Would you be interested in alternative houseing designs if they were available?
By uath13
@uath13 (8192)
United States
April 8, 2011 12:12pm CST
With all the disasters that have happened lately where lots of people have had their homes destroyed I have to wonder "Why aren't the developers using more disaster safe designs?". There have been designs around for a good while that could easily withstand a hurricane, earthquake or even a tsunami. Why aren't they being used? My only guess is that maybe people are just not used to the styling & that developers aren't willing to take the risk on people not liking the look of the homes. What do you think? Would you be willing to live in an alternitive style home if it ment far greater safety & survivability?
Here's a link to one type of alternative home that I find appealing. If I could get one built on my property I would.
http://www.monolithic.com/
2 people like this
5 responses
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
8 Apr 11
I'd say the designs and Ideas are out there,it's just that not everyone has the land,the location,the ability or the money to build the perfect disaster proof house from scratch..what's left for most is a compromise..that's why many of our settlements founded way back and the roads connecting them are on the flatter land on river flood plains or near the coasts.. It took major engineering skills to dig tunnels and blast access paths through mountains,and build with steel,which is partly why the Pyramids of the Aztec and Inca and the Egyptians still cause fascination..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
11 Apr 11
I was interested in another type of dome constructed house I'd seen a while back,made from prefab parts in the form of a Geodesic dome..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
8 Apr 11
Interesting designs..before checking the link,I had a picture in my mind of one of those earth homes that would be partly dug into the ground!
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
8 Apr 11
I really like the looks of that one!
Did you see the house in Florida that survived Hurricane Ike? It was right on the beach and yet nothing was damaged on it. The man built it himself and it was very attractive, at least to me.
I do not understand why people don't demand more durable designs in their housing. Nor do I understand why they build on hillsides in California or in places where there are seasonal fires. They could build fire resistant housing, I'm sure, but I don't know how they'd solve the problem of houses sliding off hills--after all, you can't fix stupid.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
9 Apr 11
When they visit you, offer to pull their heads out of their butts. They'll probably refuse but at least you tried.
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
8 Apr 11
Missybear said we can't have one. 
........no place to put me in the corner. 
........no place to put me in the corner. 
@CynergyDiva (805)
• Canada
13 Apr 11
Developers, like every other big business out there is only interested in maximizing the bottom line. Safety be dam*ed and sustainability be dam*ed. These types of homes may sell, and at a profit, but using cheap materials allows for bigger profits; that's ALL they care about; period! 
xoxo
Cyne
xoxo
Cyne@uath13 (8192)
• United States
13 Apr 11
The initial cost of building one of these is compeditive with conventional housing. However I do see where it would affect them. These houses don't have to be REBUILT or REPAIRED anywhere close to as often. The developers would be giving up their aftermarket profits.
@CynergyDiva (805)
• Canada
13 Apr 11
Yes, as is the case with cheap materials in any industry. It's the repeat business that makes for bigger profit.
xoxo
Cyne
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
8 Apr 11
I think that alternative housing designs are unique, fun and functional. I think it would be fascinating to try one of them out. If it became available to me, i would definitely give it a try.