Monolithic dome houses may serve well for its price. These houses, which are claimed to withstand disasters and last for centuries, have a low cost of only P290,000 ($6,500) each unit.
“We use basalt as the main strengthening component in building monolithic dome houses. It cannot be destroyed by super typhoons, earthquakes, or fires,” Philippine Country Manager of Monolithic home builders Michael Scott said, adding that the houses’ engineering design also contributed to making it disaster proof.
Aside from being typhoon and super typhoon resilient, the dome houses are also environment-friendly as these are made of basalt and cement.
“Then we will use it as the reinforcing material… About basalt, well a third of Earth has basalt,” Scott said.
“Whether a typhoon comes, tsunami, earthquake, or fire comes, I promise you these structures will remain,” Scott added.
Taking tremendous steps to be fully prepared for disasters, the Dapitan City government had contracted 200 monolithic houses to be constructed within their area. Informal settler families are the recipients of the houses.
Planning to build more in their region, Assumption Cares for Mercedes group in Easter Samar already put up 8 dome houses in their area and are planning to build more.
Aside from Dapitan and Easter Samar, other places in the country regularly hit by typhoons are also considering constructing dome houses.
Dome houses for Leyte
Scott is determined to build monolithic dome houses in Yolanda-hit Leyte.
“I saw on TV a father who said that he was hugging a coconut tree while his children were holding his legs and arms, but were slowly carried away by the surge. That should not have happened. We could have saved more lives if we were prepared for it,” Scott said in an interview.
Although the dome houses may seem like a new concept to some, it has actually been around for a hundred years now.
“The reason is that there are no big associations behind it than there is in metal. The various conglomerates push for metal and those are the guys that everybody listens to,” Scott said.
“It is not the business point of view that is driving me to introduce monolithic dome houses. The desire to save lives is my driving force. I too have a daughter, and we fathers – like that man who lost his children to Typhoon Yolanda – would do anything to see them grow,” he added.