Estimates suggest that there are over 1 billion people who are living in substandard housing without sanitation or potable water. These estimates do not include the victims of the many nature disasters that occur each year.  We have chosen to focus on the countries of Central America – Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  Our structures, which have been in the development stage for over 10 years, have been seen to survive hurricane force conditions. 

CanaDome Building Systems Inc.
190 Trans Canada Highway, Suite 262, Salmon Arm B.C.
Canada, V1E 1S3

Phone – 1-250-832-7138

M.F.Summerfeldt, President & Founder
M.D. Summerfeldt, Vice President (Site Development)

Benton J Summerfeldt, Vice President (Product Development)

H. F. Smith, B. Ed., B.A., General Manager, Operations

Overview

In spite of the progress made in 21st century society we are overwhelmed by the lack of progress and focus given to families living in appalling conditions in Central America. Much of the charitable help provided to overseas causes ends up in truly third world countries in Africa or Asia without consideration given to our hemispheric neighbours in Central America. Especially in the more remote areas of the region conditions are no less pathetic than elsewhere in the world.

Multiple reasons or excuses have been made for not addressing the causes of the human misery that exist in the areas that CanaDome is proposing to work. The provision of adequate housing coupled with associated technologies will go far to enhance the everyday life experience of these peoples. Clean dry home and community environments coupled with the basic elements of clean water, remediated sewage disposal, and reliable energy supply (wind, solar, etc.) will be necessary. To this end CanaDome has created a small group of modern technologies that can provide a “stand-alone” community-base that is highlighted by our proprietary “Dome Home” concept. 

No absolute determination can be made in assessing the number of people who will gain long-term benefits from this project. Contact with “Doctors Without Borders” specifically and similar organizations have surfaced a dire need for mobile structures capable of serving their precise needs.

Project

See the vendors area for links to those supplying goods & services to this project. Project start times shown are subject to funding availability. Our goal is to house the less fortunate as shown below as efficiently as possible. 
In most circumstances, both emergency and non-emergency, a “community package” is required, which normally includes a minimum of four buildings to accommodate local administration requirements, e.g. clinic, administration building and living quarters, security facilities for food and personnel, school or church, etc. This group of buildings, whose size and number of buildings is dictated by local community need and climatic conditions, will be centrally located and focused for mass use. Normal living and emergency response requirements require individual assessments. 

In the more remote areas it is not possible at this stage to estimate costs of shipping. For example where roads are very poor or nonexistent it may be necessary to utilize helicopter services, either leased or available through the courtesy of host governments. Worldwide helicopter services average $500 hourly. An immediate onsite decision will be necessary when natural disasters are involved. The cost to CanaDome cannot be determined in advance of a particular event, however the company will respond to the best of it’s ability on all occasions.

Fees

Year 1 of the project represents the largest expenditure for administrative services due to the intensity and complexity of startup with management and coordination as well as infrastructure development.  Many of these costs will serve throughout the project. Year one will address the setup of design and manufacturing as well as preparation of emergency response packages which will enable us to respond to the many natural disasters that occur each year. We must be in a position to respond at the earliest occasion after startup. Many related “one time” developments must be managed and coordinated throughout this first year.

Years 2 through 4 will note the continuation of business structures with the added responsibility for development of efficient and cost-viable transportation and shipping services and the onsite construction teams. In large measure, more remote areas of the countries are being focused upon.

Year 5 will signify the completion of Phase 3, the Central American housing phase and the assembly of onsite service teams to provide ongoing requirements to the region.

Current Situation

At the time of posting all of the countries and regions involved have been identified by CanaDome Building Systems Inc. as prime areas in need of environmentally friendly infrastructure improvements. We believe we have assembled and developed to date the most appropriate group of technologies capable of enhancing living conditions in the regions targeted without harm to the environment.

Administrative Services

Michael F.Summerfeldt,  Howard F Smith & Michaela D.Summerfeldt will provide all the necessary education and administration services through CanaDome Building Systems Inc. assessing, designing, planning and completing all facets of the Transglobal Homes Project in Central America. The concept is of interest to the governments and housing authorities in these regions and countries. The task of administering and managing this project is complex and will require efficient management and coordination.

Some examples of areas identified are offices including secretarial services, record keeping and human resource services, communications (IT and satellite services) office equipment and vehicles; operations to include consultations, travel and accommodation, contracting of education, production and shipping; land for offices with real estate negotiations, lease rentals, purchasing and financial services; staffing taking into account interview, security, training, education, contracts, benefits, human resources, travel and accommodation, off shore health services; transportation to include assembly site, shipping and receiving, international coordination, taxes and levies, on-site accommodation, equipment and vehicles; construction will involve identification training and education of locals, site management, tool and vehicle acquisition, and assembly; security and international liaison, ongoing and continuous, assuring safety of all onsite personnel and local indigenous people, coordinating with governmental and local authorities, research appropriate to local conditions re real estate and lot acquisitions.

The members of the administrative team bring experience and abilities appropriate to their individual responsibilities and a total of 75 years experience collectively. The nature of the project may require extended relocation to phase sites in Central America and northern Canada during the term of the project and if so we will respond accordingly. This will greatly enhance training and educational aspects of our mandate.

Engineering Report

Etruscan Engineering will undertake an engineering report proving the general soundness of construction of proposed structures. Cost of this service is estimated at $25,000.

Feasibility Studies

A qualified third party such as The Rutland Group will be hired to examine and consult on all aspects of the Company’s operations throughout the life of the project. The cost of this study is to be negotiated. This will include assembling appropriate engineering, manufacturing and management staff to address the first phase of this project, as well as acquire office and manufacturing facilities including hard tooling of the first factory. CanaDome Building Systems Inc. requires funding in the first eighteen months for a multitude of one-time-only expenses. 

Emergency Shelter Preparedness Program

CanaDome is dedicated to assisting with immediate needs arising from natural disasters globally in a timely manner. A response reserve (including 250 structures held in reserve static storage for immediate shipment) involving attendant costs for travel, erection, supervision, and tools, etc. This will be the first priority of the Transglobal Home Project. Our emergency response team must be trained to operate independent of normal construction conveniences in desolate or ravaged areas during this phase. Quick response for the sake of homeless people is essential as witnessed in Sri Lanka and New Orleans.       

Summary of Production  

We intend to manufacture and ship up to 650 structures to our distribution centre in Costa Rica during this phase.

Phase 2
Central America (North) 

Our project for this period is the provision of 300 homes and community packages in Central America and the Caribbean area. Particular attention will be paid to the rural “limited opportunity” areas of Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras.  Beyond initial erection of buildings and necessary living systems periodic revisits will be necessary to ensure any weaknesses are detected and corrected. This will also constitute a useful contribution to CanaDome’s research and analysis in future projects.

During this phase an educational element will be created to assist communities to understand and utilize to the optimum the technologies they will be provided to make their lives safer and more livable. Where applicable we will provide sound raw sewage treatment and handling equipment and techniques. Recipients will also be encouraged to utilize energy generation and collection means. Homes provided are entry-level and will contain services required and consistent with their location.

First and foremost it is our intention to replace existing substandard housing with our state-of-the-art housing concept. With our community package serving remote communities we are convinced that a general improvement of lifestyle and health will result and we can positively influence the future lives of local people, especially those of rural children, through schools, churches, libraries, etc. Three or four buildings to this end will be provided to each area and can  serve as assembly hall, police, administration, school or church, food storage, store, etc. The resulting expertise gained by locals may encourage entrepreneurship expanding local employment and other advantages.                                                              

Arctic Development Program

A team of arctic specialists is to be assembled to complete extreme cold climate testing and development. This team will work independently of all other aspects within CanaDome and will fund any necessary design changes or approaches from a specific fund. Arctic housing solutions will not only satisfy North American needs but also will be of use to and be available to other nations, agencies and businesses facing similar climactic challenges. Alaska, Greenland and Siberia are prime examples.

CanaDome Building Systems Inc. considers the arctic community of North America has been overlooked. This huge area encompasses territory from Alaska on the west to Greenland on the East, all north of 60° latitude north to the North Pole. This represents an area larger than Europe. The indigenous people who live here have inhabited the area since the continental breakup before recorded history. They have had to adjust to the presence of a society that was alien to them since European contact and are now trying to adjust to the disruption of their traditional lifestyle caused by resource exploration and drilling and oil pipelines as well as extensive precious metal and diamond mining and development. Climatic changes are adding further to the adjustments of an unknown nature to those they already face.

Through all of the foregoing disruptions, as in the Central American scenario, their plight for decent living conditions has gone unaddressed and in fact continues to worsen with extended families living in discarded oil camp trailers that were not designed or intended for permanent dwellings.

Commonplace natural conditions in this mega region range to temperatures of -60° F. with winds of 60-80 mph for seven months of the year. On site construction is restricted to 150 days in the arctic “summer” when normal construction techniques are workable. CanaDome’s structures can solve these unique construction challenges while providing much improved accommodation to the region.. 

CanaDome, in the course of establishing a test site for Arctic construction, intends to erect a permanent research facility that will remain in the selected community after it's use to us and will be suitable as a recreation and community center. This building will be equipped with appropriate heating & cooling facilities (probably) geothermal) and will include all conventional infrastructures that will permit users to consider the aforementioned and other applications.                                                         

Phase 3
Central America (South)

This phase will focus on provision of housing for rural areas of Nicaragua and Panama also providing community packages as previously outlined. Self-contained energy (solar and water-sourced) and potable water facilities as well as education of local people in their use and maintenance are also part of this phase.                                           

Our products and services are dependant on petroleum and petroleum-based products that fluctuate widely in costs that are impossible to forecast over a five-year period but which will require commitment. In that light we feel justified in seeking a contingency override of 10% of the project budget.                                                                      
 

        Total Project Budget will likely exceed 150 million US