Inflatable Concrete Housing
Super-fluffy pancakes, inflatable concrete, Baroque photojournalism and more in our look at the web this week
What may seem to be an impossible concept, inflatable concrete housing is absolutely real life. Not only that, but it was invented decades ago by Dr Dante Bini, who created this Binishell system in the mid 1960s. The process is as follows: “Buildings are created by pumping wet concrete onto an inflatable dome, reinforced with steel. Once the concrete has set—which takes about an hour—the inflatable dome can be deflated to start on the next Binishell.” Not only fast and simple, it could be one of the cheapest and eco-friendly approaches to affordable housing. Plus, these structures aren’t going to fall apart, according to Bini’s son, Nicoló, Binishell buildings have “survived even extreme environments—such as the lava, ash and constant earthquakes on Mount Etna—for almost 50 years.”
Via phaidon.com link opens in a new window
