Hurricane-resistant circular homes making mark in Lowcountry

Virginia and Neil Haynes, for the majority of their adult lives, have called one sailboat or another home.

They resided in the Caribbean for 10 years, riding out Hurricane Hugo when it struck the Virgin Islands in mid-September 1989 before ramming the South Carolina coast. They moored their vessel, which continued to double as a residence, at a Stono River marina in 1993, moving out just a few years ago.

After decades on the water, the couple figured it was time to regain their land legs. Their daughter attends the College of Charleston, and the couple now run a home-based marine inspection business. Knowing the threats from tropical storms, they selected a building design that's promoted as hurricane resistant. The 1,678-square-foot wood frame house off Bohicket Road looks round, but it's actually 18-sided.

The plan and materials came from Asheville, N.C.-based Deltec Homes, one of a number of companies that specialize in crafting houses with a near circular shape. The company claims the structures can survive Category 4 force winds. Workers typically assemble the houses on site, piecing together dozens of pre-cut panels. There are a number of Deltec houses in the Charleston area, from the Isle of Palms to Pinopolis.

A relative encouraged the Hayneses, who bought two acres near Jesse Qualls Drive in the early 2000s, to check out the Deltec operation. "We went up to Asheville (and) liked what we saw," Virginia said.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.