Dome Home's topics - tribe.net

Pacific Domes

2009-12-01T13:49:51Z

NAMASTE

I am looking at getting a dome kit from Pacific Domes.Has anyone one here bought one or lived in one?????

In Love and Light

Pritam

posted in Dome Home - 16 replies

A link you all might enjoy

2009-03-16T20:51:30Z

http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/TranslucentRoof.html

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

hay bale dome

2009-03-14T15:37:15Z

Hi, any of you folks constructed a hay bale dome. What is involved and is it enormously laborious?

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Double Eco-Dome completed in Joshua Tree!!!

2008-10-01T16:40:37Z

A private individual had constructed this double Eco-Dome in record time. Just over two months!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/decker.neil/JTreeClosingTheDomes

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

mini-dome, cool structure

2008-05-05T02:56:50Z

http://www.strombergschickens.com/starplate_building_system/starplate_index.htm

I'm thinking about building a few of these.

posted in Dome Home - 4 replies

Roof ing help in Berkeley, CA

2008-01-05T20:38:11Z

Hello, my grandmother built a wooden geodesic dome in Berkeley in the 70s. The original shingle design was flawed and a layer of composition shingles were installed on top of that. It needs to be re-skinned desperately and I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do. I think its about 36' in diameter and is not a perfect hemishere. I'd like to do the project myself and with help as I'm sure a roofing company would be prieced out of my range. Any advice would be great.

Thanks
Nick

posted in Dome Home - 2 replies

Holiday Stuff

2007-12-25T19:36:51Z

Hey folks, I'm not one for being PC, and I'd like to address the diversity of my Tribe in alphabetical order .

Have a Happy and/or Merry:
Christmas
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
Las Posadas
Ramadan
Solstice

Your Mod,
Dr.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Dome Home SPAM policy

2007-12-11T17:46:36Z

Due to recent incidents on other tribes I moderate I've decided to spread the NO SPAM policy to all of them. It's very complicated and a long read but it goes like this:

Don't SPAM!

If you wanna advert your business or product use a listing and add this tribe to it. I am willing to make concessions on this policy if whatever is directly related to the topic of the tribe. But blatant spamming, no.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Placeholders

2007-10-21T07:52:57Z

I'm creating several topics that I am going to adding information to. You may find a topic created with no information in it. These are simply placeholders to remind me that I need to add some content under each of the headings... this is not to say that someone cannot beat me to the punch if the mood strikes you.

posted in Dome Home - 4 replies

Dome Sweet Home

2007-10-09T18:19:23Z

I just downloaded a book from the Monolithic Dome Institutes website for FREE! It's called "Dome Sweet Home" and it's a very basic introduction to the challenges and options of building your own dome home. A trifecta effort by Carmella Gonella, Michele Ostrowski and Jean Hirst.

The book is 148 pages and it covers very lightly interior and exterior design options. The hiring of contractors, architects, financing and insuring and a clear as mud section on Feng Shui. Overall the book is a good introduction to dome living and some of the challenges and problems that the authors faced while building and maintaining their own domes.

I'm happy with this book as a free book and its a good introduction to domes, it has very little in depth discussion on anything as it brushes against several topics very lightly.

From: http://shop.monolithic.com/products/dome-sweet-home

Dome Sweet Home

* Vendor: MM
* Type: Books

$ 21.95

Now Available for Free Download
http://www.monolithic.com/domeliving/domesweetdome/index.html

The Joys and Challenges of Building
and Living in the Round.
by Carmella Gonella, Michele Ostrowski and Jean Hirst
Forward by David B. South

This 148-page book takes the reader through a dome
building journey and shares insights into lessons
learned—both good and bad. Each chapter is full
of information, black and white photographs and illustrations. Topics include:

* Exterior and Interior Design Elements
* Financing and Insuring a Dome Home
* Building in a Rural Area
* Finding an Architect and/or Contractor
* Feng Shui for Living in the Round

Carmella and Jean are currently living in a dome home community in Northeast Georgia. They intend this book to be a one-stop introduction to planning and construction considerations to arm you before you begin with information and suggestions.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Seeds of peace in the middle east?

2007-08-06T07:25:03Z

Hay all!
I've tried to post a this before, but for some reason, it didn't registrar and folks couldn't read what I had written. So, I'm going to attempt to write it out again and hopefully this time, we'll have more responses,

Ok, so...a little info and background. I'm in Israel, and working on a project out here to grow herbs for the community. Also, wanting very much to have a program available for kids and their parents to learn about plants and how they communicate with us on all levels. It's really something that isn't being done here and I would like to bring this opportunity to light. I need some help. That's way i'm writing this request. We have a few green houses, so climate is not an issue. We need seeds! All different kinds, but organic. Herbs and winter vegetables.

The list for herbs:Elder flowers ,Yarrow ,Sage ,Rose hips ,Echinacea,Mullein,Astragalus,
Poke Root,Elecampane ,Thyme.

We are asking for 30 seeds each be sent to Israel.
We are asking for donations, since this project can really use all the help it can get and we really don't have the funds to get these seeds. Also, we request that the seeds are from your own garden and collected by you. It's a beautifal thing to know that the seeds that we are receiving are from people who cared for these plants and havested the seeds themselves. There is a story there and it makes it interesting to explain where these seeds came from and who cared for them. We like telling it this way.

Our request for organic Veggie seeds:
Celery ,Chinese leaves ,Dark greens ,Leeks ,Mushrooms, Squashes ,Winter roots ,Winter salads.

If it's not too much trouble to send the seeds with labels so we know what is what.

If you have any questions please feel to send me a message.
Thanks so much for helping us with this project. I mean a lot to us and the many people who's lives will be changed by your seeds.

If you are interested, please let me know and I can give out the address of where to send the seeds.

~peace~

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

for the dome homes builders

2007-08-05T16:19:48Z

my name is gilad and right now i have a company in israel wich builed geodesic domes.
the thing is that i would realy like to learen somewhere how to build a dome home
and i mean working and learning it (where evere) so i can come and build them in israel
if somebodey of you guys are interested in a worker
i would like to hear from you
gilad

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Domecountry get domed!

2007-07-04T10:37:37Z

Ahoys all domers ...The very Popular Domecountry tee shirt is availble by mail order.and make great gifts..The Domecountry website has been resurected and is gaining data...sail in and have a look ,order a Get Domed tee shirt, try our crossword puzzle or the jigsaw puzzle...why? Well just for fun , Thats why ....Money from the tee-shirt sales helps us with hosting the film festival here ..show your support for out of the box lifestyle Order a tee shirt now only 20.07 plus S+H
captain..._/)..
http://www.domecountry.com/2007/products.html

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE

2007-05-02T16:10:32Z

Discovery Channel's GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE Brings Viewers Inside America's Energy Revolution

90-Minute Special Hosted by Award Winning Author and Journalist Thomas L. Friedman

Award winning author and journalist Thomas L. Friedman travels the globe to unravel the tangled web of where Americans get energy, and reveals what viewers can do about their carbon footprint. Friedman visits the front lines of an energy revolution that is just taking shape, and reveals what is at stake for not only America but the world. The world premiere special GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE airs Saturday, April 21 at 9:00 PM (ET/PT) on Discovery Channel.

In GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE, Friedman, author of The World is Flat, sets out to discover how the greening of America could change the way we live. The United States is at the beginning of a surge toward green energy, powered by the sun, wind, water and even grass, but it will not be enough. The key is clean carbon-free energy, on a huge scale. Friedman explores many sources of carbon-free energy, including some that might sound counter- intuitive, such as coal and nuclear energy.

Visiting companies that are making a difference, such as Google, Wal-Mart and Texas Instruments, Friedman shares the energy-saving methods they are taking. Google is using hydro-electric power created by a dam while Wal-Mart is cutting by a third what each store spends on energy and doubling the fuel efficiency of its trucking fleet. Friedman also, Friedman explores ways that the Green family can help the environment with the cars they drive investigating ways that automobile manufacturers are experimenting with hybrid electricity-powered cars.

GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE examines ways American families can change the world and have the same effect as global giants like Wal-Mart.

GREEN: THE NEW RED, WHITE AND BLUE is produced for the Discovery Channel by Optomen Productions. Beth Hoppe is executive producer for Optomen and Julian Hobbs executive produced for Discovery Channel.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion people in over 170 countries. Through TV and digital media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Health. DCI is owned by Discovery Holding Company (Nasdaq: DISCA; DISCB), Cox Communications Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit www.discovery.com.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070416/nem092.html?.v=2

posted in Dome Home - 2 replies

Welcome New Foiks!

2007-04-09T03:10:07Z

My apologies for not welcoming the new folks individually in the past couple months I must admit I've been a slack ass in keeping up with my obligations to welcoming new ppl and updating previous topics that I have been talking about, but I've been busy in my research and correspondence with corporate types. Their just aren't enough hours in the day, ever.

Anyways welcome aboard and please feel free to tap into the knowledge of the board. I am but a mere humble moderator charged solely with trying to stimulate conversation and troll eradication. I have another 10 years of education before I will even begin to consider myself a master in the fields that I am pursuing.

Knowledge is power and information is free, so if you have it or are looking for it please share it.

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

Heating Your Dome.

2007-03-13T18:12:07Z

Well folks as we are in the winter season in my area I'm going to address something that is a vital function of living environment. HEAT. Sure you dont NEED heat in your dome, but life sure is more comfortable when you can take your coat off while your relaxing at home.

Now personally while I dont live in a permanent dome, however I have erected several different types of temporary structures and i've always dealt with the need for heat during the night by the use of my personal portable propane heaters, practical for temporary structures but not exactly low impact or renewable for a permanent structure.

So I've been looking at my options, you have corn pellet - woodstove/furnaces, woodstove/ fireplace inserts, converting oil burning furnaces to vegetable oil or biodiesel, radiant floor heating/ low pressure boilers systems, solar water heating, solar air heating.

Their are two different major methods of heating. These are convective heating as is found in forced air systems, and radiant heating as found in radiators, but for the purposes of moving beyond older technology and moving into less typical but more efficient radiant floor technologies. The major difference is that Convective heating warms the air, while Radiant heating heats the floor, the furniture and the humans.

I'm going to be discussing all of these various different technologies and posting articles that are in line with this topic. As always anything is open for discussion and any is welcomed to post questions or comments on the aritcles. I have quite a bit a experience using all the technologies listed and I'll be happy to go through the pro's and cons of each.

posted in Dome Home - 5 replies

2006

2006-12-27T03:40:00Z

Alright folks, I want to hear from you, some of you have questions and some of your have answers. Together we make a solution.

I want to hear what folks have planned for 2006, dreams, wants, aspirations and realities. Lets make it happen, I mean really everybody knows that circles are the sexiest shape!

posted in Dome Home - 15 replies

Holiday Greetings

2006-12-24T23:35:13Z

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others,
or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2000, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical disability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

Legal Disclaimer: By accepting this agreement, you are accepting these terms.

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by
law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance
of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Sincerely,
The Dr.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Updated Mission Statement

2006-10-17T21:05:19Z

Hi folks,
I've been a little slow to update and add content on this tribe. I apologize for this, I have been a little wrapped up with work and research and honestly haven't been inspired to keep it fresh. Its been hard to talk about building my dome, because I dont even have a place picked out where I want to put one yet. Site selection is going to be a big deal because I'm in the process of planning for developing a eco-village type community out here in the MD, DC, VA greater metropolitain area, which is to say probably somewhere in MD or VA, but not too far that a commuter shuttle becomes unreasonable.

Anyways instead of creating new tribes or mailing lists... [I dont need anymore to moderate currently] I am going to broaden the scope of my exsisting tribes to include the many focuses that encompass being an environmentalist who is trying to live the good life, the proper way.

So with that I am updating the Mission Statement of this Tribe to include the broadened scope of this Dome Home Tribe. I want to add that encourage anyone who has questions about the changes, or simply wants to add some content to keep things interesting to do so!

Mission Statement:

Too hip to be square, your either looking for information on building your own dome home, already live in a dome home and dont mind answering questions and sharing infor or just curious. Do you really need a reason? Everything from temporary installations to permanent dewellings.

This tribe will also cover sustainable living practices, to include but no limited to building materials, construction methods, gardening, alternative energy generation and installation, heating and cooling of structures, and much much more.

So welcome aboard, and your input and questions are appreciated!

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Concrete and green building

2006-01-28T00:32:04Z

I read something recently that commented on the mining aspect of using concrete: the supply cannot be replenished as quickly as it is taken and used, therefore it is not a sustainable building practice. However, I really like monolithic domes and what I've read about them: energy savings, efficient use of materials, and structural integrity. The number of years a dome can stand with very little maintenance compared to standard construction seems significant.

Do these advantages outweigh or sufficiently offset the use of resources?

I am part of an intentional community planning group and I would like to propose that we have a least some monolithic domes in the community. So, I guess I'm looking for some confirmation that it has real sustainability merit, not just "different than the norm" appeal.

Thanks,
Dee

http://www.monolithic.com/plan_design/green/index.html

http://www.monolithic.com/pres/marriedtoconcrete/married-to-concrete.pdf

posted in Dome Home - 3 replies

Happy new year

2006-01-02T05:26:12Z

NAMASTE

May the new year bring each of you many blessings and peace your way.

In Love and Light

Pritam

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

Best Wishes

2005-12-31T10:24:48Z

My best wishes to everyone on the New Year.

May your celebration be fun and safe and filled with friends and family.

May your heart be filled with joy and may you find happiness and keep it as a constant companion.

For those of you who must work, my thoughts are with you. I have been there so many times before.

Folks please dont drive under the influence of anything. Being in jail or worse, injured or dead, by your own or someone elses carelessness is a horrible way to start the year.

If your in DC, MD or VA PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take advantage of the free cab rides that are being offerred. My volunteer firehouse just recently lost a member due to someones poor judgement.

WRAP's 2005 Holiday SoberRide service will be offered from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am from Friday, December 9, 2005 through Sunday, January 1, 2006. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $50.00 fare), please call 800-200-8294 (TAXI) or #8294 (TAXI) on your Cingular telephone. Please refer to the SoberRide information listed below for important details concerning this program. You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service.

Please note: At this time the SoberRide line is only able to accept calls from cell phones with a DC, Maryland, or Virginia area code number and any local landline or pay phone.

General SoberRide Information

WRAP's SoberRide, called one of the nation's most successful free cab ride programs for would-be impaired drivers (WTOP-AM, 12/30/00), has helped to ensure greater Washington, DC residents have a safe way home on high-risk holidays.

Currently, SoberRide operates during the December/January holiday
season, St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day and Halloween.

WRAP's SoberRide provides a free cab ride home up to a $50 fare.
Callers are financially responsible for anything over $50.

You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service. All calls must originate in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland; the Cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park in Maryland; the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun Counties in Virginia; and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia.

You cannot reserve a SoberRide or schedule a pickup in advance. To receive a ride, you must call 1-800-200-8294 (TAXI) or #8294 (TAXI) on your Cingular telephone during the program hours. A SoberRide call operator will direct your request to the correct participating cab company. Please note: At this time the SoberRide line is only able to accept calls from cell phones with a DC, Maryland, or Virginia area code number and any local landline or pay phone.

Participating Taxi Companies:
Alexandria Yellow Cab (Alexandria)
Barwood, Inc. (Montgomery County)
Fairfax Yellow Cab (Fairfax County)
Loudoun Yellow Cab (Eastern Loudoun County)
Manassas Cab Company (Prince William County)
Red Top Cab Company (Arlington County)
Silver Cab of Prince George's County (Prince George's County)
Taxi Transportation Services (DC) includes:

* District Cab
* Liberty Cab
* Consolidated Cab
* American Cab
* Premium Cab
* Washington Cab
* Independent Cab
* Comfort Cab

Yellow Cab of Prince William County (Prince William County)

When waiting for a SoberRide, please watch for a cab from the participating taxi company in the area from which you are calling.

WRAP
1420 Spring Hill Road, Suite 250, McLean, VA 22102
TEL. 703.893.0461 FAX 703.893.0465
Email: wrap@wrap.org

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Dome Home Stories

2005-12-19T21:49:41Z

I"m going to be posting some articles on stories that deal with the construction of Dome Homes. Enjoy!

Building dome, sweet dome

By Kristina Lord

Herald Valley bureau

PROSSER -- Carla Willard visualized a cave when her husband spoke of his dream to build a dome home.

"I thought, 'Ugh, those were ugly little bunkers.' I went, 'Yeah, right. Fine. Go ahead.' I couldn't visualize it," Willard said.

But when she saw pictures in a magazine of an upscale monolithic concrete dome, she began to see the possibilities of what she originally thought looked like an upside-down swimming pool.

Then she was hooked when she walked into her first dome in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, last May.

"It has that cozy feeling and very secure kind of like you're-coming-home-type feelings. ... I felt very secure, kind of like getting a big hug from the house," Willard said.

Her husband, Jim Willard, has been dreaming about a dome home for almost 15 years, and when he's not busy working the family's 700 acres of asparagus, apples, cherries and wine and juice grapes north of Prosser, he's designing his dream house.

"We've talking about it for a long time, mostly during the wintertime when we're not farming. That's been when he sits at the computer, and we'd talk about house plan designs," said Carla Willard.

The Willards popped open champagne last weekend to celebrate the beginning of the project as air pumped into a huge earth-toned, igloo-shaped canvas.

Friends and neighbors dropped in to marvel at the unusual work in progress.

But Jim Willard's mother, Helen, wasn't surprised about her son's project. "Even as a kid, he was always building something," she said.

But there's more to the dome home than its unconventional shape.

"It's structurally sound, very efficient for heating and cooling. It usually takes half the energy for heating and cooling these domes," Jim Willard explained.

The inflated canvas forms the future walls of the house. The structure will be 64 feet in diameter and
24 feet high, with a 36-foot diameter two-car garage.

The two-story dome will have three bedrooms, a library, office, spiral staircase and large living room. The dome will have windows, and most of the inside walls will be slightly curved.

About 3 inches of polyurethane foam and 3 inches of a special concrete mixture will be sprayed from inside the dome onto the canvas to form the walls. The fans pumping air into the dome run throughout construction until the concrete hardens.

The brownish canvas will remain on the outside of the dome to protect the foam from the sun's ultraviolet rays, rain and snow. It will last for five to
10 years without any special coating, but Willard plans to cover it with stucco.

The Willard family has spent 23 years in a 1950s tenant house trucked in from Hanford to the end of McDonald Road north of Prosser.

The house has been cramped for the family of four, and in 1982, the Willards added an office, another bathroom and room for storage.

"When I moved in here, I didn't have a broom closet," Carla Willard said.

The Willards hired the Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Dome Co. in October to build the dome adjacent to their current house. The shell of the building should be complete in March.

Willard's monolithic dome is the only one being built in Benton County, said Steve Brown, the county's chief building inspector. A county resident applied for a permit to build a dome on Badger Road more than a year ago, but it wasn't built, Brown said.

The Monolithic Dome Institute in Texas knows of about 700 domes in 28 countries worldwide, including about a dozen in Washington, said David South, president of the institute.

South built his first dome in 1976 and is considered the father of the concrete dome. Now, he focuses on teaching and training builders to make them.

Rocky Mountain Dome Co. manager Walter Durham learned to build the domes at the institute three years ago.

"It's just a lifelong dream of mine to see domes," South said. "I tell people they're a paradigm shift in construction. They don't seem like that at first because they're made out of concrete and rebar. The insulation is on the exterior of the concrete. And it seems silly to insulate on the outside of the rock."

But the domes are structurally sound, South explained.

"It's absolutely tornado, hurricane, bug, earthquake proof. It's as close to permanent as you can make a structure without making it like a pyramid. There's nothing for bugs to eat, nothing to rot," South said. "It's kind of another shift in our country. America is built on cutting up wood and making buildings out of it."

He said all sorts of people choose the domes.

"We don't appeal much to the fashion conscious, yet. If you're going after the middle American housewife, you'll get a bloody nose. She's not ready. They don't look like a house," South said. "It's a fashion thing."

But domes are being used more and more for schools, churches and gymnasiums, he said.

"We get a real mix of people. We're getting some really high end. This one of Willard's is going to be a nice home."

Jim Willard is keeping mum on the cost of his dome until it's finished, but Burnham said the average expense is within 10 percent of the cost of a conventional house.

The agricultural market could affect the pace of construction. The family is saving money and building as they can. Electricity and a septic system already are in place.

"When apple prices went down, we knew we were not going to do this as soon as we wanted," said Carla Willard.

Jim Willard remains a bit more optimistic. "We hope to move in this year, maybe in the fall or summer," he said.

But his wife will be happy if they move in before their son, Michael, 16, graduates from Prosser High School in 2002.

On the Net: www.monolithicdome.com

n Reporter Kristina Lord can be reached at 509-786-7133 or via e-mail at kmlord@bentonrea.com.
This story was published 2/18/2001
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/2001/0218/story1.html

posted in Dome Home - 3 replies

Diesel

2005-12-19T07:53:04Z

Hey kids [and old farts] I wanted to drop in and do a little shameless advertising for my new tribe.

Its called Diesel and/or Diesel Power and its going to deal with all the new advancement in diesel technologies and alternative diesel fuels expanding on both renewable and non-renewable fuel sources.

Since the rise of the price of a barrell of oil and the well muffled general panic that is coming primarily from Suadi Arabia we are looking at a energy shortage. Nobody knows exactly when, but the oil companies themselves are starting to look for alternatives, considering it was the oil companies themselves who had stiffled any other alternatives this is a good sign.

Unfortunatly some of the solutions in the pipeline for the future, arent necessarily the cleanest most environmentally friendly options available and some others take waste products and turn them into clean burning alternatives. They do however address the need for cheap energy and if they can be scaled more easily than cleaner alternatives we could find ourselves on the same pickle in a different barrell.

The purpose of the tribe is to be informative, so that we all become better informed on what is out there as these other not so clean alternatives pop up. I have some really interesting {or at least I think its interesting} stuff posted already as well as have some contributions coming in.

I think we all know that bio-diesel will not be able to sustain our demands for fuel. But would you believe you could make diesel from waste woodchips and mix in a little bio-d for lubricity and whammo, you have a clean fuel and you help reduce the waste stream.

Anyways I hope that you will join, there are many very interesting topics to discuss and information to share.

http://tribes.tribe.net/dieselpower

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Dome Cover Pattern

2005-10-05T12:18:28Z

Heya,

I'm looking to create a dome skin and need a pattern to mold around the sphere. Anybody gotta link?

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

30 Days / Dancing Rabbit Eco Village Featured!

2005-09-30T17:56:37Z

So there is a new show on FX (the Fox national satelite/cable channel) called 30days. It's "hosted" by the same guy that brought us the documentary "Supersize Me" (Morgan Spurlock).

Anyways they did a show where they brought a male 'bouncer' and a female "dj" from NYC to the Dancing Rabbit Eco village in Missouri and they followed them for 30 days!

The bouncer drove a Ford Exploder and the DJ drove a I think Mitsubishi Somethingorother V6 I believe.

Anyways they brought in an "environmental consultant" who did an analysis of their lifestyles to figure out exactly how wastefull the average ignorant american is. By the EC's calculation it would take exactly 12.5 planets to support the worlds population if everyone lived like the average american.

*jaw drop*

I'm an environmentalist, but I've never had it put into perspective like that for me before and I live relativly low impact. Or as low impact as is impractical considering I live in the suburbs currently.

Anyways, it was interesting to watch the transformation of these two ppl. Nonetheless your atypical jaded arse New Yorkers, and watch how they adapted to low impact living.

Anyways if you get cable or satelitte or like me can watch a friends you should check the show out. I'm sure like everything it will be in endless reruns shortly. Or you can google up FX network and look up the listing.

Here is the link for the Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village. They wrote a little blurb about the whole experience as well. I'm not a big fan of the 30 minute docu-reality. Especially because of the heavy handed editing. But the show did sort of proove to me, that you can take even the average ignorant american and turn them around.

www.dancingrabbit.org/30Days.php

posted in Dome Home - 2 replies

Radio Muzyka Fakty Sp.z oo (RFM-FM)

2005-09-16T16:24:26Z

Just pulled down some photos and a short description from our friends over at MonolithicDome.com

It seems there is a Polish radio station that decided that they wanted to do a complex of domes for their office structure. Its all very Mars colony looking. Muy cool, but I would have gone with a different layout, perhaps something in a spoke hub.

Anyways I thought I would throw some pictures up and the description from the monolithic domes website, just so folks could see how these bulding look in clusters. You might notice that a fair amount of the windows appear to get direct sunlight, w/very little problems with building obstructions!

=--+--=

RMF Radio Station in Poland Occupies 21st Century Facility

April 5, 2005

by David B. South

In 1998, we received a visit from the Polish Radio station , Radio Muzyka Fakty Sp.z oo (RFM-FM). This large radio station covers all of Poland, but also broadcasts to audiences in other countries. Chicago, Illinois is the second largest broadcasting city for Poles and Warsaw is number one.

The management personnel who visited in 1998 told us they wanted a "well, thought-out" office complex for their radio station. We worked with them for a few months on the design, but they wanted the facility done much faster than we were able to provide at the time. So they contracted another Monolithic Dome builder in France who ended up building this facility for them.

This facility offers a 21st or 22nd Century exterior. Whenever I show people the photograph of this office complex they always remark, "Oh neat!" or "That's spectacular!" Can you imagine a visit to this place? You wouldn't look at an office building in the same light again. This same general complex can be built for a school, church, college -- something that looks to the future.

It's been proven that the modern or futuristic look affects people in a positive way. We have seen this at Emmett High School in Emmett, Idaho. A super-modern facility has a very positive impact on students. Likewise, a Monolithic Dome facility can send a super-modern message to any retail establishment, manufacturing plant, church, and more.

http://www.monolithicdome.com/domenews/2005/rmf.html
=--+--==--+--=

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Tribe "upgrades"

2005-08-24T06:59:53Z

I'm sure by now all of you have noticed that tribe is now "intergrating" intergrating ads all over the place here in tribe. Amongts the biggest things are every third post in a thread is an ad now as well as the banner ads on the sides of the pages and etc... ad naseum.

I'm sure you all enjoy the posting and information and squabbles that happen here on tribe. So please hear me out as I make this suggestion, and this is coming from someone who really hates ads and stuff but realizes these are nearly as bad as the balloon pop screen dominating ads on MSN and some others sites... but I digress.

I wanted to make a heartfelt appeal to everyone who enjoys tribe and doesnt want to see any more ads popping up in wierd spots. I really do enjoy a clean 'google-like' interface. So please please please take a moment to click on a few of the ads when you get the opportunity.

It helps make tribe a little money to keep this thing going and I really dont want to see anymore ads invading this thing. I'm not with the tribe crew or anything so silly, but I am the moderator of this tribe, so I cant exactly get in trouble for asking you to help keep it going. It only takes a moment of your time, and it prevents us from having to pay membership dues to keep the information flowing.

I apologize from interrupting the regularly scheduled programming and now return you to the show already in progress.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

My first geodesic dome

2005-06-03T13:18:46Z

Hey all,

I’m building my first geodesic dome. Although, I’ve worked on PVC structures in the past, this will be my first metal dome. It’s a 30 foot diameter 4 frequency dome. I just had 1250 feet of ¾” EMT dropped in my back yard and could use some advice.

First, cutting it up. I’m armed with a hacksaw and / or tube cutter. However, I have 250 cuts to make and would really prefer using a power tool. I haven’t worked with metal much and I’m not all that familiar with the different types of saws that could be used for this application. I’d prefer not to spend over $100 on a small table top saw of some sort. Any recommendations on which type of saw may work best?

Flattening the ends. I cannot afford a hydraulic press. So, I’m flattening the ends in a vise. It’s a lot of work, but given the price of a hydraulic press, I’ll gladly do it. My main concern is that the vice will flatten in a straight line, creating weak points. Is there any way to get that rounded line other than using a die and a hydraulic press? Is it possible to use a die in conjunction with a vise?

One last question. Although, I’m sure I’ll found out once it’s up, how much weight do you think could be suspended from the center point without causing the structure to warp or collapse? 30 ft diameter. 4V design. ¾ inch EMT.

Thanks in advance. I’m sure I’ll run into more questions as I progress.

dT

posted in Dome Home - 13 replies

Great Link

2005-05-23T23:40:30Z

NAMASTE

I thought i would post this link.There is not much on there site but from some friends who have ordered from them they have high marks.

http://www.gnomedome.com/

In Love and Light

Pritam

posted in Dome Home - 6 replies

Shelter-Systems 30' Design Plan

2005-04-22T16:41:50Z

Anyone out there have specific experience building Shelter-Systems domes?

I am currently engineering from pictures and friends smaller domes a 30' Shelter-Systems design. This is a PVC dome using 1" pipe in 5 foot and 3' lengths. It is a semisphere design and as a geotensic structure uses the frame to pull the skin ourtward from it's internal attachment (exoskeletal).

I have been looking at material for the covering.. and think I am set on Thoroshield 8000.. the stuff is amazingly strong and uber-lightweight.. but not as breathable as Tyvek Supra.. which is the bomb for sure. I will be creating the skin from sectionals as the dome is constructed and then interleaved to create overlapping sections for waterproofing and beathability.

My question concerns the cost for the anchors.. they are the most expensive part.. $150 for 100 of them.. it is more than the PVC itself. What tarp anchoring devices do people have experience with that are highly functional and low cost?

Pictures in the tribe home photo area.. consisting of straws.. 1/16 scale model.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Advanced Geodesic Dome Question

2005-04-21T07:38:25Z

Advanced Geodesic Dome Question

This summer I plan on building an elliptical geodesic dome.

I based it off an octahedron frequency 5. I stretched my face triangle so that the corners all matched up with a 20 by 30 ellipse. I then projected lines from the center to every intersection on my face triangle.

I used spherical coordinates to find all my points, built an excel spreadsheet to calculate strut lengths, central angles, plotted them in AutoCAD......DOME.

See picture:
http://www.lostmachine.com/images/misc/ellipdome.jpg

Here is my Question.

When I kept the divisions on my equilateral triangle proportionally correct while I manipulated it to fit into the ellipsoid the projections give huge differences in Strut length, varying from 2.5’ in the corners to over 6’ in the middle.

The engineer in me says that if my strut lengths were closer to the same length I’d have a stronger dome. I look at my face triangle and I think I could shrink the triangles near the center and that would help when I do my projection...

So, what is the best way to go about this?

Should I feel responsible for coming up with a relationship for the projected strut lengths and that of the face triangle and then manipulate accordantly?

Is there any written material covering this problem?

I know if I have all my struts the same length, I end up with all my points on a plane. I want to keep the same general curvature but would like more uniform struts.

I’m tempted to simply estimate, pull the inner triangles in and recalculate.

Then there is my other question.

If I do this, is it going to mess with the dome's ability to transfer forces throughout the structure? Is my gain in strength from shorter strut lengths going to be negated by odd angles?

Here is a link to the AutoCAD drawings in you would like to see them.

http://www.lostmachine.com/images/misc/elliptical5vw-tower.dwg

Thanks for the Help.

LM

X-posted to
Geodesic Design Group
Mathematics
sacred geometry

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Hubs

2005-04-21T04:38:03Z

I'm in the process of building a dome and have a couple ideas about hub designs but I'm curious of other people's ideas. I'm looking at a dome that's hubs could be used with both metal conduit and pvc until we can afford the metal conduit. I found this design on ebay and think it would work for both. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4372030908&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1

Thoughts?

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

Materials

2005-04-12T22:15:57Z

Hi all! We are building a geotensic dome for Burning Man this year, out of PVC. My question is: What type of fabric/material is good for PVC domes? We need something that is waterproof, windproof, lightweight, and sturdy. Any thoughts?

posted in Dome Home - 2 replies

Are dome homes safe?

2005-03-25T08:30:48Z

General question but would love comments from people that have built them. I'm looking at building plans presently to build my first home.

Jay

posted in Dome Home - 4 replies

Recycled Dome Home

2005-02-10T20:16:40Z

This is pretty neat this guy built his dome home from recycled boat parts. I'll paste the article here but follow the link to see the pictures.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1376754,00.html

The builder of this home, Franz Reynders, was a theatre and mime professor at Lewis and Clark College, as well as a sculptor and painter. During the six years of construction, Franz was committed to making his round house because, he said, bodies move in round motion. His friend and actor Burl Ross helped to build it. Reynders bought some battleship gun turret covers at a ship salvage yard for about $25 each. The steel domes make up most of the house's domes. They are connected with wood construction and covered with urethane foam and a coating of latex or rubber to protect them from the elements. The overall design positions the domes so they blend into the landscape, forming the crest of the hill they are built into. Reynders and his wife Joan landscaped, and he built the fun farm for his girls when they were small, introducing Chou the pot-bellied pig into the family.

Inside, the house is surprisingly well lit by skylights. The largest dome, built from a fabricated steel structure rather than a gun turret cover, is 17 feet high. Built-ins provide open interior spaces, and the half-dome is highly efficient. Although most of the home's walls are curved, the connecting passageways between the domes are flat and display Reynder's paintings. The master bedroom consists of two separate domes, one large and airy, lit by a giant skylight and small portholes (former holes for 55 mm cannons on the Battleship Bunker Hill), and one smaller dome is a sauna, designed to look like a Grecian urn. The children's bedrooms are also dome-shaped.

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Aloha

2005-02-06T01:36:07Z

Honestly I'm going to keep the welcome message short. I dont like the sound of my voice that much.

Basically I started this tribe with the intention of sharing information amongst folks who like the dome home concept, those who erect temporary structures and those of us who already live in a dome home and dont mind sharing information and answering questions.

I have liberally stolen some fotos from several websites and I posted the relevant links from each of the sites that they where stolen from. There are usually stories associated with the pictures either by following the link directly or going to the home page of the site listed in the photo caption.

Good stuff. Current sites include:

http://www.monolithicdome.com (concrete domes!)

http://www.aidomes.com/

http://www.domehome.com/

http://www.naturalspacesdomes.com/

posted in Dome Home - 8 replies

Brotherhood of Dome Builders

2004-12-15T05:46:36Z

We are the builders of the worlds first Bio-friendly Mono-lithic Domes. Green certified construction materials, self-sufficient energy, bio-friendly water systems, and much more....

Any questions....?

posted in Dome Home - 5 replies

Truncated Icosahedron

2004-12-05T10:29:37Z

Yes, a Dome Tribe, I looked for one a while ago but didn't come up with anything.

Since the Admin requested pics I’ve added a few of my Non-traditional geodesic dome that I built for Burning Man 2004.

It is 30 foot in diameter, 15 feet tall. It weighs over 1,000 pounds, over 1,200 linear feet of angle iron, nearly 270 struts, 100 bolts-washers-spacers-nuts, 180 panels, 540 zip ties hold those panels on, over 700 sq feet on the inside and it encloses almost 7,000 cubic feet.

The actual shape is a stellated truncated icosahedron (same as a soccer ball).

This design is not nearly as strong a traditional geodesic. It was chosen because there are many traditional Geodesics at burning man and I wanted to be different. The golden ratio can be found everywhere in this design, which is fitting for an art festival. I still need to finish updating my website with the construction details, I hope to get that done just after x-mas. In the mean time there are a few more images if you’re interested.

www.LostMachine.com

Thanks again for starting the Dome home tribe.
Bring on the Domes.

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

Prices to build???

2004-11-21T06:27:05Z

Hello to all

Just found this tribe today after looking for builders for domes in my area.Does any one know a rounded price for a one bedroom dome??????

In Love and Light

Pritam

posted in Dome Home - 1 reply

Crimping pipe ends

2004-10-01T06:47:11Z

So those of you who have experience building EMT domes, how have you gone about flattening and crimping the ends?

posted in Dome Home - 3 replies

Earthen Dome

2004-09-29T04:03:25Z

Well here is concept that is new to me...well not the building style but definetly the methods.

How about filling sandbags with earth, placing barbed wire inbetween layers and flattening the bags, then covering the whole thing with a stabilized portland adobe?

check it out here.

www.calearth.org/

http://www.calearth.org./

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Dome vs. Ivan the Terrible

2004-09-24T07:49:43Z

Ok well I probably havent stated this before, but I'm planning on building a nice dome home as soon as I find a nice piece of property near someplace I want to live.

I've been contemplating using concrete since it's such a sturdy material (when reinforced with rebar) and it has excellent "R" ratings when compared to traditional building materials. I found an ad for such homes in the back of popular science magazine with these folks at the monolithic dome institute. www.monolithicdome.com

Anyways after having thoroughly read their site. I ran across some information that seemed too good to be true. They claimed that some of their structures could withstand winds above gail force and even tornadoes. Ok I'm a bit of sceptic, I do realize that a dome shape is one of the strongest shapes out their, and that concrete is one of the stonger materials. But I'm a little leary when it comes to structual engineering and trusting the math....I dont know I just look back at some of the engineering disasters and I have to be a little skeptical, until I see something has been tried and true.

Well folks I now have my evidence. One of these structures located on a barrier island off the coast of florida has survived the brunt of one such event and did so with grace. While the exterior stair wells of the house did break off due to heavy tidal beatdown, the actual structure of the house is intact.

I included a couple links, including one where a MSNBC crew was in the house during the storm and they slept through it!

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6011773/

www.monolithicdome.com/domene...../ivan3.html

Really if your thinking about making yourself a nice eco-friendly house that takes little to cool and heat you should consider a dome home.

posted in Dome Home - 6 replies

Dome Rentals

2004-09-21T08:20:09Z

A couple of websites that popped up. Please note the rental in Florida is still standing after Hurricane Ivan, but the houses pictured around it are no longer standing....

http://www.domeofahome.com/

http://www.alaskaone.com/denalidome/

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies

Dome History

2004-09-21T07:54:48Z

Buckminster Fuller invented the Geodesic Dome in the late 1940s to demonstrate some ideas about housing and ''energetic-synergetic geometry'' which he had developed during WWII. This invention built on his two decade old quest to improve the housing of humanity. It represents a brilliant demonstration of his synergetics principles; and in the right circumstances it could solve some of the pressing housing problems of today (this housing crisis Fuller predicted back in 1927).

Richard Buckminster Fuller: the planet's friendly genius. A scientist, philosopher. Bucky has gained renown as an inventor and designer (of the Dymaxion house, car and map), the creator of the geodesic dome, the man who coined the term "Spaceship Earth" and organized the World Game, the mathematician who discovered Synergetics, and as a dogged individualist whose genius has been felt throughout the world. He made his mark in areas of architecture, mathematics, philosophy, religion, urban development and design, naturalism, physics, numerology, art and literature, industry and technology.

A Geodesic Dome is a type of structure shaped like a piece of a sphere or a ball. This structure is comprised of a complex network of triangles that form a roughly spherical surface. The more complex the network of triangles, the more closely the dome approximates the shape of a true sphere.

By using triangles of various sizes, a sphere can be symmetrically divided by thirty-one great circles. A great circle is the largest circle that can be drawn around a sphere, like the lines of latitude [Ed. he means longitude] around the earth, or the equator. Each of these lines divide the sphere into two halves, hence the term geodesic, which is from the Latin meaning "earth dividing". [From Mitch Amiano]

The dome is a structure with the highest ratio of enclosed area to external surface area, and in which all structural members are equal contributors to the whole. There are many sizes of triangles in a geodesic, depending on the frequency of subdivision of the underlying spherical polyhedron. The cross section of a geodesic approximates a great-circle line.

And finally a few quotes from Richard Buckminster Fuller's "Critical Path" (pg. 233/234):

"All technical evolution has a fundamental behavior pattern. First there is scientific discovery of a generalized principle, which occur as a subjective realizatin by an experimentally probin individual. Next comes objective employment of that principle in a special case invention. Next the invention is reduced to practice. This gives humanity an increased technical advantage over the physical environment. If successful as a tool of society, the invention is used in bigger, swifter, and everyday ways. For instance, it goes progressively from a little steel steamship to ever-bigger fleets of constantly swifter, higher-powered ocean giants."

"All the technical curves rise in tonnage and volumetric size to reach a 'giant' peak, after which progressive miniturization sets in. After that, a new and more economical art takes over and then goes through the same cycle of doing progressively more with less, first by getting bigger and taking advantage, for instance, of the fact that doubling the length of a ship increases its wetted surface fourfold but increases its payload volume eightfold."

(principle holds true for ships of both air and water)

Then comes the miniaturization, the overall and inexorable trending to DO MORE WITH LESS, known as "progressive ephemeralization". Trends toward an ultimate doing of everything with nothing at all, which is a trend of the omniweighable physical to be mastered by the omniweightless metaphysics of intellect.

http://www.insite.com.br/rodrigo/bucky/geodome.html

http://www.insite.com.br/rodrigo/bucky/buckminster_fuller.html

posted in Dome Home - 0 replies