Dome houses, a revolutionary new housing system
A specialist manufacturing company in Worcestershire is producing a revolutionary new housing system that could offer educational establishments and charities a cost effective solution to re-housing people after disasters.
The Kidderminster-based company, Dingley Dell Enterprises, is run by managing director Jay Emery and was initially created to produce wood and coal burning garden heaters along the lines of the Mexican Chimineas, however to meet the demands of the UK market, Emery needed a material that could withstand the heat of the fires and the cold, frosty weather of the UK's winters.
From these beginnings, Emery grew his product line, finally creating the 'dome houses'. These homes use 80% less concrete than conventional building methods and are quick and easy to construct.
Moreover, in locations such as the South African shanty towns, where buildings and shelters are frequently stolen for their materials as quickly as they are assembled, the houses provide a perfect solution, offering no value to anyone other than what they are.
''One of the very best things about the dome home is the small number of materials required to build one,'' says Emery, ''This together with the high speed of construction and the fact that once a dome has been has been built the resulting home has no residual value other than that as a home, there are no roof panels to be pilfered and the windows fit the dome and no other house.''
The proof of concept dome was built by three people in less than two weeks with each stage of the main construction involving three coats of concrete and taking just four hours to complete. Having developed his approach, Emery now believes four construction kits could be turned in 10 dome houses in 10 days by 10 workers.
The company's work has been supported by the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands and Emery is now looking for investors to help build 20 further dome houses, after which international aid agencies may be able to take up the products for housing programmes and secondary disaster relief.
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