GEODESIC DOME

Aim: Familiarization of geodesic domes, their evolution and how they solve the modern demand for eco-living.

Past Times

Present Times

Introduction: As the world population approaches 8 billion, water, fertile land, healthy food, and peaceful life are becoming more and more scarce. The very definition of "modern" has become living in crowded spaces, populated cities, working day and night for someone we have never met, pollution, stress, and diseases as a part of daily life, and an endless routine just to get the basic requirements to survive.

We were happy people, enjoying Mother Nature and its bounty. Everyone specialised in some job or another, and we all worked as one team in a community. We were independent, took our own decisions, and solved our own problems. It was a time when we hardly searched for support from outside.

The modern man lives in boxes, either square, rectangular, or triangular, using different materials, and calls them buildings, houses, or homes.

These modern buildings are no doubt strong and sturdy and serve the purpose of shelter, but they lack a healthy and contented life and the happiness that comes with it.

Why is that so? How did we reach this point?

Human evolution, as we all know, started with hunting and gathering in small groups, and we started taking refuge in natural protective areas like caves. As the humans kept moving from one place to another, they started using rocks and tree branches to make semi-permanent shelters. This evolution of home or houses was going on at the same time around the globe, and with whatever material was available to them, they made the houses to protect themselves.

Nomadic structures:

As humans started transitioning from hunter-gatherers to settled civilizations, there came a stage where both taking shelter and shifting from one place to another coexisted. This led to refinements in their temporary shelters, which you can still see all around the globe in the form of nomadic structures. My personal belief, after studying all the nomadic structures in depth, is that "these are the remains of the ancient homes that our forefathers used and developed over many centuries" before the start of cities and towns.

In the present world, we can still see some glory and glimpses from the past in the form of nomadic structures like yurts, tipis, ala-thighs, choom, round desert huts, African nomadic huts, Toureg tents, huts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Boudin tents, round huts, etc.

All these structures have a few common things

Easily transportable
Strong yet lightweight
Adapted to local weather conditions
cosy but elegant in appearance
We all have a nomad in us. We all wish, at our very core, to explore and travel, see new things, explore new places, and not stick to one place. All of us have an explorer within ourselves. This is evident by the fact that people are shifting their interests from concrete to nomadic homes.

Modern Nomadic Structures:

The modern world is going through a revolution wherein people are shifting to a new lifestyle in search of "a healthy and peaceful life." The modern human being, after the COVID era, has realised that life is to be lived with happiness and health. This can only be achieved with a good environment around you. This good environment is only available far from modern, highly populated cities.

Thus, we see the population migrating from big cities to small towns, villages, and off-grid locations. People are looking for peace and harmony with nature, and here comes the requirement and need for nomadic structures.

A few examples of modern nomadic structures, mentioned below, have the soul of the ancient nomadic lifestyle, and yet they are perfect for the modern human to live his life in the lap of mother nature with health and happiness.

Yurt, Log Cabins, Geodesic Domes, TIPI, Choom, Bell Tents, Emperor Bell, Toureg, A-frame houses, Hobbit houses, Cob, Adobe, Super Adobe, Hyper Adobe, CSEB, Rammed Earth Houses, Container Houses, RV, Mobile Houses, Tiny Houses

The biggest positives of these structures are:

Independence
Cosy spaces are sufficient for a good life.
It is simple to install and maintain.
Budget-friendly
Healthy and at peace with nature.
Versatile

TIPI Village a modern peaceful stay

A Mongolian yurt Glamping

Modern Glamping Dome

A pair Modern Glamping domes

Demand and Supply issue in, modern structure issues:

People desired to live an eco-friendly, healthy lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and close to nature, so demand these types of structures increased. People started building and exploring options for a better life, and many are happy to be living this life.

However, the modern industry took advantage of this, not understanding the basic requirements and demands they forced upon people with the help of AI and social media, resulting in costly tiny homes. You can understand the whole thing with a few examples. A modern yurt will cost you approximately $50,000 USD, and all the modern homes being developed around the globe are very costly, starting from $50,000 to millions of dollars. So basically, we failed in the basics of demand, which was a house that does not stress the family with EMI and where they can live a healthy life.

The modern world is shaken up by the new trends and demands of the people, such as the new eco-friendly living style, which will decrease the demand for consumer items and thus be a loss to billionaires. All these are my personal opinions and my studies over the past few years.

Demand

Supply

Nomadic structures have everything a human needs.

How nomadic structures deal with this issue:

Our products do have all the essence of the nomadic structure and all the basic elements for a modern man to live a healthy life. Our model is based on two basic principles.

Quality and cost-effectiveness. We are giving to the world structures that will survive many decades and at a cost that can be affordable to the masses, which is under $10,000 USD.

Geodesic Domes

Introduction: After understanding the basics of ancient and modern nomadic structures, now that we understand the dome, it will be easy to comprehend and understand all the features of this structure.

I personally feel that domes originated from the soul of nomadic structures because they have everything to be used as a nomadic structure. The Inventor must have derived inspiration from seeing the ancient domes of temples in India, mosques, and Roman architecture. All of the ancient structures' roofs are generally made of domes and are very strong, still surviving the ages.

Without going into details, mathematics, formulas, and complex details, let's first understand the evolution of the geodesic dome. The geodesic dome is a half-sphere, so you can imagine a football or a planet cut in half, as seen in the picture above. The dome structure is natural, unlike boxes and rectangular shapes made by humans. This is natural, as all our planets' shapes are spherical in nature. All stars and planets have the shape of spheres.

A geodesic dome is one of the simplest forms of structure that has a very unique spherical or partial-spherical shape. The skeleton of the structure consists of a number of unequal and straight structural members to form its many stable triangular elements in order to provide resistance to gravitational, wind, and seismic loads.

The geodesic dome has the capacity to achieve a large span without any form of internal posts, load-bearing walls, or deep beams or trusses. The load is evenly distributed across the surface of the dome. A conventional structure, on the other hand, would necessitate more material and space to achieve a larger span, and deflection control and bracing requirements could be difficult to meet. whereas the geodesic is very effective in limiting deflection and is self-braced through its stable triangulated elements.

Inventor of Geodesic Dome

The first geodesic dome was designed after World War I by Walther Bauersfeld, chief engineer of the Carl Zeiss optical company, for a planetarium to house his planetarium projector. An initial, small dome was patented and constructed by the firm of Dykerhoff and Wydmann on the roof of the Zeiss plant in Jena, Germany. A larger dome, called "The Wonder of Jena", opened to the public in July 1926.

Walther Bauersfeld

The First Dome

Twenty years later, Buckminster Fuller coined the term "geodesic" from field experiments with artist Kenneth Snelson at Black Mountain College in 1948 and 1949. Although Fuller was not the original inventor, he is credited with the U.S. popularisation of the idea for which he received U.S. Patent 2682235A on June 29, 1954. The oldest surviving dome built by Fuller himself is located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and was built by students under his tutelage over three weeks in 1953.

The Origin of the Name Geodesic Buckminster Fuller was attracted by the spherical shapes. After World War II, he first created a web of circles on the sphere by using strips, where the centre of the circle coincided with the centre of the spheres and the strips formed triangles. He named this design the "geodesic dome" because great circles are known as geodesics.

Working principles of geodesic domes

The following are the working principles of geodesic domes: The domes are made up of a network of triangles, which are very stable shapes. If a force is applied to the corner of a triangle, it will retain its shape, whereas other shapes will change. It distributes the stress within the structure.

Source- angelfire

Forces in a geodesic dome

Geodesic dome frequency

As a layman, it is very easy to understand the dome frequency. The higher the frequency, the more material is used, and the stronger the structure. A higher dome frequency is also used when making a larger dome. The shape of the dome is better at high frequencies above three.

Parts of a Geodesic domes

The dome consists of the base, decking, structure (outer and inner), and accessories like doors, windows, and a ventilation system. They also have heating stove vents as per the requirements.

In a typical steel dome, it will have the below-mentioned parts.

Base plates, connectors, struts, or rays, exhaust fans, doors, windows, inner layer, insulation layer, outer layer, curtains, transparent layer base or ground sheet, decking

The parts of the dome will also depend on the demography, geographical location, soil texture, local resources available, type of dome desired, and the customer’s likes and dislikes.

Geodesic dome sizes

Domes can be built in any size, from a few meters to any size. Generally, geodesic domes are being built around the globe in 5 to 10-metre sizes to be used as homes or as part of glamping properties.

The Superior Dome is considered the world’s largest wooden geodome, with a diameter of 163 meters. 781 massive Douglas fir beams make up the triangle panels of the Superior Dome. Inside, the gorgeous wooden framework is visible for you to admire.

We at Houbara Outdoors are doing it differently by using many combinations of domes. We have three base models: 7M, 8M, and 9M. Now, as per your requirements, we can connect any combination of these domes in double, triple, or more than that.

Domes overlapped

Triple domes

Double domes

Geodesic domes Applications

Dome applications include:

This structure can be used in any way; just imagine how domes can be put to use. Some of them are as below:

Glamping Inventory, Resort inventory, hotel, homestay, midway, for living, Guest room, rooftop room, school, Shop, Sales display, bar, café, on the golf course, playhouse, dog house, animal shelter, greenhouse, farm stays, shelter in natural calamities, grain storage, farmhouse, Restaurant, Meeting rooms, Office, medical clinic, research centres, defence, aviation, marriage hall, stadium, storage, animal husbandry, fishery, swimming pool covers, greenhouses, and many more Just think of how our domes can be put to use.

Geodesic Domes classified by material

The domes can be built with any material available to mankind, be it stone, wood, bamboo, sticks, dowels, bricks, concrete, manmade materials like cement, steel, PVC, FRP, PRP, composite materials, aluminium, glass, polycarbonate, glass, or the latest, domes built with ceramics. The most popular amongst them all are steel and wooden domes for longer life.

The geodesic domes can also be divided on the basis of use, primarily as below:

Geodome house: Permanent, made of wood or steel

Glamping domes are made up of lighter materials with PVC fabric as the top layer.

Commercial large domes—Domes used for large gatherings, stadiums, etc.

Images- Google

Geodesic Domes Benefits:

1.) Strong structure: The American Institute of Architects calls the geodesic domes "the strongest, lightest, and most efficient means of enclosing space known to mankind."

Being a natural shape in the universe, the domes adapt very well to the conditions on the globe, be they high winds or snow. The majority of the nomadic structures have a dome shape. Mankind has been using this structure for centuries. The shape of an igloo, yurt, or ala-high is like a dome. The forces in the dome are in harmony with nature and are distributed evenly.

High winds—up to 200 mph

Earthquake-8M

2.) Energy-efficient:

As a result of the low surface area, it is 30% more energy efficient. As there are no corners in a dome, it is very effective in heating and cooling.

3.) A volume-to-surface-area ratio of -30%.

There is less surface area, so fewer building materials are used and more space is available.

4.) Geodesic domes insulate very well

, light refracts and remains inside the dome for longer than in other types of greenhouses.

5.) Economical:

A house cannot be built for $10,000, but a dome can be built for that amount using locally available materials.

6.) Semipermanent/Permits:-

As our domes do not require a foundation, they do not fall under the category of a permanent structure. The domes are lightweight and semi-permanent. They do not require building permission and can be built at any place, even if there is a ban on building around the protected areas.

7. Aesthetic effects:

The domes and the various options that we offer are one of a kind in the world and they look great.

8. Versatile: Domes are versatile and can be put anywhere: in deserts, on snow, on a slope, in swamps, on a boat or a barge—you just imagine, and a dome can be used.

9. Because of the above-mentioned reasons, the geodesic domes are sustainable.

10. Earthquake resistance: a well-built dome can take an earthquake of 8 magnitudes without inflicting harm on the people living in it.

11. Life: Whereas the average building life is measured in decades, the monolithic domes are measured in centuries as they are fire, water, and wind resistant. Bioceramic domes can last up to 500 years.

Some disadvantages: Like any other structure, the domes have some disadvantages too, not in the design but in their uses. The so-called disadvantages are general and not specific because, as we evolve, we humans are trying to find solutions and solve problems. Every problem has a solution, and we at Houbara Outdoors design domes keeping in mind the solution to the problems.

1. Curved walls: The domes have curved walls, so any hanging you put will have two nails.

2. Creating divisions and rooms within a dome is not easy. No one likes or will live in a single small room; he will definitely like to have privacy or have separate rooms. We at Hobara have connecting domes for this problem. Make use of more space. When the prices of our products are so low, why would someone settle in one dome? We recommend a separate bathroom for the living domes so that the smell and moisture problems are also solved.

3. Ventilation: Domes have a little problem with ventilation as the manufacturer does not provide windows and ventilation shafts. Our domes are pioneers in solving this problem; all our domes have five ventilation shafts on the top, four windows that are openable, and

We have two solar-powered exhaust fans, a skylight that is openable from inside, and a mosquito mess at all openings.

Taking full advantage of Geodesic dome- Designing

Domes in different demographies: Like every house is designed by default or by experts looking at the weather conditions of that area, the domes are also designed based on the weather conditions and the taste of the client. The present market has failed to uplift such a strong structure because of a lack of commitment and maximising profits. The present options available in the market do not fit everyone.

We at Houbara solve this problem by talking to the client on various parameters and also researching the place, weather conditions, and peak weather data of that particular area. We design domes that will solve all the client's problems and make him comfortable enough to live peacefully for decades.

The parameters for designing the domes are:

Usage and number of people: The first and foremost thing to understand while recommending any dome is the use, whether they want it for a resort, a home, or a farm stay. The number of people who will be using that dome will also be assessed before designing any dome house.

Following discussions and, if necessary, changes, we present to the client a detailed concept plan on which we work. For example, someone wants to make a treehouse dome, a hobbit house dome, a dome colony, a café, etc.

Size: We have 7-metre, 8-meter, and 9-metre base models, and we combine two or three domes together. No house is made up of one room, so we connect domes to make various design combinations.

Available resources: We assess, after talking to the client, which resources are available to them on site free of charge and which resources are available in abundance. For example, the northeastern states have bamboo in abundance, so we recommend decking made of bamboo. Likewise, in northern India, we have an abundance of stones, rocks, and other natural resources available on site for free, so we recommend the base be made up of these rocks. For example, in North India, states like Punjab and Haryana have an abundance of bricks, so we use them in our designs.

Client Need: This is the most important thing. Everyone has a need, and all domes don’t fit all needs. We modify our domes as per the client's needs.

Weather conditions: India has various weather conditions, and they are way different from one state to another. Some places have very high winds and peak temperatures; others have heavy rain and humidity. We have to design keeping in mind the weather conditions as well.

Insulation and other accessories: The windows, doors, outer insulation, locks, exhaust, and heating will have many options available and are recommended for that particular area and weather conditions.

We have very strong domes made of Tata steel, but if someone wants a stronger structure, we can design it.

These are a few factors that will influence the design of a dome. Also, we have to think about security, wild animals, rodents, and snakes, and we design our domes to negate all the threats and problems for a particular client and an area.

The domes have accompanied humans since their evolution, sheltering us in the form of yurts and various round huts in Africa, and they are our saviour in the current situation. Domes make great homes without you having to pay the EMI, and they can be put anywhere in the world with a little bit of change as per the climatic conditions. They are a success.

Within three months, you can start your resort or glamping site for 20% of the cost. People love it all over the world, so let's bring it to India.

All our domes are made in India by the world's best designers, architects, and engineers.

Written by-

Mahendra

Founder, Houbara Outdoors

+91-9079656429

mahendra@houbaraoutdoors.com