THE CASE FOR ECO-DOMES

AS A SUSTAINABLE HOUSING ALTERNATIVE

Final Project for: Principles of Sustainability I Global Sustainability Certificate University of California Los Angeles

Prepared by: Mauricio Jaramillo

March 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. II. III. IV. V. VI.

Objective3 Background3 Stakeholders...4 The case for Eco-Domes ..6 Statistics11 Resources..12

I. Objective The objective of this final project is to present the case for eco-domes as a sustainable housing alternative; more over this final project presents a real project as example and explore the role of its stakeholders and the three basic principles of sustainability (Economic Vitality, Social Equity, and Ecological Health).

II. Background Back in 2008 a group of friends, all professional Civil Engineers interested in their social responsibility and learning more about sustainable design. They decided to help a small nursing home in Baja California-Mexico; the needs over there were many but it was identified one in particular that required immediately attention. The manager of the nursing home was leaving in substandard conditions and the group decided to build a home for him next to the nursing home and the eco-dome was the most feasible structure to meet the groups interest and the economic constrictions. Before we attempt to make the case for eco-domes as a sustainable housing alternative we need to define sustainability and establish a methodology to assess the sustainable qualities of eco-domes.

Sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use. In ecology, sustainability describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time, a necessary precondition for the well-being of humans and other organisms. Human sustainability interfaces with economics through the voluntary trade consequences of economic activity. Moving towards sustainability is also a social challenge that entails, among other factors, international and national law, urban planning and transport, local and individual lifestyles and ethical consumerism. Ways of living more sustainable can take many forms from controlling living conditions (e.g., ecovillages, eco-municipalities and sustainable cities), to reappraising work practices (e.g., using permaculture, green building, sustainable agriculture), or developing new technologies that reduce the consumption of resources. Methodology this final project tried to use the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating to assess the eco-domes sustainable qualities but it was unpractical since LEED is design for more conventional homes. In this way we opted for

consider only the carbon foot print of the construction process, materials used, and energy consumption required for standard living and thus comparing with conventional houses.

III. Stakeholders. This project identifies three main groups of stakeholders that played a role in the execution of the sustainable building project. Community Learned about affordable and environmentally friendly construction alternatives for shelter in their area.

Volunteers along with the grandpas from the nursing home

Professionals Enhanced multidisciplinary skills to deliver a sustainable building project.

Volunteer Land Surveyor from Los Angeles, CA

UCLA Students Experimented with new construction techniques and learned principles of sustainability that complemented their school programs.

Volunteers- Undergraduate students from UCLA

IV. The case for Eco-domes. The first thing to do if we want to create a sustainable building is to eliminate the use of any toxins. Eco-Domes are built using the earth itself as material. No chemicals or toxins are used, just lime stabilized in bags, and sometimes cement is added in wetter climates. The end result is a very pretty and stable house that meets strict earthquake requirements. Traditional shelters of this type seemed much more in tuned with the earth energies than our modern boxes of today, with their sharp corners and cold atmosphere, sealed windows and recycled air. When you enter a round structure that rises directly up from the earth yet remains connected to it, you enter the very womb of Earth herself. Immediately, you feel "home," you feel protected, you feel the love of the place.

Eco-Dome at its final construction stage

We are unaware of the damage to both our health and nature, caused by conventional construction methods. Why Eco-Domes? They are built with the sun, wind and shade in mind for passive heating and cooling Built using the earth itself as material (90% of the material used is dirt) Minimum carbon foot print Affordable

Volunteer digging dirt that later is use to fill the plastic-fiber tube

Volunteers preparing a plastic-fiber tube to be fill with dirt on top of the last row on the eco-dome

Picture from above showing the floor frame for the second story

Application of a second layer of adobe to the exterior

Finishing of the first floor using adobe-concrete

View of the first floor with final stucco on the walls and ceramic title in the floor 10

VII.

Statistics.

Cost distribution

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Number of students vs. professional that volunteer in the project

Number of Female workers vs. Male workers that volunteer in the project

VI. Resources www.calearth.org http://youtu.be/mpz5Gq1plhM

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