Ever see a brilliant idea and think to yourself 'Why has no one thought of this before?' Well, I had something like one of those moments earlier tonight. I saw a link in a Friend's FB status about a way to house the homeless in America in only a single year. That goal in and of itself is not remarkable. The American people can do anything they decide to do. History is replete with examples of this fact. However, we don't seem to do much to confront social problems, even if everyone agrees there is a problem. Homeless citizens would certainly apply as one of those issues.
Despite the article mentioning that there are already 5 times more empty houses in America than homeless families, I still like the idea presented here. It has potential to both provide relatively cheap housing and make recycling plastic bottles economically efficient for once. However, I do have a few questions that have not been answered...
1.) Did anyone come up with a blueprint for how these homes would be made? Or, is it a unique design every time with no building codes/standards in place yet?
As a former contractor, I can tell you that you definitely do NOT want a home that is unable to conform to the local building codes. That is just a regulatory nightmare.
2.) How well do they insulate heat during winter?
The article mentioned that they could be kept cool to a temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer but, nothing about winters. Why not?
3.) How do they hold up in extreme weather conditions like a Hurricane or a flood?
I specifically mention those two disasters because there is a LOT of homeless people in my hometown of New Orleans and those two disasters are the most prevalent for the area.
I participated in a group project during college to help out Brad Pitt's organization, Global Green, that was engaged in rebuilding homes in the flood-ravaged Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We came up with a relatively high-tech design that also resembled preexisting New Orleans architecture, as the instructions for the design competition stated. As I recall, Mr. Pitt picked a futuristic-looking design from a Chicago architectural firm instead. Too bad...
4.) Did anyone test how well the walls stand up to holes being drilled in them for water pipes, electrical lines, telco links and other cables?
Sure it's nice to have a roof over your head but, it's also pretty nice to have indoor plumbing too. People in Africa and Asia who built homes like this for themselves may be comfortable living without those 'luxuries' but, most Americans wouldn't even consider that idea.
If these concerns can be assuaged, then I'd say we have the cheap home-building method of the future. However, I'm not sure how we can sell the idea to prospective home-buyers yet. I guess I'll have to get some Real Estate agents to figure that out.
- Lord Publius
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