May 2007-DFTW Completes First Major Project: 71 Homes in Indonesia

Carol Lanham • Published • Press Release Library

Domes For The World Completes First Major Project Foundation Builds 71 Homes in Earthquake-Stricken Region of Indonesia

SALT LAKE CITY (May 2007) – Domes For The World (DFTW), a Salt Lake-City-based nonprofit foundation established in 2005 with a mission to improve the lives of people worldwide through the introduction and construction of Monolithic Domes and EcoShells, has completed its first major project: a village of 71 dome homes, six public lavatories, a mosque, a medical clinic and a kindergarten on the Island of Java in Indonesia.

DFTW, recently participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed village, which has been christened New Ngelepen. The project was made possible through a joint initiative with the World Association of Non-Government Organizations (WANGO) and Dubai-based Emaar Properties, which provided a $1 million grant.

Visit HYPERLINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ao3SbEiY0 to view a seven-minute video about the development.

Monolithic EcoShell Domes are round, steel-reinforced concrete buildings that are permanent, fireproof, disaster-resistant and can be build entirely by hand using about $5,000 in basic materials.

“The grant from WANGO allowed us to take the first step in helping solve the developing world’s severe housing shortage,” says Rebecca South, founder and president of DFTW. “With their reinforced concrete shell and seamless design, EcoShells not only are disaster proof against hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire, but they also extremely cost-effective.”

“We hope this project in Indonesia, one of the most needy areas of our planet, is the first of many that DFTW will build in developing nations in the years to come,” South added.

The newly constructed dome homes are located on a flat, open tract of land near the former village of Ngelepen, which was destroyed by a landslide during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia in May 2006.

Nearly 6,000 people died in the quake, and another 1.5 million people were left homeless. WANGO selected Ngelepen for rebuilding after an in-depth field study and extensive consultation with local government and university officials and area residents.

New Ngelepen consists of 71 dome homes arranged in clusters of 12. The village also features six MCKS, or communal laundry, toilet and shower areas with independent septic systems, and six new wells to supply potable water to each home. The village also is equipped with electricity and roads.

At the peak of construction, 370 Indonesia workers were employed in the rebuilding efforts. Construction of Monolithic EcoShells begins with the placement of a ringbeam footing and the pouring of a circular steel-reinforced concrete slab floor. An Airform, a tarp made of tough, single-ply roofing material, is attached to the ring base and inflated.

A grid of steel rebar is then placed to the outside of the Airform, and embedded in concrete. Once the concrete is smoothed with a trowel and sets, the Airform can be removed from the interior of the building and reused.

In addition to the project in Indonesia, EcoShells currently under construction in developing countries around the world include the following:

  • In the tsunami-affected areas of southern India, Peter Tower is building a community of EcoShells that was recently visited by the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
  • In Nigeria, World Youth International has completed an orphanage made up of EcoShells.
  • In Haiti, Double Harvest has recruited local laborers to help build an EcoShell home with the hope that the technology would catch on among the locals.
  • In the Hyderabad desert of India, Catalytic Software, Inc. has constructed an entire town of EcoShells to house its software engineers.
  • The company town, christened New Oroville, also features domed recreation centers and offices.

EcoShells are a variation of the Monolithic Dome, a steel-reinforced, insulated concrete structure known for its energy efficiency and ability to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s criteria for near absolute protection from tornadoes and hurricanes. Visit HYPERLINK http://www.monolithic.com for more information.

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