The futuristic-looking building could be the way buildings are constructed in the near-future
Everyone has heard of inflatable castles or playhouses, which are common at kids’ birthday parties. But have you ever considered an actual inflatable home? This is the concept the Binishell uses, an innovative building that’s sustainable and cuts down on waste that also has a futuristic exterior once completed. You may think it’s odd or that it may not be entirely viable, but Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., was sold on the concept and had one built for him and his family to serve as one of their houses.
So what exactly is the Binishell, Robert Downey Jr’s sustainable home?
A curious-looking structure when completed, the Binishell cuts down on cost but doesn’t skimp on structural integrity and durability with its innovative way of construction. The technique was originated by the current Binishell CEO’s father, who built a number of Binishells in 23 different countries, so surprisingly, the bubble-looking structure isn’t anything new. Nicolò Bini, the CEO, hopes that the Binishell would be used more widely. It definitely helps that one of the people who own one is an A-list actor.
The way a Binishell is constructed is fairly simple: they use something they call a “pneumoform”, something similar to a large balloon, which bears the shape of the structure. It is then slowly inflated much like a bouncy castle would be. Once pressurised and inflated fully, structural rebar is placed all around before the structure is completely doused in concrete. After the pneumoform is deflated, what’s left is a bubble-like structure that’s almost similar to a shell. With the exterior finished, all that’s left is to construct the interior however the owner sees fit and give the exterior some aesthetic flair and design.
Because all that’s needed is to inflate the pneumoform to construct a Binishell, its construction process is very quick, requires half of the manpower a normal building would need, and produces minimal waste. In fact, the pneumoform can be reused multiple times. The cost of the building and resources needed is also cut down to half.
Because of its dome structure, the Binishell also ensures structural integrity by distributing forces evenly across the structure and not just at certain points like a conventional building would. They are also touted as “inherently aerodynamic” making it stable against high winds (just in case a bad wolf wants to huff and puff to blow your house down). Add the fact that concrete is non-flammable and that makes Binishells highly resistant to fires.
Bini hopes that more than just being unique buildings that draw the interest of others, the Binishells could also provide a solution for homelessness. Since it’s inexpensive, it could be used to construct cheap housing.
RDJ having his own Binishell will certainly put it on the radar of others. In a few years, seeing a Binishell in every city on every block could become the norm.
This story first appeared here.
Eric can be found lost in his own world jamming with headphones on while writing when he's not prepping for a DnD session or researching 'Star Wars' galactic history on Wookiepedia. A proud Ravenclaw, he loves playing (and writing about) video games, humming the 'Doctor Who' theme under his breath, and rewatching 'Friends', 'New Girl', and 'The West Wing'.
