Dome house was built using a cement mixer

10:30am Friday 26th October 2012 in News

Dome designer Jay Emery, right, with North Oxfordshire Academy pupils Ryan Griffin and Amy Gray, who helped build the dome house Buy this photo » Dome designer Jay Emery, right, with North Oxfordshire Academy pupils Ryan Griffin and Amy Gray, who helped build the dome house

IT MAY not look like much but for some people this could be home.

This innovative dome house was erected at the Hill End Centre near Farmoor as a demonstration using only a common cement mixer.

It has been designed by Jay Emery, who runs wood burning oven firm Dingley Dell Enterprises, to be built in developing countries for as little as £5,000.

He said: “It was built 100 per cent by hand and it took a team of 20 people only three days to construct.

“We used students from North Oxfordshire Academy aged between 16 and 17 to prove that it can be built by completely unskilled labour.”

Mr Emery, who grew up in South Africa, is now hoping to convince aid agencies his house can be used in the third world and disaster zones.

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Comments (3)

1:56pm Fri 26 Oct 12

DJ LongDog says...

This whole thing is probably done with a good intention but if it's been completed using cement, than perhaps it's time to think twice!
The embodied energy in cement and associated carbon emissions in its production are twice as high as from aviation. What about using materials available in the area without making developing world even more dependent on our "miraculous western solutions"?
Dome of this size can be built from cob and timber no problem. In dry areas of the world rammed earth would be much more suitable option.

Think globally, act locally!
This whole thing is probably done with a good intention but if it's been completed using cement, than perhaps it's time to think twice! The embodied energy in cement and associated carbon emissions in its production are twice as high as from aviation. What about using materials available in the area without making developing world even more dependent on our "miraculous western solutions"? Dome of this size can be built from cob and timber no problem. In dry areas of the world rammed earth would be much more suitable option. Think globally, act locally! DJ LongDog

9:16pm Fri 26 Oct 12

Milkbutnosugarplease says...

The cement mixer could have mixed clay or mud rather than cement or concrete - it isn't clear. The window and door are not made by unskilled labour, I would guess.
The cement mixer could have mixed clay or mud rather than cement or concrete - it isn't clear. The window and door are not made by unskilled labour, I would guess. Milkbutnosugarplease

7:05pm Sun 28 Oct 12

Carfax Cabby says...

Good free advertising for his company. And I wonder how much he stands to make on his patent, because I am sure that aid agencies already know how to build homes in the regions that they operate. They do back home in Pakistan after all our natural disasters. By the way how do you power thousands of Cement mixers in the middle of a flood, earthquake, drought hundreds of miles from the nearest big city. It is easier to build from local natural resources.
Good free advertising for his company. And I wonder how much he stands to make on his patent, because I am sure that aid agencies already know how to build homes in the regions that they operate. They do back home in Pakistan after all our natural disasters. By the way how do you power thousands of Cement mixers in the middle of a flood, earthquake, drought hundreds of miles from the nearest big city. It is easier to build from local natural resources. Carfax Cabby

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