Igloo-houses hit china

A Mercer plastic igloo-house maker in New Zealand has been inspired by China's biggest house builder...

Charles Bree, Managing Director of Polybreeze International, wanted to discuss his company's cheap shelters with Wang Shi,C of China Vanke Co which has built 200,000 houses in China.

Polybreeze makes Breezepod houses from medium density polyethylene which sell from £3,700 to about £5,800.

Bree said the product fitted with Wang's interests in eco-friendly houses.

Once the Breezepod is no longer needed its plastic shell can be ground down and recycled.

Breezepods were designed to be quick, durable and cheap alternative dwellings in emergency situations. Bree said he had interest from flood-ravaged victims in Queensland and Fiji, Victoria's bush fire victims and people involved in providing low-cost housing for Australian and Canadian indigenous people.

Breezepods are about 20sq m and can be made in sections so they fit in containers, he said.

Bree marketed his concept at last year's Pacific Trade Expo in Waitakere and said he had interest from the mining sector in Papua New Guinea, Canada and Russia.

Wang was in Auckland to give the main address at the Sustainable Cities Conference which drew 186 people to the Langham Hotel.

He said he was a regular visitor to New Zealand because of its mountains and skifields.

Wang was most recently in the Mt Aspiring area and he plans to climb Mt Cook eventually.

Richard Worth, Minister of Internal Affairs and of Land Information, told the forum that New Zealand was about to Change its Overseas Investment Act 2005 to encourage more foreign investment.

China was New Zealand's third-largest trading partner and a key source of migrants, tourists and students, he said.

Zhang Limin, China's Ambassador to New Zealand, said urbanisation was the route to development, economic growth, social advancement and wellbeing.

About 600 million Chinese now lived in cities, a number which was rapidly accelerating, he said.

Source: www.nzherald.co.nz