Dome-Shaped Houses vs. Hurricanes

This article tells of a new concept for protecting people from the weather (specifically hurricanes). They call it the "Domeshell Home."

It is expected to revolutionize housing and will start in Australia, home of "Domeshells", the company that produces the revolutionary housing. If you live on the west coast, you probably already wished you had one of these, after Cyclone Glenda passed through last week, saying nothing of Cyclone Hubert, which now looms offshore.

HUBERT LOOMS OFFSHORE THURSDAY

Dome-shaped houses are not a new concept of course (people living in the Arctic have been using igloos for many years). But this concept brings that concept into the mainstream and improves upon it.

The homes will feature highly efficient insulation inside strong glass-fibre-reinforced concrete. Unlike most futuristic ideas, this one comes with a prediction that it will cost the same as building a conventional house.

You can see the company's website here. The houses are, well, odd-looking, which might cause them to take a while to catch on, something the company admits.

They also have a FAQ which answers many of the questions that I had, for example...

If the roof/ceiling has no internal supports, what stops it from collapsing?

How safe are Domeshells in a fire?

Why are Domeshells so energy efficient?

Etc.