By Paige Tepping
RISMEDIA, Sept. 27, 2008-For this month’s ‘Ask the Expert’ column, we asked Eli Attia, an architect for New York’s Roundhouse Development LLC to tell us more about ‘Roundhouse’ technology and the benefits behind it.
Q. What is “Roundhouse” technology and what are the benefits of using it?
A. Roundhouse is a new technology that trumps all former attempts at green residential design through its use of glass and steel, and the removal of all wood products from construction.
All of the components of the Roundhouse are manufactured at an offsite, centralized location allowing for mass production of identical pieces. The panels that make up the outside wall are uniform and can be shipped efficiently and compactly to the job site as well. This reduces the amount of work that is done at the jobsite, making the homebuilding process much more efficient for the inhabitants, workers and even the neighbors.
The Roundhouse can also be seen as a product of reason. Round is more effective than square when talking about buildings, as the round structure requires less material to achieve the same product. The Roundhouse has a more effective living and working environment as it is built to custom specifications. It provides ultimate flexibility in that the size of a room and even the floor plan can be changed at anytime. It can be built in any size, on any terrain.
