Styrofoam dome homes
Styrofoam dome houses at Aso Farm Land (Photo by: Erika Snyder)
While styrofoam may be most commonly associated with disposable coffee cups, meat trays and packaging, prefab home manufacturer Japan Dome House Co., Ltd. uses it to construct easy-to-assemble modular kit homes.
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.
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. (Watch a short video of the assembly process.)
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.
Aso Farm Land
The Dome House can also be used as a bar, karaoke room, steam room, and more.
Styrofoam dome bar
Mushroom House karaoke room at Suijin-no-mori hot spring (Oita prefecture)
Styrofoam dome 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.
[Link: Japan Dome House]
And to break in, all you need to a big bottle of acteone to melt a hole in the wall.
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It’s not quite right to call it a styrofoam house – it’s made of “expanded polystyrene,” the difference being that they didn’t blow as many bubbles in it, so it’s stronger and heavier than styrofoam. But they make no mention of what happens if a kid throws a rock at these houses.
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Kids in Japaan don’t throw rocks at houses – get real !
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so….even if the perfect construction material can be used that’s cheaper, more natural disaster resistant and eco-friendly, it’s rejected because people behave like barbarians and kids are unmannered?
i think it’s easier to improve social behaviors than to stop a typhoon, in most cases.
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true, Oh! how true and sad
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On outer shell of Duracrete stucco, and rocks aren’t an issue.
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Definately not – easier to stop typhoon
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aesthetically they are amazing and beautiful, but i can’t say i wouldn’t be worried about their integrity. i’m a nervous nellie when it comes to my nest.
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there have been house’s made in the same way in the uk about 5 years ago with the styrofoam sandwiched between two sheet’s of ply. you can make whole 5 meter long walls of the stuff that are put up in minutes.
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now i think of it
hobbits!!!!!!!
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Cats will love to scratch their claws on these things.
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We’ve had the same type of Domes here in Davis California since 1972. They’re kind of cool, but 40 years of people living in them, modifying them without showering has made them smell bad.
I would like to see more stuff like this. They clearly last.
http://daviswiki.org/The_Domes
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Wow! This is an awesome example of modern architecture ^ ^. It indeed seems perfect to me. I mean the price is that of an average car, right? The assembly takes a very short time, and they can be connected to!
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I probably wouldn’t buy one, but housing shortages could use ‘em. And it might only take a few hours to put up the styrofoam shell, but you still have to furnish. All that woodwork and stuff in the third picture probably took more than a few hours total.
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A bottle of acetone will not put a hole in the walls because they coat both sides with plaster or concrete after they are assembled.
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Your’s is the only comment that makes sense and is not flippant. ESP (Expanded polystyrene foam (styrofoam). also can be reinforced with wire mesh, rendered on the exterior with a cement gravel mixture and painted with various polymer resin paints. How secure is that? Forget about kids throwing rocks at it or some twisted mind thinking to pour acetone on a ESP dome house.
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Well that’s cool… if you want to live like a hobbit in hobbit-town,
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would be great to have for the older kids to stay in..and cheap as well
if i had the room i would get one for my teenager
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Seems like a cooler idea to make a buckminster fuller inspired geodome made from your own Structural Insulated Panels… just order them from a nearby factory (there’s one in Tenn that delivers to the east coast – I built a SIP roof on a rowhouse in DC from them)… and cut them into equal sized shapes and assemble your own dome… shitload cheaper than 30K, but probably requires your own CAD expertise or at least an understanding of how to draft/use graph paper & measure well… it’s pretty easy to work with SIP’s (foam expanded between pieces of plywood under pressure).
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If you would be so kind, I would love to find out more about this company in Tennesee. I agree that 30k is alot of money for this product, even though I believe it to be a superior way to build a house. Thanks in advance to any info you could supply.
Neil Mahony
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Modern research in neurophysiology has shown that the brain works differently according to the direction you face.
Old, almost forgotten but re-appearing fast, Vedic architecture from India (’Vastu’) goes further and wants you to make sure you face either Est (best) or North (second best) for optimum fonctionning of the mind, and the doors of the house are best if facing due Est or North as well. Doors facing West (opposite the sun rise) makes the inhabitants old and sick much faster, and a door facing South is said to bring bad luck and misfortune…
May The Force Be With Them, then…
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Reminds me of a Kevin Heavey sculpture.
http://kevinheavey.co.uk/projects_images/mud_pod.jpg
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Here in the US, we had something similar as attractions.
Xanadu: Home of the Future
They were quickly outdated because technology advanced leaps and bounds faster than the technology featured in the house. And most people (back then) could never accept dwelling in something so unusual. Oh and if someone did throw stones, I doubt there would be much damage. It’s “concrete” covered “foam”. And this place in Florida survived a few hurricanes, before they finally demolished the abandoned structure.
http://www.lostparks.com/xanadu.html
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Your dome homes could sell enormously well if they were encased in a cube of additional foam that made them look like a conventional rectangular home especially if the cube had a slanted roof for america that is, since nearly all communities here have an appearance standard(a way they should look)
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Also if pipes and electrical and other future conduit type systems were under a removeable ,yet atractive cover recessed in the wall then plumbers and electrician and future skilled craftsmen could access those systems (or even a home owner who has time) for repair or modification retrofitting.
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Umm … isn’t polystyrene highly toxic and cancerous…
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ALL I HAVE TO SAY…. ((FOAMCO)) IN SAN DIEGO,CA!!!!
THEY WILL WORK WITH YOU UNTILL THE SKY TURN DARK AND RETURN HOURS BEFORE SUNRISE, ONLY TO ENSURE 100% SATISFACTION!!!!
CALL THEM!!!!
HAPPY HOME OWNER
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Easy to puncture through and a potential recycling nightmare of gigantic proportions. Check out Michael Reynolds’s green, hurricane-proof buildings instead! http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Garbage-Warrior-Turns-Trash-Into-Houses.html
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This type of building is a concept whose time has come and it is already being done in the states to some extent. Houses can be built in other shapes besides domes that look like conventional homes, and I’m not talking about Sip panels and ICF blocks, but plain old eps foam and special high strength cementious coatings inside and out. The big hurdle in the U.S. is building code approval. I can easily construct a 10ft by 20ft shed in two days that is stronger than stick built shed using this method and I can make it any type of stucco texture or stamp a pattern in it. These type of structures are monolithic and fire and pest resistent also have very high R values. This is a very green way of building and very simple but you need the right coating, Any questions feel free to call me (801)891-2578 sorry I won’t give out email here to many spammers
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These domes can be coated with GigaCrete Inc’s StuccoMax (outside) and PlasterMax (inside). These coating materials are far superior in every respect to traditional stucco or plaster, respectively. StuccoMax and PlasterMax coatings are LEED certified (green, safe, non-toxic, no VOC) ), UBC (uniform building code) fire rated, directly appliable to any surface including styrofoam, contain no Portland cement, are immensely strong (compressive strength over 10,000 psi), are abrasion and scratch resistant, will not shrink or crack, easily painted or pigmented.
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Oops, forgot the website.
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Instead of searching for trivial drawbacks, I think these houses are brilliant. They are MUCH more affordable than ordinary housing, and are extremely energy-efficient, which would make them very affordable to heat or cool. Placed over a basement, there would be plenty of room for anyone to live comforably. They would make great starter homes for couples starting out on a budget, or the elderly living on fixed incomes. I think there is a huge potential market world-wide for these homes. It’s nice to see someone designing AFFORDABLE and practical homes instead of the unaffordable monstrosities you see going up in most areas (in California or Nevada, for example). I hope these homes catch on. They solve a LOT of problems.
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this would great for the Homless all around the world..
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omg i love it! I want to buy like 3 and put them together some how! They are awesome!
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This may be my retirement home in 2020.
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Gnome Home……………..I want one!
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I like the idea of better gomes and cost. But…I dont think i could bring myself to live in a little place like that. I mean i see the second picture there and that has to be more than ONE of these “buildings” so in reality would it really be any cheaper than a regular home in the LONG run? And not to be rude, but how’s the WHOOVILLE looks comming along? I don’t think so….
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What are shipping cost to US towns?
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Uhhh…has anyone thought of how you might install SHELVES or hang pictures on the wall? Yeah, they’re cool-looking, but very impractical. And what about those 13′ ceilings? Where do you think all your heat in winter will go? DUH… Who needs ceilings that high?
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“In addition, the walls, which are treated with a flame retardant, emit no toxic fumes in a fire.”
I don’t buy that, in my jow we work with these materials and flame retardant means that it takes more time to ignite, but as many other petroleum based materials the fumes are definitively toxic.
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where can you buy these?
crowleyr@bellsouth.net
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Dome houses are treated and covered with cement on the outside and plaster on the inside… Which solves the problem of “kids throwing rocks” and someone damaging the inner walls with acetate.
They are Fire, hurricane and earthquake proof as well as they have the best insulating factor than ANY other product[ R-ratings are Not scientific-they are a myth created by the fiberglass companies] …
If you are concerned about their strength and durability go to http://static.monolithic.com/ and follow the links, there is more than enough proof… North American domes may be slightly different but I believe the Japanese models could be modified to meet our “archaic + Prehistoric ” building codes… Leave it up to the Industrious Japanese to come up with affordable, low cost housing… years ahead of us in North America…. With climate changes and the housing markets becoming “unattainable for most, it’s time we took off our blinders and started to keep our narrow minds in sync with our technology… Thanks for posting this…
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The topic “Styrofoam Dome Homes” is a blatant misnomer. These dome houses are NOT made of Styrofoam! They are made of special Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). The EPS used by Japanese dome builders (who must comply with the world’s strictest building material and construction codes) contains an anti-oxidant to resist aging and emits NO formaldeyhde.
As to fire concerns, EPS will melt before it burns. As mentioned, the application of GigaCrete Inc’s fire-rated, LEED (”green”) certified exterior coating ‘StuccoMax’ and interior coating ‘PlasterMax’ renders the EPS structure entirely fireproof. Both coatings can attain compressive strengths well in excess of 10,000 pounds per square inch and will neither shrink nor crack. StuccoMax and PlasterMax are light immensely strong coatings that contain no Portland cement or any toxic substances. Their surfaces can be painted or, better yet, the pigment can be added to the mix before application. Whereas Portland-based stucco requires two or three coats, both StuccoMax and PlasterMax are one-coat products, either troweled or sprayed on. They stick to virtually anything including drywall.
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I’ve been looking at building a dome house in the USA . I can build the house of my dreams for half the cost , radiant floor heating & solar panels ,go completely off grid ! Cooler still , YURTS!!! you can put up a 30′ foot yurt (900 sq feet ) for less than $10K , throw in a bathroom & a kitchen for a total of $20K . There’s no need for homelessness . The gov’t could set aside some of the more than 50% of our nation’s land they have , & volunteer organizations could build communities of them .
I do wish I could get the styrofoaam material here , but larger than the ones they were building . I’ve got 6 kids . I need more than a 400 & something sq. ft. house. It’s not that difficult to give up traditional structuring. We only have the illusion of security in our dry wall built structures now . At present our homes are largely made out of chalk! You could have the largest lock on your front door , but if someone REALLY wanted to , they could put their fist through your wall & tear their way in .
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i think its a smart way to build a house.
nice ideas…
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I would like to purches a styrofoam dome home. How do i get started?
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Buckminster Fuller would be proud.
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In a matter of moments after showing this post to friends, a plan was hatched to move here if McCain wins. Thank you!
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Domes are wonderful structures to live in! We build our own 7 dome structure as our returement home. The peacefulness and comfort is unbelievable. I would have some concerns of strength with just foam. Our domes are schulptured concrete structures with the foam on the outside for its insulating qualities. With the concrete on the inside we have the thermal mass that keeps the temperature pretty constant all the time. We love it!
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Several people have made comments about the structural integrity of these domes, even though the article clearly states they are assembled and then coated with a protective layer of mortar and then paint. I’m pretty sure under those circumstances, it could do pretty well against an earthquake, hurricane AND a “kid throwing a rock”.
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How well do these houses keep in heat / air conditioning? I love this idea though. If I were loaded I would buy a bunch and make my own village…
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After Hurricane Katrina, some of the only houses left standing in affected areas were polystyrene dome houses.
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How can i get some more information about the foam dome home manufactureres
Al
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how doi go about finding someone in florida that builds these. Help want one.
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@hollie: Send them an inquiry.
http://www.i-domehouse.com/inquiry.html
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i for one.. love these houses!!!… they are so cute.. and my unlcle is thinking of getting two.. one for him and his wife.. and then the other so that when ever i go over there.. are anyone else for that matter.. then i (anyone) can sleep in it!! i for one.. want to build one for me! ;)
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My dad built a foam dome in the 1960’s (spray foam on a frame) and one day, it blew away! LOL. Really, it rose up and skipped across a coupla farmer’s fields. We laughed and laughed. It looked like a foam igloo. I’m not really sure if we ever saw that foam dome again…..
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do they sell them in Europe – Spain?
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Very original design.
Are plastic houses an ecological solution?
What would be their fire resistance and how much toxic fumes
would be generated if they do catch fire?
I have been designing, manufacturing and exporting timber framed dome kits for many years and never had a request for an all plastic design.
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Most of the buildings you see anywhere that are stucco and have fancy architectural articulation i.e. columns, cornices etc. are made of the same material and coated with stucco. No problems. This isn’t all that radical and should be further explored.
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Is there any info about how these things are anchored that I’m missing? I want one for a hurricane prone area in Bahamas. And I wondar what would it take to have Bahamian government to approve one of those…
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greetings from kenya,
Iam impressed with your concept of cheap housing as demonstrated by the styrofoam dome houses.I wish to offer my land for demonstration purpose.would you love to come to kenya and work here?we can work together to sell the idea.The concept fits well with the traditional house strucure.
best regards,THOMAS ngumi
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willing to offer you land in kenya for dissemination project.
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These Dome Homes SHOULD be used in any areas where Tornado’s and Hurricane’s happen. Make a few modifications, Tie them down properly, and they come through the strongest ones to ever hit the US yet/
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These Dome Homes SHOULD be used in any areas where Tornado’s and Hurricane’s happen. Make a few modifications, Tie them down properly, and they should come through the strongest ones to ever hit the US yet/
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These Dome Homes SHOULD be used in any areas where Tornado’s and Hurricane’s happen. Make a few modifications, Tie them down properly, and they should come through the strongest ones to ever hit the US yet.
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