segmented prefabricated dome system where each slice is made from cement covered polystyrene weighing 80 Kg, about 170 lb. Given that it looks about 8" thick, we can see this house reduces heating bills by 90%. "The houses are 7 meters in diameter, fire proof, earthquake and typhoon resistant, and using the modular building system can be constructed in less than a day." US$ 41,000 which sounds like a deal. Watch video at ::Diginfo
I'm confused by this and unwilling to read more about it...
How can this by typhoon resistant if the entire house can be hoisted by a basketball team?
I would guess that if the doors and windows remained shut during a typhoon, there would be no way for the structure to get any lift.
Jay, if it confuses you then please close your mind to learning any more about it!
Dome shaped housing is very strong structurally. The foam, albeit light, is very thick and strong, then coated in concrete. Does anyone know the company in Japan that is producing the homes?
Hello guys,
Thanks very much for the interest in this story :) Thanks for pointing out the motar coating RealityBites (it's written in the subtitles about 5/8ths through the story). Incidently the companies name is Japan Dome House. Try these sites for more info...
http://www.shopbiz.jp/pages/t_index_e.phtml?PID=0001&SID=07AC021100&TCD=AC&proctime=20070312101844
and
http://www.dome-house.jp
Cheers,
Luke Frohling
You can get dome the dome homes from American Ingenuity shipped to Japan from aidomes.com. They have the foam and are coated with concrete. You can use a builder or build them yourself as they come in panels.
Yes, the domes from American Ingenuity are the most energy efficient, huricane proof, and easy to build.I'm building my own. The waste of rebuilding over and over again is really a waste of our resources and landfill space. After Huricane Katriena, American Ingenuity's Geodesic Domes where still standing.