The Pods

The main trapezoidal structure is supported on two "pods".

There are two 6.4m X 3m masonry block / reinforced concrete pods that support, at either end, the main structure. Both structures are seriously strong cyclone shelters with concrete ring beams, thick poured concrete roofs, reinforced walls and protected inward facing entry doors.

At the low end a “wet” pod is divided into a bathroom / shower and a laundry room. This keeps most of the moisture out of the main structure and concentrates most of the plumbing to a small area. Both rooms have high volume / high level exhaust fans to externally vent moisture.

At the high end is a storage / second bedroom pod. In the rainforest, most of the “out of season” clothing, bedding etc is put away nice and dry in large sealed storage crates and out of the humidity. Enclosed areas invite mould and fungus so only items that are currently in use are kept out and open space living is the order of the day. This approach to living keeps things simple and encourages a light footprint. You have a modest wardrobe that gets frequent use and wears out before it goes out of fashion.

The pods have poured, reinforced concrete roofs. Minimal form work was needed as the roof was poured onto interlocking condeck panels

The Slab

The slab is useful in that it provides 64sqm of covered parking / project area beneath the main structure. It is inclined by 75mm to prevent pooling of rain water. It has a central ceiling fan to keep this under the house area drier. There is potential to construct a couple of additional rooms beneath the main structure at minimal additional expense. The doorways and slabs of the pods are raised 100mm above the main slab to keep water out. The interior floors are inclined towards the doors and have floor drains.The windows can be protected with external steel shutters in the event of a cyclone. The ends of the main structure are supported by theses pods.