The Z-fenbunker

As promised, our entry for the 2011 Zombie Safe House Competition is now available for your viewing pleasure (and apocalypse preparation research).

When the zombie outbreak hits, our plan is to head for the Diefenbunker, Canada's biggest Cold War nuclear shelter. Built in the late 1950s and capable of withstanding a blast equivalent to 5 million tons of TNT, the once secret underground bunker is now open to the public as a museum.

A group of determined survivors could easily convert the site into a sustainable colony, safe from the hordes of undead roaming the earth.

Originally designed to hold 535 government officials and military personnel for 30 days, the 4 underground levels provide ample space for 50 people to live indefinitely.

To make the bunker fully self-sufficient, the survivors need only install the equipment for power generation and farming. 193 solar panel arrays on the south-facing hillside would produce enough energy for the entire complex. While the surrounding area is ideally suited for agriculture, survivors could produce all they needed within the safety of the walls.

 based on this design

The site also has many useful features including a parking lot that serves as a helicopter landing pad, a functional radio tower and full communications studio, an underground garage for heavy equipment and a community library.

You can vote for our design by giving it a thumbs up here. Be sure to check out some of the other entries, there are some really impressive ones!

I wish we hadn't run out of time and computing power, our Sketch-Up drawings look pretty crude compared to some of the truly gorgeous renderings. Some of my favourites: z1611, z1505 & z1629