House of the future should be concrete igloo on hydraulic lift

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I was just musing the other day how the building industry is taking little to no notice of the demands of the future in terms of housing that can weather extreme climates.

I'm kidding but not about the concrete igloo. The rounded shape and construction would weather high winds and snow could not collect on the roof. The Dutch right now ARE building houses on hydraulic lifts to deal with rising sea levels.

What are we doing except rebuilding in the same places, the same way?

[cobalt1999]

1. Because nobody wants to live in a bunker.

Hydraulic lifts would also be very expensive.

PROPERLY built wood frame homes can go through hurricanes without structural damage. A house can be built at a height to avoid storm surges too.

From a Floridian living in a low lying area who has done just that.

[malaise]

2. The indigenous people of this hemisphere believed

in round homes - in tropical or temperate climates. They should know best.

[Bob Dobbs]

3. Underground.

At altitude.

Only a few humans will survive global warming, if any.

[rurallib]

4. geodesic dome homes

saw one stand up to hurricane Andrew on the weather channel I believe.
http://static.monolithic.com/gallery/homes/index.html

[Catch22Dem]

7. The underground dome house is cool, but...

The owners really ruined it by painting all that shit all over the walls.

[grannie4peace]

5. my daughter wants to be a green architect

she turned me on to the concrete that has air blown into it. i've seen some really cool houses made out of concrete

[Sancho]

6. I currently live 5 miles from the beach; I'm looking forward to waterfront property!

We already can't get insurance. Might as well enjoy the view since no one can sell anything and move. I can't afford 8 houses at different elevations. Of course, I can live on the boat and end up on a mountain top near Atlanta some day.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. The best house depends on the area.

The igloos (round buildings) you mention may be good for areas that are susceptible to high winds, and where going underground is not feasible.

As long as it's not in a flood plain, building underground is another alternative to "traditional" architecture.

They do it in Coober Pedy, Australia and save a ton of money on air conditioning and heating.

http://www.mytravellogbook.com/?p=8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coober_Pedy

I've even heard of some cities in Arizona that have just now considered where the sun faces during the hottest part of the day during the hottest part of summer when they make new buildings!

I agree that we have to get away from this idea that all buildings must look the same and will work the same for every area.

[greenman3610]

9. concrete is a primary CO2 source. We need to

find different ways to make it. There are some ideas out there.

[bananas]

10. Structures so green they give back to the environment

Forget simply cutting a building's footprint. A new wave or architectural thinkers wants to create buildings that help regenerate the planet like living organisms.
http://www.plentymag.com/features/2008/08/less_then_zero.php

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Great link, thank you! n/t

[applegrove]

12. I've seen cement houses and they are hot in summer and very cold in winter. Bad idea.

[Codeine]

13. Straw bale homes.

Easily and quickly built, extremely insulated, and eco-friendly in a way that concrete can never be.