“It’s all about using what’s available to you in that situation,” Khalili’s son Dastan, President of Cal-Earth, explains. “When you’re building with natural materials, you’re addressing what may occur in those environments—a storm, a meteorite, whatever it may be—you’re thinking sustainably and using what’s already there.”

Dastan and his sister Sheefteh are devoted to carrying on their father’s vision. “We want to empower the individual to be able to recognize that no matter what happens: war, natural disaster, economic collapse, they will be able to build themselves a home that works in harmony with nature, has a minimal carbon footprint, is fireproof, earthquake-resistant, and hurricane-proof,” Dastan says.

Cal-Earth’s Eco Dome, styled by Cordelia Reynold Photo: Eric Simpson / Courtesy of Cal-Earth

It’s remarkable that such durability is possible without the integration of modern technology, but proof of concept is evident in California, where four SuperAdobes situated in the heart of the recent wildfires remained completely unharmed as many of the surrounding structures were reduced to dust.

Another example of the concept’s resilience is in Nepal, which suffered a devastating earthquake in 2015. “We had a student that built an orphanage using the SuperAdobe principle,” Dastan explains. “It withstood two earthquakes while the entire town around it was leveled; it basically became ground zero for everybody, but the orphanage only had cosmetic damage.”

The SuperAdobe approach seems especially relevant today, as the world is faced with mounting refugee crises and and natural disasters. “Climate change is already making parts of our planet uninhabitable and people are being forced to consider abandoning their homes and communities,” says Dr. Elizabeth Ferris, a Research Professor for International Migration at Georgetown University. “Depending on the extent to which global warming continues, millions more people are likely to find themselves looking for new homes in the next few decades.”

Cal-Earth’s Eco Dome, styled by Cordelia Reynold Photo: Eric Simpson / Courtesy of Cal-Earth

Could SuperAdobes be the solution for sustainable housing in the future? Dastan certainly thinks so. “I think it’s necessary now for life on earth,” he says. He’s not alone: the SuperAdobe technology has been recognized with the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, along with endorsements from the United Nations and NASA. At a time when modern innovation is so often linked to disruptive digital technologies, SuperAdobes show how ancient techniques can be reimagined to solve critical global issues. Plus, looking up at the cornerless ceiling within one of those carefully swirled domes, you can’t help but feel a sense of peace.