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]
[…] Chaque module ne pèse au total que 80kg: deux personnes peuvent les transporter et les assembler en quelques heures seulement. On ne sait pas à quel point ils sont vraiment résistants aux ouragans, mais le gouvernement japonais, obsédé par la sécurité, les a approuvés, alors on veut bien penser que c’est vrai. Plus de détails et d’images après le lien. [Pink Tentacle] […]
[…] mielas vaizdelis, ar ne? Kaip briedžio spiros, pabirusios lauke, šie rudi gumulėliai yra naujoviški japonų išrasti uraganams ir žemės drebėjimams atsparūs nameliai iš putoplasto. Jie sveria vos 85 kg! […]
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.
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.
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.
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.
now i think of it
hobbits!!!!!!!
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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[…] something ripped from the pages of Archigram these dome homes are assembled from styrofoam panels to look very much like an igloo. The modular buildings have […]
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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[…] evleri görür görmez aklıma Şirinler çizgi filmi geldi. Onların yaşadıkları yerlere benzemiyor mu […]
Well that’s cool… if you want to live like a hobbit in hobbit-town,
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
[…] place la nebunie ideea de casa modulara ieftina care sa fie ridicata rapid. Am gasit acum case din polistiren care arata ca un iglu si sunt fabricate de japonezi. oare va avea cineva ideea de a ridica astfel de case in romania ? […]
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).
[…] [via..] […]
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…
[…] original article by Pink Tentacle is down in 6th position. The “clone” ranks at #1, #2, and is pointed to by JapanSoc at […]
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[…] Pink Tentacle covers the use of styrofoam domes in prefab housing, by Japan Dome House Co. Ltd. I want one! […]
[…] gibi yaamak Bu evleri grr grmez aklma irinler izgi filmi geldi. Onlarn yaadklar yerlere benzemiyor mu gerekten de? […]
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Reminds me of a Kevin Heavey sculpture.
http://kevinheavey.co.uk/projects_images/mud_pod.jpg
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[…] de gomaespuma (enlace) Se montan rápidamente, y no tienen mala pinta para […]
[…] found a house that fits my way of life. I showed it to my wife and she loves it too. It’s houses made out of polystyrene. Isn’t that cool? […]
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
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)
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.
[…] it takes more than one to even begin to quench my thirst. I sorta-kinda want to live in a styrofoam dome home. (at least as a little place or cabin out in the wilderness somewhere as a second home.) Singer […]
[…] came across this great piece by the guys at Pink Tentacle about these amazing prefabricated houses in Japan. They resemble igloos, and are made out of […]
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[…] Pink Tentacle article states that they can be connected and covered walkways between rooms would be cute, […]
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Umm … isn’t polystyrene highly toxic and cancerous…
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
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
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
[…] These are pre-fabricated and Made in Japan. Link […]
[…] got the above link from reading about styrofoam housing. wonder if i could use that for my project. singapore need insulation mah?? - link […]
[…] Visto en pinktentacle.com […]
[…] web You don’t need it! Maisons en Styrofoam Couvrir de couvertures une station d’essence Différences entre la culture de l’Est et […]
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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.
Oops, forgot the website.
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.
this would great for the Homless all around the world..
omg i love it! I want to buy like 3 and put them together some how! They are awesome!
This may be my retirement home in 2020.
Gnome Home……………..I want one!
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….
What are shipping cost to US towns?
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?
[…] and Smurf Village, a Japanese designer-builder is marketing small, Styrofoam prefab houses that look like mammoth mushrooms. Each house is made from 100 per cent expanded polystyrene foam, which, unlike wood and metal, does […]
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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.
[…] Antti Lovag? His name came to my mind immediatly when I first read this article on Pink Tentacle. Not only those styrofoam made houses look like his architecture, the whole concept has many […]
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[…] The Japanese have figured out how to make house kits out of them! I think this is pretty darn cool.Pink Tentacle has some cool Styrofoam dome photos. iDome House tells you why it is the house of the future. I kid you not! They claim it is free […]
where can you buy these?
crowleyr@bellsouth.net
[…] Pink Tentacle, International Dome House Tags: Dome House, Iglu, Pink Tentacle, Styrofoam dome homes, […]
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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…
[…] my general interest in dome-styled dwellings. Recently, I’ve come across a post from the Pink Tentacle about the newest dome rage in Japan. I’m not sure how environmentally sound (or safe!) the […]
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.
[…] Styroform Dome Homes? Really?! Check out what they’re doing in Japan, you can put together your own house in less […]