Over the last couple of decades the housing industry has been moving at a slower pace towards sustainability and at adopting sustainable construction entities. But fortunately many architects are realizing the importance of building more eco-friendly structures—from using mycelium as a foundation element, to installing solar panels and thicker panned glass to increase energy efficiency, to adopting composting and recycling methods. Now we are seeing a new and sustainable restructuring in housing, the disaster-proof house. As climate change and the natural challenges that come with it rage on, it is beyond important to be equipped with the necessary tools and features to withstand any phenomena.
Retired Software Engineer, Jon duSaint, has plans to build a home that can withstand wildfires, floods, heavy winds, and even dense snowfall. The structure will be only 29 feet in height, and made out of aluminum shingles that repel heat and are fire resistant. The structure will take the form of a dome instead of the standard rectangle, this allows for easier insulation against both hot and cold temperatures. This style house is called a geodesic dome and has become very popular in construction recently due to the increase in abnormal weather conditions.
This structure is similar to and may be a thought out replica of the “Weatherbreak” dome that has been in storage for the last 40 years at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
“We started thinking about how our museum can respond to climate change. Geodesic domes popped out as a way that the past can offer a solution for our housing crisis, in a way that hasn’t really been given enough attention,” the reconstruction oversight Curator, Abeer Saha.
Students from the Catholic University of America helped reconstruct this 70 year old metal igloo into a potential climate change inspiration. This innovation can spark creativity within other builders, architects, construction workers, and more to join the green movement and build something significant. Structures and houses made from concrete and steel have a better chance in resisting heat, wildfires, and storms. One of the downsides to increasing the popularity of resistant elements is the price. Many builders are reluctant to add on these features out of fear the homeowners will not pay the extra fees. One way to bridge that gap would be to tighten and solidify state and federal building codes.
Weather related disasters have pushed more than 3.3 million Americans out of their homes just in 2022. And at least 1.2 million of those citizens were displaced for a month or longer. The potential or follow through of losing a home does not only put health at risk, but financial stability as well. There can be a decrease in property value, or the inability to receive insurance. Implementing more eco-friendly features or structures such as the “Weatherbreak” into our neighborhoods, houses can be looked at as sustainable entities.
