Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Steampunk Sphere Home is a Prefab Disaster Shelter

Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Powered with wind and solar energy, this spherical home on five stilts is a self-sufficient, sustainable prefabricated shelter that can withstand disasters like floods and storms. The sphere shape of the Ekinoid Project retains its strength in any conditions, and the exterior cladding can be customized according to the local climate. The half-scale model created to show off the concept has a steampunk look with copper shingles taking on a green patina with exposure to the weather.

A spiral staircase doubling as a hydroponic garden leads to the entrance of the 34-foot-diameter home, which offers 2,500 square feet of living and storage space. A wind turbine, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment make it possible for the Ekinoid to go fully off-grid. The creators of the home envision ‘sphere towns’ that provide highly efficient housing for large numbers of people in places that may not be ideal for conventional settlements.

Because the home sits high off the ground, it could be a suitable solution for flood plains such as regions of Bangladesh where severe floods can affect 75% of the population at least once a year, but waters are rarely over knee-height.

Lightweight yet extremely strong, the Ekinoid comes in a kit that can be assembled by the layperson, enabling owners to construct their own homes at minimal cost. In fact, the components could be mass-produced locally or even fabricated on-site rather than shipped fro a distance, when practical. The Ekinoid Project designers believe the house could be built in under a week, and cost about $78,000.