Tornado Proof House
Ted Givens, design partner at 10DESIGN Architecture Firm, has been working with a research team to create a tornado proof house. The company recognizes the problem that most people do not react to the effects of natural disasters until after damage has occurred. 10DESIGN has a plan for a house that uses hydraulic arms to raise and lower a portion of the house during flood or storm weather. When a storm nears, the hydraulic arms are activated by sensors to lower part of the house into the ground during a tornado, or raise it up above flood level.
Unlike many other projects that attempt to rebuild neighborhoods after storms, this group aims at educating communities to respond to natural disasters before it’s too late. Rather than spending money, time, and labor on rebuilding homes and cities, 10DESIGN can create a place that will withstand any major storm. Residents will not have to evacuate or fear for their safety, for the house will have water proof doors, cross ventilation, and Kevlar skin that makes the exterior incredibly strong.
The project’s immediate target is the American mid-west, due to its high number of tornadoes and destructive storms each year. Tornado proof houses may first replace trailer parks and small towns. If successful, this idea may be applied to other areas around the world, such as China, South Africa, and South America, that have similar problems with disastrous weather. This storm proof house may save lives and help avoid the cost of rebuilding communities after every storm.
