Looking something like homes for modern day Hobbits, Binishells are ideal for meeting the world’s need for affordable, energy-efficient homes.
They can be built quickly using locally sourced green materials with little or no waste. These column-free organic spans can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit any need while reducing carbon footprints and construction schedules by more than 50%. Invented in the 1960s by Italian architect Dr Dante Bini, there are now 1,600 Binishells in 23 countries around the world.
Each Binishell starts as a two-dimensional shape on the ground, ringed by a wooden form into which an air bladder, reinforcing steel rebar and a load of concrete is placed.
As the concrete sets, an air pump fills the bladder and a concrete dome begins to rise from the earth. Once the concrete has hardened, the bladder is deflated, removed for reuse, and the building’s shell is ready for inspection and interior construction. Except for a few additives, these are constructed from the same concrete and rebars that are available off the shelves in local stores.
Modern construction techniques allow using the latest green building features such as green roofs and passive heating/cooling technologies. These simple structures are resistant to natural disasters like high winds and flooding, and have survived earthquake tremors in some locations for more than 50 years.
Compared to traditional construction, Binishells eliminate the need for skilled labor and expensive construction equipment on site. That means costs and the energy used in their construction are about half of what they would be for a conventional building.
Once completed, they use 75% less energy for heating and cooling than a normal building. Binishells require minimal upkeep and can be easily re-purposed, making them ideal shelters for use in developing countries where housing is in critically short supply.
Source: New Indian Express
