Think out of the box. Literally. Can you imagine living in a geodesic dome? Geodesic dome homes are energy efficient, funky and affordable, and offer many other benefits that a traditional boxy home cannot provide.
What is are geodesic domes, you ask? Picture a soccer ball. It is a round object, but the surface is actually comprised of a series of flat, interlocking planes. The result is an extremely stable structure with minimal surface area and maximum interior space-exactly what we want in a house. Buckminster Fuller-or Bucky, as I like to call him-made the geodesic dome popular. He designed the Dymaxion house, which could theoretically be mass-produced in the form of a kit of parts-an early spin on the pre-fab home fad.
Benefits
There is no denying the quirkiness of a geodesic dome home. When I was young, one of my neighbors built a geodesic home and I thought it was so strange and called it the "Epcot Center house," after visiting Disney World. However, these homes offer many benefits:
Geodesic domes use up to 50% less energy than a traditionally built home. Since surface area is minimized compared to the interior volume, these structures hold in plenty of heat as long as their walls are thick and well-insulated. In warm weather, the chimney effect is created, and hot air is drawn up and out of the structure as long as it's properly ventilated.
Thanks to their structural stability, geodesic dome homes perform well in natural disasters. They are also surprisingly affordable, compared to the average home. You have the option of building a single dome, and then later adding on additional domes to meet your family's needs. Also check for tax incentives related to geodesic dome homes.
Types of Geodesic Dome Homes
Dome homes may be built out of many different materials, some relatively traditional and others straight out of the space-age. Most geodesic domes are made of:
- Wood framing with plywood paneling
- Fabric balloon coated with shotcrete
- Steel structure with various cladding materials
- Prefabricated geodesic dome kits
Drawbacks
As with an alternative building method, geodesic domes might raise red flags for your local building department. Check your local building codes before you purchase. Also, keep in mind that dividing up interior space can be a challenge with a round floorplan. Walls meet the exterior at odd angles, so open layouts usually work best, though they are not for everyone. Any exterior penetrations must be carefully considered, and locating windows and doors can prove challenging. Installing plumbing and electrical lines requires a little more skill than in the average home, and the steep slope of the "roof" limits your material selection.