Initially, he wanted to build homes using plastics, so he invested in a plastics recycling company in 2004. That was not doable, but with the help of architect Ken McBryde he began building modular structures that were not only inexpensive and strong, but suitable for the cultural needs of the specific community, and especially useful for disaster relief. Each home can be assembled in five days or less, and can be moved as needed.
Although his original plan was to build each home from 100 percent recyclable materials, he does use sustainable Lumber. “What we struggled with, was that we couldn’t get the structural integrity for the load bearing beams,” he said. “About 60 percent of the house is made from wood-plastic composite that use one or two codes of plastics that are [found] in the environment.”
After several years of development, the Nev House had its most significant world test in Vanuatu, an island country 1,090 miles east of northern Australia that had been devastated by Cyclone Pam in 2015, successfully building a school in the capital, Port Vila.
The next project, that began in early April, is building 15 structures on Vanuatu’s Tanna Island where they have to withstand category 5 cyclones, meaning the buildings have to be tied down to the ground. Multiple louvres provide considerable air movement to each structure.
Hyman says he can deliver his buildings for less than other cyclone-resistant structures, although materials are still expensive to deliver to remote areas. Regardless, the company is communicating with governments, aid agencies and charities around the world to determine where the Nev House might be applicable. The project in Vanuatu was funded by a charity in Hong Kong. ##
(Photo credit: mashable/Nev House)
