The homeless do the same thing with empty cardboard containers.
And a concrete home is probably not your first choice in North Dakota. Concrete has the insulation R value of a silk scarf.
interesting
It’s a start but ... 650 sq ft? Why even bother with that and instead extend the technique to build something larger?
Maybe they can join 2 or 3 650 sq ft homes to make a home you have space to relax ad stretch out in and do hobbies/workshop and workout stuff in.
There is a little problem: land is expensive, frequently land drives the price, not the cost of building a house.
Nevertheless, they could maybe build many of these homes close to each other, several on one lot, to make them less expensive.
Ten grand, yeah... But they get you on the cartridge refills.
Bkmk concrete house
Unless you have a big family or lots of toys, how big a home do you need?
Around 600 sq is plenty big for a tiny home. There’s less upkeep involved and you can enjoy the home more.
And not being burdened with a lifetime mortgage is a major attraction to most people. The home would come with a free and clear title.
A conventional home is a money pit, even taking the tax deduction for it into account.
Makes more sense to either rent or go tiny.
Do they include plumbing and electric? Windows?
I want one for my backyard for a place to escape to.
Thinking of buying a nice wooden shed for that purpose, maybe put a deck on the front in the sun..
So they’re still radically low-balling readers with fake prices in those ads pretending to be news. And even the most free states are full of unfinished lots in evil HOAs, prohibitive zoning ordinances and other hindrances.
I could see four of those spaced about 16 feet apart in a rectangle with connecting screened porches or sunrooms and a courtyard in the middle being nice. Public spaces in one, living room, dining room, kitchen. Master bedroom with large bath and study in another, additional bedrooms in the third module and a “casita” in the fourth, for an inlaw apartment, office area or whatever. 2,600 sq. ft not counting sunrooms if any. Mostly glass to the inside, capitalize on any views to the outside with large window also, but not heavy on the glazing to the outside otherwise, just enough for egress windows if necessary. Maybe a pool in the middle, although I don’t know how you’d service it if in the future there are any structural issues, etc. with the pool, there would be no way to get a vehicle in an enclosed courtyard like that. Drainage of the courtyard if in a rainy climate would have to be carefully considered, there would need to be drainage running under the house.
The LeTourneau company was setting down molded concrete structures from a massive wheeled machine decades ago.
Concrete smells for some time during curing. Also how do you paint it, run electricity and light it without it looking like a jail cell?
A better solution, IMHB, is the site and service model.
Layout the neighborhood.
Run water distribution and sewers.
Pour building foundations and pads.
Install sink, toilet, and hose bib.
Drop off concrete block, mortar, doors, windows, and roofing materials.
Provide technical assistance to help people build their own houses.
Each site can be prepped in a few hours. If it takes people a week or two to assemble their own homes, that is no big deal. It doesn’t slow down production to have them working independently.
prototype in Austin, but they are going to build in El Salvadore and other third world countries. Should withstand hurricanes? Earthquakes...hmmm.