Deltec Housingan Asheville, North Carolina-based builder of prefabricated, circular homes, says its designs can withstand the extreme wind loads associated with a Category 5 hurricane.
The company’s CEO Meg Gore said the company’s circular roof system reduces pressure points that can lead to structural failure in high wind events.
“Round really works with nature, instead of fighting it,” Gore said Builder’s Day. “The air flows around the home, instead of building up pressure on one flat wall. Also, we have a radial truss system that disperses the force evenly throughout the building. It doesn’t rely on a single point of critical failure.”
Building high winds
The Deltec approach focuses on reinforcing critical connections throughout the building envelope, including roof-to-wall transitions and wall-to-floor transitions. The company uses a continuous belt that is intended to fasten the roof system to the foundation.
The builder also uses larger inverted hangers on every truss instead of traditional smaller hangers, a choice that Gore said improves uplift resistance and lateral strength.
Standard Deltec housings are designed to withstand winds of up to 130 mph, the company says. Upgraded packages — which can include additional components and stronger or larger truss plates — are designed for winds of up to 190 mph.
Deltec says its homes have a 99.9% survival rate from major hurricanes over the past three decades.
Another often-cited example came in 2018, when Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of about 160 mph, struck the Florida Panhandle. The Deltec home in Mexico Beach, Florida, was left standing in an area that saw extensive damage.
The push for hurricane-resilient design is becoming more urgent as insured and uninsured losses increase. National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe Office of Coastal Management reported that hurricanes cost about $150 billion annually, on average, from 2020 to 2024.
Factory built model
Deltec’s factory is about 100,000 square meters and is designed to produce more than 100 homes a year, the company said. The facility manufactures panel components, trusses and related assemblies that are shipped to job sites.
The company, founded in 1968, ships to all 50 states and more than 30 countries. Deltec said demand is strongest in the Southeast and the Caribbean, but interest varies by region.
Unique beauty
Gore said the company’s request goes beyond hurricane operations. He pointed out the “panoramic” effect of the structure and the ability to combine multiple glosses.
“With the way our homes are built, we actually have a wall of visible windows,” Gore said. “With all of our homes and all of their energy upstairs, you can have a lot of windows. You really have that panoramic living that brings in a lot of natural light. The geometric curve lets in more light, and it brings that indoor-outdoor feel.”
Deltec sells homes from around 300 to over 2,500 square meters and has recently introduced a new generation of residential homes. Gore said the rounded form can make units with smaller footprints feel larger.
“They feel bigger because of their high ceilings,” Gore said. “They also feel natural in your yard, and it’s very interesting, because you’re looking at this round, almost like a gazebo, natural structure.”
What it means for builders
For residential builders and developers working in coastal and high-wind markets, Deltec’s message highlights a broader shift: buyers, insurers, and local officials are increasingly evaluating homes based on how they perform after a hurricane, not just how they look.
The high-end package can present three active trade-offs for manufacturing and custom builders:
- Cost and specification instruction: Rigid loading methods and advanced connectors often add material and labor costs. Builders may need to decide whether they deserve a higher base specification for the entire community or offer endurance as an upgrade to match premiums and consumer demand.
- Scheduling and staffing: Panel-mounted parts can reduce the time to frame the frame in place, but the model also requires a strong connection in advance – from the tolerance of the base to the arrangement of the crane and the sequence of the minors. In labor-intensive markets, off-site manufacturing can replace work in the factory, allowing workers to focus on assembly and finishing the site.
- Design, product, and code strategy: Non-traditional measures can make it difficult to set up a plan, purchase, and repeat trade scopes. Builders considering durability improvements in conventional systems may first focus on the same “weak links” emphasized by Deltec – roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connections – while complying with local wind speed maps and testing requirements.
For users, the immediate question is whether hurricane resilience specifications can be translated into a repeatable work environment that reduces warranty exposure, improves insolvency, and supports prices in markets where hurricane risk influences consumer behavior.
