scorecardThese mud-covered domes could provide shelter during natural disasters - and cost just $3,500 to make
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These mud-covered domes could provide shelter during natural disasters - and cost just $3,500 to make

First, wooden struts are arranged in a dome shape to create the frame.

These mud-covered domes could provide shelter during natural disasters - and cost just $3,500 to make

Hay bags filled with sand are then placed on the frame to cover the exterior.

Hay bags filled with sand are then placed on the frame to cover the exterior.

Spraying the dome with mud makes the structure sturdy and weatherproof, Chaltiel said.

Spraying the dome with mud makes the structure sturdy and weatherproof, Chaltiel said.

Chaltiel said it cost about $2,300 to hire a drone service, which requires two pilots.

Chaltiel said it cost about $2,300 to hire a drone service, which requires two pilots.

The frame cost about $230 to build, Chaltiel said, adding that the London project cost roughly $3,475 in total.

Chaltiel's team is currently designing a house for a cliff in a remote part of Vietnam.

Chaltiel

Unlike the dome built in London — which aimed to show the technology's potential for emergency shelters — the Vietnam home is meant to showcase a larger, luxurious house made of natural materials, Chaltiel said. She predicts it will cost just over $17,300.

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