Geodesic Homes | sustainableliving

Geodesic Dome Homes:

Buckminster Fuller is known as a philosopher, mathematician, engineer, historian, and poet known for popularizing the geodesic dome in architectural projects. One of his ambitions was to do more with less, knowing that eventually a housing crisis may endanger the planet’s growing population. He also noticed problems inherent in conventional construction techniques whereas natural structures seemed to have less trouble adapting to Mother Nature’s various issues.

Energy Efficiency: The sphere is nature’s most efficient shape, covering the most living area with the least amount of surface area. When compared with a similar sized rectangular-shaped house, the dome home will have 30 percent less surface area. A dome home will actually use about 1 /3 less lumber to build than a similar sized box house, according to Linda Boothe, owner of Oregon Dome, so even though the dome uses less material, it’s about five times stronger than a rectangular-shaped house. Additionally, a third less surface area means that a third less heat is transferred to and from its surroundings, saving the average dome homeowner about 30 percent or more on their average heating and cooling bill.

Disaster-Proof: When the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Santa Cruz mountains hit in 1989, it hit 7.1 on Richter scale and over 500 conventional homes in the area were destroyed or needed extensive repair. Many more were damaged or needed major repair after the aftershocks rolled through. The only home to survive that quake in the area was an Oregon Dome geodesic dome home as it was set up as a shelter for local earthquake survivors. Time and time again, dome homes have survived earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes when all other homes were destroyed because the triangle is the strongest shape.”

Cheaper to Build than Traditional Houses: You save on building materials, making them cheaper to build. Think of it like a soap bubble. Less surface area equals less lumber— which is cheaper for you all around.

Endless Design Possibilities: Design possibilities are almost endless. While it may seem odd at first to try and figure out how to design a round home, the open floor plan allows you to insert or remove walls almost anywhere. A dome home is structurally independent of interior framing, so you don’t have to worry about that kitchen wall being “load-bearing”. Further, natural openings that occur within the construction of the dome allow for large openings and windows to the outside, letting light in throughout.

Figure 1: (Left) Geodesic Dome Exterior. http://inhabitat.com/5-great-reasons-to-build-a-geodesic-dome

Figure 2: (Right) Geodesic House Interior. http://inhabitat.com/5-great-reasons-to-build-a-geodesic-dome