RSS FeedJul 06 2009
The Dome House Has Lots of Potential
Some tiny home concepts are just completely fascinating. Often tiny home pioneers are also pioneers in other aspects of the housing revolution. This may be in the world of building materials, the artistic use of space or in the overarching concepts.>The Dome House meets all three of these criteria and in an impressive fashion to say the least.
The Dome House comes to us from Japan and has the support and approval of the Japanese Ministry of Land and Transport. As the creators of the Dome House are quick to point out, Japan has the world’s strictest building codes, so you can be assured that the Dome Home is a structurally sound design.
Not surprisingly with a name like the Dome Home, this housing concept uses a dome shape for its construction. This is not, however, a simple design aesthetic choice. The dome shape has been chosen for its unique building characteristics, which the Dome House team believes melds nicely with their choice of building materials. The dome structure, with the shape’s innate benefits, as well as the material choice of expanded polystyrene, combine together to give the Dome House a variety of interesting characteristics.
The material choice of expanded polystyrene means that the house’s construction is free of formaldehyde. This fact combined with the design’s air circulation plan combine for a home that tackles the “sick home” crisis facing modern housing. Further, expanded polystyrene is an exceptional insulator, and the dome shape itself contributes to the cost savings. Air circulates more freely as it does not become trapped in corners.
The Dome House, because of its expanded polystyrene design, will not rot or rust and is not vulnerable to termites and other pests. Due to its lightweight and dome shape, the Dome House is also very resistant to earthquakes. Of course, the earthquake consideration is of paramount importance for the Japanese building code, and it is no surprise that this factor played such a large role in the overall design. Additionally, this earthquake resistant factor could make the Dome Home yet more attractive in other earthquake hotspots such as California.
Now for the potential downside. Is the Dome House eco-friendly? The designers of the Dome Home have taken measures to make sure there is little waste in the design. Also a small team of a 3 to 4 people home can assemble the entire in a week using prefabricated, lightweight sections. There are only five basic parts in the construction of a Dome House. The prefabricated aspect of its design and quick build time definitely help make the design more eco-friendly. This is the good side.
As for the expanded polystyrene foam, it does not biodegrade and it is not easily recycled due to its low weight and low recycle value. There is also the issue that conventional polystyrene foams can have harmful substances such as benzene contained within them. The website doesn’t clearly address these particular issues specifically, but does point to the fact that those who choose a Dome Home will not have to worry about “sick home syndrome. This statement could very well mean that some sort of precautions have been put in place to protect dwellers from any health concerns.
The Dome Home concept has a great deal in its favor. The concept looks great, is easy to build, and the design concept would save energy in a variety of ways. Slowly, more environmentally friendly alternatives to polystyrene are becoming available, which could eventually make this concept a real winner. For now, the Dome Home is cheap to manufacture, is durable and has great insulation properties.
Some tiny home concepts are just completely fascinating. Often tiny home pioneers are also pioneers in other aspects of the housing revolution. This may be in the world of building materials, the artistic use of space or in the overarching concepts.>The Dome House meets all three of these criteria and in an impressive fashion to say the least.
The Dome House comes to us from Japan and has the support and approval of the Japanese Ministry of Land and Transport. As the creators of the Dome House are quick to point out, Japan has the world’s strictest building codes, so you can be assured that the Dome Home is a structurally sound design.
Not surprisingly with a name like the Dome Home, this housing concept uses a dome shape for its construction. This is not, however, a simple design aesthetic choice. The dome shape has been chosen for its unique building characteristics, which the Dome House team believes melds nicely with their choice of building materials. The dome structure, with the shape’s innate benefits, as well as the material choice of expanded polystyrene, combine together to give the Dome House a variety of interesting characteristics.
The material choice of expanded polystyrene means that the house’s construction is free of formaldehyde. This fact combined with the design’s air circulation plan combine for a home that tackles the “sick home” crisis facing modern housing. Further, expanded polystyrene is an exceptional insulator, and the dome shape itself contributes to the cost savings. Air circulates more freely as it does not become trapped in corners.
The Dome House, because of its expanded polystyrene design, will not rot or rust and is not vulnerable to termites and other pests. Due to its lightweight and dome shape, the Dome House is also very resistant to earthquakes. Of course, the earthquake consideration is of paramount importance for the Japanese building code, and it is no surprise that this factor played such a large role in the overall design. Additionally, this earthquake resistant factor could make the Dome Home yet more attractive in other earthquake hotspots such as California.
Now for the potential downside. Is the Dome House eco-friendly? The designers of the Dome Home have taken measures to make sure there is little waste in the design. Also a small team of a 3 to 4 people home can assemble the entire in a week using prefabricated, lightweight sections. There are only five basic parts in the construction of a Dome House. The prefabricated aspect of its design and quick build time definitely help make the design more eco-friendly. This is the good side.
As for the expanded polystyrene foam, it does not biodegrade and it is not easily recycled due to its low weight and low recycle value. There is also the issue that conventional polystyrene foams can have harmful substances such as benzene contained within them. The website doesn’t clearly address these particular issues specifically, but does point to the fact that those who choose a Dome Home will not have to worry about “sick home syndrome. This statement could very well mean that some sort of precautions have been put in place to protect dwellers from any health concerns.
The Dome Home concept has a great deal in its favor. The concept looks great, is easy to build, and the design concept would save energy in a variety of ways. Slowly, more environmentally friendly alternatives to polystyrene are becoming available, which could eventually make this concept a real winner. For now, the Dome Home is cheap to manufacture, is durable and has great insulation properties.
