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Wednesday, 14th March 2007

Egghead's amazing Eco-Pod

Jill Burdett

LIFT_OFF: Eco-Pod
LIFT_OFF: Eco-Pod
IN a farmer’s field in Stretford is a dome-shaped pod that could be the eco-home of the future.
 
It looks rather like the rocket that Wallace and Gromit used to get to the moon but is, in fact, a tiny capsule of accommodation that will be unveiled to the world at the National Homebuilding Show later this month.
 
The Eco-Pod is the invention of Aidan Quinn who has been living there in snug comfort, entirely self-sufficiently, for the last four weeks.
 
He has spent 18 months working on the Pod, from the initial concept to making each section and fitting individually. He admits that many people, including the farmer, consider him something of an eccentric.
 
He prefers the title of ‘entrepreneur’ and says he has spent his life designing and manufacturing things, with varying degrees of success. However, nothing has fired his imagination like the Pod.
 
He said: “I have always wanted to build a house and it seemed to me that there had to be a way of doing it more efficiently to not only cut down CO2 pollution during construction but also running costs. Our homes are responsible for creating 27 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions and that clearly is not sustainable. I wanted to find a better way to live.”
 
So his Pod has solar panels on the roof to heat the water, a wind turbine to generate power and a wood burning stove in case there’s no wind. There’s a water harvesting and recycling system and odourless dry toilet, and the pod sits on a deep concrete base which incorporates the underfloor heating system.

Testament
 
Two models in his workshop stand testament to how he experimented with the design: one a more traditional three-storey model with a pitched roof and the other the innovative egg shape.
 
He said: “I simply liked the egg shape better. It feels more human.”
 
At just four metres in diameter it’s a feat of engineering to get everything inside but it does contain a bathroom and shower, a run of kitchen units complete with microwave and fridge, a bench to sit on and a dining table that can fold out to seat four.
 
Up the paddle staircase is a fold-out bed and fitted storage and you can lie in bed and look up at the stars through the Perspex roof.
 
It has the feel, not of a caravan but of a boat, with everything honed and crafted into place. You can imagine living here for a weekend but not for much longer.
 
So is it a realistic alternative to traditional housing?

COMPACT: Practical
COMPACT: Practical
Aidan admits that this first prototype is more likely to appeal to people looking for a self-contained unit that could be placed at the bottom of the garden for use, say, as a home office, unique Wendy house, or teenage den.
 
He said: “It is designed for one or two people to live in and I love living here. You feel very close to things and the shape makes it a very comfortable space.
 
“It could be used for long-term accommodation. I would happily carry on living here but then I am biased, and it is probably more suited for short-term or holiday stays.”
 
He and his three-strong team are currently working flat-out to get the first production model ready for the show and he is very determined that the fit and finish are professional.
 
The Pod is manufactured in sections with polyurethane blown into moulds he has designed and manufactured which are then bolted together and sprayed with lightweight concrete 60mm thick giving the structure both strength and insulation. It is then covered in tiles made from recycled car tyres that look like slate, with solar panels installed in the upper section.

Polished

The internal fittings, including the shower tray, sink, kitchen cupboards and stairs have been designed and made by Aidan and his team and the ground floor is concrete, cast and polished to look like slate tiles.
 
The inside walls are plastered and porthole windows on both levels combined with the glass floor and the Perspex dome on top make it light and bright inside.
 
The two main construction materials, polyurethane and concrete, are not exactly eco-friendly products but Mr Quinn argues that the short-term pain of using man-made materials is worth the long-term gain in efficiency.
 
It can be transported in pieces on the back of a lorry then constructed on site and, if it is not hooked up to mains services and placed within the boundaries of your property, it is unlikely to need planning permission.
 
The fully-fitted, four-metre wide version will sell for around £45,000. And Aidan reckons if it takes off he could produce 25 a year. A six-metre pod would be in the region of £75,000. “Ideally I would like a big investor to come along and we could manufacture the Eco-Pod much more quickly and efficiently,” he said.
 
He is also hoping that the Eco-Pod will make people think more radically about the dramatic changes needed to cut carbon emissions in buildings and sees it serving a purpose as an educational resource.
 
His enthusiasm is engaging and I hope he makes the deadline to get the Pod ready for the show. The organisers were so impressed that instead of charging him to exhibit they have offered him a prime spot right by the entrance.
 
Aidan added: “I have never enjoyed anything as much as this. It is frustrating that it is taking so long but I cannot wait to get up in the morning to crack on with it again.”
 
IF you want to find out more contact Aidan at eco-hab@hotmail.co.uk. The Eco-Pod will be on display at the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC from March 22 to 25. The show will feature over 500 exhibitors, 96 free seminars and masterclasses and includes the new Ecohomes Show as well as the Move or Improve and Period Living Pavilions. Tickets also give free entry to the Smart Homes Show. For tickets call 0870 906 2002 or log on to homebuildingshow.co.uk.

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Links to other web sites
Eco-Pod website