DOME homes could be a familiar sight in far north Queensland streets in coming years, with a decision by an innovative home builder to establish an eco-friendly, affordable housing alternative locally.
THE ‘Freedome For Me’ home company hopes to provide local jobs and establish an industry in Babinda, south of Cairns, with its product combining architectural science and locally-sourced materials which company owner Andrew Lizzio said, are produced with a low-carbon footprint.
“Our homes are built by clipping together specially designed, environmentally friendly lightweight blocks – almost like Lego and Duplo bricks,” Mr Lizzio said.
While not giving away the “trade secret” of what is actually in the materials, “it is the interconnectivity of all of these blocks that creates strength and durability,” he said.
Freedome’s sales and marketing manager, Grace Fiore said the company have put two years of extensive research into the project, to come up with a product that is both eco-friendly and affordable.
“Freedomes cost a fraction of the price of conventional homes to build, with options ranging from a one-bedroom home for $47,000, up to a three-bedroom home for $125,000,” she said.
As for the flexibility of design and future needs of homeowners, the dome home modules can be adjusted and expanded to suit changing needs. “One of the best things about Freedome homes is that modules can easily be added and taken away at any given time because the blocks are not glued together,” Mr Lizzio said.
Because the blocks can be assembled and disassembled, homeowners can build to accommodate their current lifestyle and when circumstances change, they can reconfigure their home by either adding or removing blocks. “This means people no longer have to build for future needs.”
Ms Fiore said the company’s building process is less onerous than the more traditional house building, and “Freedome homes are built in weeks, not months.”
For people seeking to buy their own homes but who face rapidly rising house prices or new home building costs, the new company hopes their product will fill a major need in affordable housing.
Freedome’s plans are to set up a permanent industry in Babinda, based at a workshop or factory, employing skilled locals to help them build the dome homes.
In August this year, they will have a ground-breaking event on a block of land in King Street, Babinda, where they will construct a display dome home.
