This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
A building designer in the United States has developed small,rounded homes called “superadobes.” They are made from earthstrengthened with cement and wire. The design of the homes is basedon Iranian desert architecture. Nader Khalili was born in Iran. Heused to design tall office buildings. He now has an organization inCalifornia known as the Cal-Earth Institute.
Mister Khalili says five unskilled workers can build a two-personsuperadobe in less than one day. To begin, they mark a six-metercircle on the ground. Then they dig out the earth in the circle to ahalf-meter deep.
The dirt must have some water in it. The moist earth is mixedwith a small amount of loose cement and put into sandbags. Then thebags are placed around and around the inside edge of the hole, to aheight of about three-and-a-half meters. Barbed wire placed betweeneach level of the bags helps hold them in place. In time, theplastic sandbags will dissolve in the sun and disappear.
Mister Khalili says wood can be used as a border for doors andwindows during the building process. After the structure dries,though, the wood should be removed. A mixture of earth and grassspread outside and inside of the home help finish the structure. Theinside can also be painted with a mixture of milk and linseed oil toreduce the smell of earth.
A fireplace can be added for heat and cooking. Water and electricpower can also be added. Mister Khalili says temperatures inside areusually a lot cooler than outside. Heat escapes through an openingin the top. Windows also help keep the structure cool. Tests haveshown that the homes can be strong enough to survive earthquakes.
But the superadobes have critics. Some say the design is old andthat newer housing technologies may offer better solutions indeveloping countries. Critics also say that some of the designs maylast only about three years.
Nader Khalili says his homes can be built for less thantwo-hundred dollars anywhere in the world. He argues that they offereconomical housing in emergency situations. United Nations officialssay such homes could be used in refugee camps. Even the Americanspace agency, NASA, has shown interest in superadobes — for futurecolonies in space.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.