Styrofoam dome houses
Styrofoam may be most commonly associated with disposable coffee cups, disposable plates/bowls and packaging, prefab home manufacturer Japan Dome House Co., Ltd. uses it to construct easy-to-assemble modular kit homes.
This amazing structure has been dubbed the “habitat for the 21st century,†the Dome House is an igloo-shaped structure built from snap-together wall sections made of 100% expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam). It might seem like an odd choice of material for a house, but the company lists a number of advantages that Styrofoam has over traditional materials. Unlike wood and metal structures, for example, the Styrofoam Dome House does not rust, rot or attract termites. It is also highly resistant to earthquakes and typhoons. In addition, the walls, which are treated with a flame retardant, emit no toxic fumes in a fire. (They used something similar in order to build temporary homes for the victims of the Schezuan earthquake disaster in China). The following information has been all taken from Pink Tentacle.
Dome House interior
The styrofoam used in the Dome House’s 175-millimeter (7 in) thick walls is significantly denser and stronger than ordinary packing foam. The material has excellent thermal insulation properties, resulting in higher energy efficiency and lower heating and cooling costs. Construction of the Dome House shell is quick and easy. The prefabricated pieces, which each weigh about 80 kilograms (175 lbs), can be carried by 2 or 3 people and assembled in a few hours. Once the shell is put together, coats of mortar and paint are applied for further protection from the elements.
Here is a short video of the assembly process of these Styrofoam Dome Houses:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHljTXBAwXU
Measuring 7.7 meters (25 ft) wide and 3.85 meters (13 ft) tall, the basic Dome House has a floor space of 44.2 square meters (475 sq ft). It is possible to construct larger, elongated domes by adding more pieces, and joint units allow multiple domes to be connected into a single structure. Dome Houses, which are approved by Japan’s Land and Transport Ministry, can be erected anywhere in Japan with the proper permit. According to the manufacturer, the versatile structures are suitable for use as hotel rooms, restaurants, freezer rooms, or even as hog farms. The Aso Farm Land resort village in Kyushu uses about 480 styrofoam domes as lodging, recreational facilities and retail shops.
Styrofoam Dome used as a Bar
Dome used as a steam room
Whether or not this type of home is truly “perfect for the modern age†as the company suggests, the price is right. Dome House kits start at around 3 million yen (under $30,000), which does not include the cost of transport, assembly, interior construction, etc.
Now I don’t know about you guys out there but I personally find this to be an amazing thing. It is light, easily constructed, spacious, and seems COOL!! Not to mention it is also quite cheap. I would not mind getting one if the United States would ever allow it (Although I am not sure it might last in certain states where hurricanes and tornadoes are abundant). How about you guys out there, would you want to live in such a thing?!?
News Via: Pink Tentacle
That is very intriguing. I’d give it a shot if they did ever do this in the US and kept the price around $30,000. That’s super cheap for the states these days. It looks cool, sounds a lot more safe than what I’m living in right now, and I always wanted to build my own house, well… this would be fun and easy! I do wonder about how safe Styrofoam would be to live in, but I’m sure if this catches on and gets popular, we’ll learn more about it. As for right now at this moment, if I could afford one and they were available, you bet I’d do it!
I also want one so badly man!!! Ahh but I doubt the US will allow it. They don’t even allow this (I forgot what it is called) thing which is made from hemp extract.
Its used as a concrete replacement, it is just as strong for uses in home construction as bases and foundation. Not to mention it is also a good natural insulator. Cheap too! In France they have already started using it in development of some new homes. But the US did not approve such a thing…..sadly….
Wait till you get a tornado!
Yeah that’s what I am thinking about. I guess in certain parts of the US, the weather just does not allow for such a nice styrofoam house.
Honestly, I live in an area of the country were tornadoes are abundant and the chance of your house getting hit is still slim. But if you think about it, these houses are better here too. If a tornado hits a regular house it will destroy it, and you’d better hope your insurance will cover everything in your house that you just lost, costs will be high and the insurance company will do everything in their power to rip you off. Were as if it hits a dome house it still destroys it but these houses are a lot more affordable and quicker and easier to replace. I could easily see insurance companies jumping on the bandwagon. And if you live in a regular house with or without a basement the debris from the house could potentially kill you in a tornado, but if you get a dome house with a proper storm shelter, I think it would be more safe, and certainly safer than living in a trailer.
I wonder how do they install air-conditioning inside those Styrofoam houses..
@Cammy – You are correct it does seem to be very cheap and the Insurance companies would jump at something like this, I mean not every state has problems such as tornadoes. I have also read that these styrofoam domes tend to be highly resistant to earthquakes (Not sure if it is completely true). So perhaps it maybe a feasible move to use them in areas known for earthquakes?
@Fariz – Yeah thats a good question….lol, in fact I wonder how they do all the wiring….
Interesting stuff, this. I doubt this would catch on in a place like SG, there is no space for these. Unless they can build high-rise apartments out of these, but that would be at least another 20 years before fruition probably.
Mold some chicken wire into the styrofoam and tie it down to the concrete base, probably stronger than your wood house..!! And who cares, if it blows away, just build another one – this could be done for far less than $30k, especially if the owner plasters and stuccos it.
….appears to be a great product…I think…they will not return inquiries as to availability in US