BUILT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCYBUILT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCYECOLOGICAL HOMES

EXAMPLES OF DOME HOUSES:Made from an ex oil refinery dome Steel frame with wood + brick

Steel frame with wood + brick Polyurethane moulded dome

EXAMPLES OF DOME VILLAGES:Dome houses in Florida Dome houses in Chile

Dome houses in Thailand Dome houses in China

VARIOUS CONTAINER STYLE HOUSES:

SOME HAVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

SOME BEAUTIFUL STYLES:

MOST LOOK LIKE BOXES:

BUT SOME ARE VERY ELEGANT:

SOME LOOK RATHER BLAND:

SOME DESIGNS ARE VERY ENERGY EFFICIENT:

TAKING ADVANTAGESOF NATURAL LIGHT AND SHADE:

DESIGNED TO USE LESS FOSSIL FUELS:

BUILT TO SHELTER FROM THE HEAT OF THE DESERT

BUILT TO MAXIMISE LIGHT AND HEAT FROM THE SUN

SOME BUILT WITH NATURE IN MIND:

SUBTERRANEAN AND SHELTERED BY TREES

USING VARIOUS STYLES:

REVOLVING HOUSE HOUSE WITH LARGE WINDOW AREAS TO BENEFIT FROM SUN

IMAGINATION IS UNLIMITED:

GREEN HOUSE STYLE HOUSE

FANTASY STYLE HOUSE

BUT DOMES HAVE MOST ADVANTAGES…

BECAUSE THEY CAN BE BUILT ALMOST ANYWHERE:

NO PROBLEM ON WASTE GROUND

AT THE SIDE OF A CLIFF

ALUMINIUM OR STEEL CAN BE USEDFOR THE BASIC STRUCTURE THEN COVERED IN DIFFERENT WAYS:

WOODEN PANELS CAN BE USED FOR COVER:

Facing bricks can be placed on top of the wooden panelling to decorate the basic structures:

UNIQUE DESIGNS CAN BE BUILT WITH VERY ORIGINALIDEAS AND STYLES:

USING DIFFERENT MATERIALS:

Concrete shell over steel structure

Styrofoam and steel structure:

STEEL FRAMEWORK WITH WOODEN PANEL COVERED WITH FACING BRICK:Would you like to own a home like the one shown at left for about 35,000 euros? The dome size is 35′, with two floors that total 1,994 square feet. Three bedrooms and two baths plus a garage makes this a perfect home for a small family. What makes these homes unique is their plan for extensions from the dome. The extensions serve as space for the two downstairs bedrooms (or an office space), as well as the large kitchen and dining area. All wooden or metal components of the dome are pre-cut and pre-drilled to exacting specifications, and color-coded to make it easy for unskilled people to assemble them with precision and confidence. Two people can complete the basic framework for even the largest dome in less than three days. The largest piece for a 45′ dome is a 10 ft. long 2″ x 6″, which is easily handled by one person.

HURRICANE RESISTANT HOUSES:Or you could have a hurricane-proof geodesic home like the one shown here. This house needed to be ecologically friendly with very little impact on the environment. Prices for the least expensive hurricane and extreme snow load home such as the one shown here run about 34,000 euros for the materials needed for a 36′ diameter 2v 3/6 Half Sphere.

This dome home, located in Pensacola, Florida, survived Hurricane Ivan without a scratch. Designed by the architect Jonathan Zimmerman, this home is constructed from air-formed thin shell concrete structures which are very similar to geodesic homes. But, these shells are more like ‘balloons’ of fiberglass-reinforced nylon or similar fabrics that are used to form the energy-efficient structures. After the balloon is inflated, the outside surface is sprayed with rigid polyurethane foam insulation. Steel reinforcing bars are then tied into place against the insulation, and concrete is sprayed to cover the entire surface. Later, the surface can be painted with the desired colour or texture, and earth can be packed against the structure. Zimmerman also is building one of these domes in Alaska, where he says it will survive an avalanche.This particular home is on the market for $1,275,000.

BUILT FOR MAXIMUM ENERGY EFFICIENCYThis dome home was built with the objective of maximising energy efficiency. Users can save up to 70% on heating and cooling bills, thanks to seven-inch thick rigid expanded bead polystyrene (E.P.S.) insulation. Plus the insulation is not interrupted by wood and it has no wood in the exterior walls. The exterior of the dome is concrete that you can paint with latex paint. This dome home consists of a 40′ dome linked to a 27′, two car garage. The garage first floor is 555 square feet with a 16-foot-wide overhead door and a 680 square-foot attic. The attic floor is fully suspended from the dome shell so their are no columns or supporting walls to interrupt the garage first floor. For the year 2009, the monthly average electrical cost for this home was 58.00 euros. This cost included heating and cooling, well pump operation, hot water heating, cooking, laundry and sanitary. A home similar to this sold for $224,000 in 2006. Yet, a 40′ dome kit with entryways, dormers and skylights only costs about 38,000 euros in materials.

BUILT ON A CLIFF SIDE WITH FANTASTIC PANORAMIC VIEWS:This dome home is one of Los Angeles’ unusual homes. Using ideas once promoted in Ideal Home Catalog, this pioneering work of vertically-interconnected spaces defies domestic convention. Flexible live-work arrangements are accommodated within the lower levels, illuminated by a dozen skylights, earth sheltered and topped by a green roof for maximum thermal efficiency. The geodesic dome above shelters a vast interior studio volume for meditation, art, rehearsal, performance, or entertaining. A perfect haven for artists. The interior area totals approximately 1,812 square feet on a site of nearly a quarter acre. The market price, which was posted in 2007, was $799,000.Yet a home like this can be built for around 40,000 euros (based on average cost of materials in today’s markets).

BUILDING WITH EXTENSIONS:Note the extensions to the sides and at top. One previous complaint about dome homes has been sound - while the domes are acoustically perfect for musicians, regular folks discovered that a sound produced in one side of the dome could be heard throughout the dome. Although perfect for a club, discotec or theatre etc it is undesirable in a home where privacy is required. To counter this problem, extensions provide space that avoids that sound issue, as home offices, bedrooms, and other rooms that require privacy can be built into these additional extensions. Rooms like the one at the bottom of this dome home also provide additional opportunities for solar heating. Currently, a 36′ diameter dome with three openings runs about 38,000 euros for basic material costs. This Wisconsin home currently is for sale for $499,000.

Monolithic domes also exist:

Segmented dome makes a good greenhouse

Basic construction is different

Some are designed to rotate:

Fully rotatable dome follows the sunTo take advantage of light and heat

Internal walls can be placed anywhere:

Internal walls do not need to supportweight and can be built anywhere…

It is easy to build extensions:

Dome homes can be joined to increaseliving space

Big open plan interiors can be built:

Typical ideas for floorplans:

Interiors can be designed in many ways:

They can be easily joined to make larger space:

Much flexibilty on interior designs:

Because no restrictions on interior walls:

2 or more floors can be made:

10 Interesting facts about dome houses: Of all the various structures, domes are the lightest and

srongest structure known to man

Domes use less materials for the construction but are more resilient than any other type of structure

Because domes use less than 30% materials than any other structure it is easier to control the internal temperature

Domes will withstand hurricanes and 300 mile an hour winds.

Domes are laso the oldest structure known to man.

Domes form some of the largest structures in the world.

Dome Ocean Myazaki in Japon, has dimensions of 300x100x38 and is the world’s biggest aquapark.

Georgia dome es 1.6 million ft/2 y has 7 floors and covers an area of 8.9 acres.

Dome structures are very secure and unaffected by moderate earthquakes.

Domes are the cheapest type of home to build and can be made very luxurious

Dome homes keep a constant internal temperature:

Blue is the internal dome temperature; red is the external temperature:

Studies show that the temperature inside a dome stays fairly constant:

Different designs are available:

12metres dia 3v type 12metres dia 3v type

12metres dia 3v type12metres dia 3v type

Using different ellipsoid structures:

16metres dia 4v type 16metres dia 4v type

16metres dia 4v type16metres dia 4v type

They can be used for different applications:

Disco bar

Sauna and beauty centre

There are some very futuristic types:

And if you need a qualified builder:

MARTIN WILLIAMS