Live in a Giant Mushroom: Japanese Foam Dome Homes
Written by Jennifer Heyns
One of Japan’s latest strokes of genius comes in the form of foam dome homes. They may look like TeleTubby huts, but the foam structures are energy-efficient, easy to construct and cheap as all get-out.
The Japanese Dome House Co., Ltd. produces prefabricated dome house kits that come in parts ready for assembly. Pieces are lightweight and inexpensive, weighing in at a mere 175 lbs. per part and providing a 7-inch thick wall. Once assembled, the dome home creates approximately 475 square feet of living space, though the kits can be attached to one another for extra space.
The foam used in these modules is much more densely constructed than what you’d expect. This actually gives the home benefits over wood and metal structures; foam won’t rot, rust or attract insects, it is resistant to natural disasters like hurricanes and typhoons, and has been treated with a flame-retardant coating to prevent toxic fumes in a fire. Foam domes also offer natural thermal qualities to minimize heating and cooling costs.
A karaoke bar in Japan finished their dome to look like a big mushroom.
Foam dome kits start at $30,000 and can easily be constructed by a couple of your friends in just a few hours. Once the kit is complete, the shell should be finished with a layer of mortar and paint to protect the pod from the elements.
These homes are tremendously versatile and multifunctional, so they’re being finished in a wide range of unique and unusual ways. Some look like igloos. Others look like haciendas. There’s no end to the imaginative finishes that can be applied to the inside and outside of the dome home.
Not only are they very cheap and efficient homes, but they’re also being used for restaurants, retail shops, offices, hotel rooms, steam rooms and even freezer rooms. It remains to be seen if the foam dome home will be the wave of the future in residential construction, but they make a sure statement about efficiency - in a roundabout kind of way.
What others have said
I can’t express adequately how much I simply love this design. Cheap and eco-conscious it’s absolutely exactly what I need for my home office in the backyard. I just wonder if the shipping costs to my home country will cancel out the savings.
A very well thought out design indeed, and so incredibly eco-friendly. I just love the looks of it as well as opposed to boring cement buildings. I mean, wouldn’t you smile whenever you see one of these?
Thanks for the article. I'm a little confused at how you're getting to 'cheap,' though. I'm calculating $67 per square foot, before interior finishing, shipping, land, or permits. That seems quite expensive to me. Do you know something I don't?
I like the giant mushroom. It actually reminds me of The Flinstones home, with a modern element to it. Very funny, but funky.
These buildings always remind me of the Flintstones, from the outside at least. However, the internal rooms look brilliant! Some of the latest versions are actually stepped into the earth and almost covered in planting or lawn. This is my preferred look for the exterior.
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Dome buildings were a pretty big fad
in the U.S. in the late 60's. It's a shame it fizzled out, as it has (as seen above) some very good applications.