Geodesic domes are incredibly strong structures.
Something about spheres and triangles... 
Geodesic domes are incredibly strong structures.
Something about spheres and triangles...
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:Geodesic domes are incredibly strong structures.
Something about spheres and triangles...
Physics + physics = PHYSICS
one of the dome videos is 7 years old ,
it would be interesting to see how the outer material held up in the weather ,
my canopies from Costco have less than a 2 year life for the covering with a lot of sun and 80F days ,
I am sure these are built with better material , but Joshua Tree is much hotter than near the coast ,
Can you buy an upgraded cover from them ?
Still a great idea ,
PS : you need to have some good Telescopes and a star map for the guests....
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
That dome is amazing.
What is the price point?
Really thinking of the dome. I think it will work the best
starter anout $5k. with bathrooms and upgrades 10k
You have my attention. Following to learn more about building a geodesic dome one can live in.
ProDarwin said:You have my attention. Following to learn more about building a geodesic dome one can live in.
Perfect!
I hope to make decision mid next week and order everything
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Yeah, you've got my attention too. I've considered a bunch of different ideas, but I really like the dome idea.
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Are you talking with Pacific Dome, or a different company?
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Are you talking with Pacific Dome, or a different company?
They are one of 4 I spoke to
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Yeah, you've got my attention too. I've considered a bunch of different ideas, but I really like the dome idea.
Always need partners, Paul :)
Whats the structure called where you inflate a dome, spray liquid concrete on it, let it dry, deflate the bladder and then finish?
mr2s2000elise said:SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Yeah, you've got my attention too. I've considered a bunch of different ideas, but I really like the dome idea.
Always need partners, Paul :)
PMed you.
In reply to ProDarwin :
I've helped with several dome structures. Both wood and concrete.
My problem with the hard sided domes is that they are dark, dingy, and ugly as berkeley. There is simply no design aesthetic. Windows look like triangular portals, and there is never enough glass. The roofs get shingles, but there is no line to delineate where the roof ends and the walls begin, so the shingles continue to the ground, or some other nonsense.
Something about the permanent unnatural exterior finishes seems to violate the alleged eco-nature of the structures.
Did one that was concrete with hundreds of thousands of old bottles of every color imaginable embedded in the shell like litttle colored portals of light. Wow. That was an abortion.
I like the temporary feel of the fabric skin. It's elegant. It doesn't try to hide what it is. It has its own aesthetic that syncs with the tubing structure. And the large continuous transparent sections look more like they are integrating the interior space with the exterior environment, instead of little holes and odd shaped portals.
The temporary fabric skin just adds to the feel and quality that contributes to the AirBnB experience. It's like eco-glamping, with a sexy sleek exposed skeleton.
I don't think all domes are equal. Hard sided domes look like a massive elephant turd dumped in a place it doesn't belong. These ones have a very elegant beauty and design aesthetic.
Another thing...
The permanent hard-sided domes always seem to be presenting themselves as a viable alternative to conventional housing. They are not.
These ones present themselves as simple, elegant, temporary structures. Huh. How bout that? What do you know! That's exactly what they are!
AirBnB spaces are not permanent housing. They are temporary short term experiences. The tent domes seem like a perfect expression of that.
Yeah, I wasn't necessarily thinking of Airbnb housing.
I get the design aesthetic comment. I think there are ways that part could be corrected. I am eager to understand their other shortcomings. Why was the one you built an abortion? Why do you think they are not a viable alternative to conventional housing?
I like the fabric dome but for a more permanent & full-featured structure I am skeptical of them.
In reply to ProDarwin :
I'll respond to most of your question later, but I can answer the abortion question now...
It LITERALLY looked like a junkyard. Bottles and sloppy concrete. It looked like something waiting to be buried in a landfill.
And it was terribly dark. Colored bottles don't let a lot of light through. There were windows, but not enough square footage of window for the square footage of floor space. They thought the bottles would let enough light in- they didn't.
It also leaked. Badly. Concrete expands and contracts. Glass doesn't. Once leaks started developing around the bottles, good luck resealing them.
It was a crazy hippie idea with little actual application use as a house. Maybe a sculpture, but not a house.
Ok, yeah I can see all that. I've seen that bottle idea done on earthship homes, but they use some sort of mud/clay/whatever and it only goes on vertical interior walls.
In reply to ProDarwin :
As an engineer, I know you understand materials of construction. And to that extent, I respect your concerns about the fabric. But the fabric could EASILY be replaced in a day when it reaches the end of its lifespan. Concrete (or shot-Crete, or any cementious product) is a NIGHTMARE to re-waterproof after it has developed micro-fissures or leaks. And wood systems usually have shingles, which are tremendously difficult to apply effectively to a surface whose pitch begins at completely vertical, and ends at completely horizontal (zero pitch), and is broken up into hundreds of triangle shaped surfaces.
Also...
Lets assume every roof will one day need maintenance. It's extremely hard to scaffold a hard surface dome. You can't lean a ladder properly against it, and the pitch may be flat enough to walk on at the peak, but keep walking downhill, and you will eventually fall off.
A fabric skin may be able to be replaced without ever walking on it.
Concrete is a material I am not familiar enough with, hence some of my questions. How long would it last before cracking?
Normal roofs need maintenance way, way sooner than I find acceptable.
Actually, normal houses in general. Part of this is due to crap building codes, but I despise general US home construction. Like 30% of the home is thrown out every 15 years to be replaced. Flooring, cabinets, roof (if shingles), deck, etc. I'm not a fan of designing something that I know will be thrown away, unless the material used is biodegradeable which I can almost guarantee that fabric is not.
One of my dreams is to build a forever-ish house that requires almost no maintenance. I know it can be done. It will cost more up front, but be more efficient and a massive savings in the long run.
Anyway, getting a little off topic. I appreciate the simplicity of the dome tents for an AirBNB type experience. I like the Yurt idea as well.
In reply to ProDarwin :
ALL things need maintenance.
We will probably have to disagree on that one. 
SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to ProDarwin :
ALL things need maintenance.
True an "no maintenance" is obviously an exaggeration. There is a lot of room for improvement, especially in the lower price range homes though.
How would you deal with the 100f-125f summer temps .
humidity out there is pretty low ,
My friend in Palm Desert has huge summer electric bills to keep his old house down to 85f-90f in the daytime
In reply to californiamilleghia :
They have insulation packages, and UV protective coatings available.
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