Domes - Tomorrow's Future Homes

With technology fast on the move and with our earth's natural growing demands and changes, the concept of Monolithic and Geodesic Domes replacing our traditional box-like homes is becoming widely accepted.

We can thank R.Buckminster Fuller - one of our world's first global thinkers and futurists - for having introduced his scientific concept on domes. (Note: Refer to Source link: "Who Is Buckminster Fuller" ).

The advantages of having a "Home-Dome" are numerous. However, the one question that most people commonly ask is, "What is the difference between a monolithic dome from a geodesic one?".

Monolithic Dome

This type of dome is a permanent structure. It is energy efficient - saving up to fifty percent or more on heating and cooling costs when compared to a conventional building. Monolithic domes are also disaster resistant, cost effective and attractive. They are built for strength endurance and can withstand the force of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake. They also have the reputation of not rotting, being eaten by bugs (especially termites) or burning down.

The term "Monolithic" means "one piece". In other words, the completed structure is literally a "one-piece design". They are a "thin shell" concrete structure, which is basically defined as a structure that is made using single or compound curves. The variety of materials used to create the "thin-shell" method includes - but is not limited to - metal, wood, concrete, brick, et cetera.

In general, the monolithic dome is built using structural materials such as foam and concrete and then applied in such a manner where these materials act as a single component. They are constructed by inflating a large vinyl airform in the shape of a dome, and then spraying the inside with three inches of foam insulation. Once done, then steel rebar is attached to the foam and three inches of concrete is sprayed inside.

Geodesic Dome

Unlike the monolithic version, the geodesic dome is structured and made of a myriad of pieces that when all attached form a segmented dome. The simplest of the geodesic design is the Icosohedron, which is a geometric shape construed of twenty identical sides and angles. Much like a soccer ball. These domes are constructed from a network of triangular panels that form a spherical shape. Generally, the geodesic dome derives its strength from struts and hubs. Though the strut and hub method has some useful purposes, special care must be given to ascertain that the struts will be strongly durable. Otherwise, a poorly manufactured strut can easily break, leaving the dome with a tendency to want to leak or even collapse.

Geodesic domes are constructed using standard building materials such as wood. This is usually the primary material, though consumers have attested that geodesic domes can also be built with concrete in trying to alleviate termite or rotting problems.

The geodesic structure has proven to be incredibly strong and can resist tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. They are also more energy efficient than square homes, and like the monolithic dome can cut heating and cooling bills by half.

Overall

Now that we understand the specifications for these two different types of domes, we now have a general idea of what primarily "home-domes" are about. The usage of domes and how they serve to benefit all have these factors in common:

- Aside from being economical on construction, they are great for saving on heating and cooling costs, which makes them quite energy efficient;
- they are safe and proven to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and even floods if properly constructed;
- they are space savers and can be quite maintained easily on the outside. As for the inside, there are no restrictions in permitting people the option to "think out of the box" (yes, this is a pun) with room for plenty of innovative ideas for furniture construction (surprisingly, some people see this as a dis-advantage due to "square" conditioning - yes, there's another pun);
- they are uniquely attractive.

One doesn't have to be a visionary to understand the futuristic "home-dome" benefits and advantages.

Sources:

Who Is "Buckminster Fuller"?
The R. Buckminster Fuller FAQ: Geodesic Domes
American Ingenuity Dome Homes
Monolithic Dome Institute
The Invisible Dome Home