CalEarth, a nonprofit and educational campus in Los Angeles, is gaining attention for its innovative home-building style called SuperAdobe.
As the Los Angeles Times detailed, SuperAdobe homes are constructed using soil, water, sandbags, barbed wire, plaster, and a small amount of cement.
In terms of appearance, these houses can best be described as something pulled straight out of science fiction. They are typically formed in domes, and their construction relies on a load-bearing arch shape that utilizes geometry to offset gravitational and seismic forces. These structures are also customizable and can be expanded and stretched.
Due to the use of non-flammable materials and mathematically stable building structures, these houses are built to withstand natural disasters.
In southern California, where CalEarth is based, raging wildfires have devastated the Los Angeles area. In January, wildfires left tens of thousands of people without homes.
Property utilizing this construction method could be the answer Californians are looking for when it comes to real estate that can withstand these disasters.
These houses are not flammable, and neighborhoods filled with these homes could stop wildfires from expanding into residential areas.
CalEarth is now looking to use these homes to replace those lost in the January fires. In February, they hosted over 100 people who lost homes to see if they'd be the right fit for the project.
"I'm looking at everything and considering all options, but my next home must be fireproof," Elliott Hostetter, a resident of Altadena who lost his home in wildfires, told the Times. "That is the main consideration."
"I've never seen a house like this, but I like the shape of it," another attendee said.
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Heck yes 👍 While these homes aren't the norm right now, they could be in the future as Californians search for options that are safe from disasters like wildfires, which are becoming longer, stronger, and more likely because of rising global temperatures.
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