Living in a dome.

Being Practical

2. Wet areas, such as laundries, bathrooms and kitchens, should be kept near to each othcr for economy of drainage and plumbing. 

3. Wet areas should be kept under the mezzanine floor or built into simple projections from the dome. 

4.  Because baths, showers, benches, tubs and other fitments for houses are available as rectangular shapes, provision must be made for rectangular spaces in wet areas. Non-rectangular fitments can be done at the cost of either money or time.

5.  The mezzanine can serve as the ceiling of partitioned rooms for those private areas in a home. 

6.  By leaving some of the main floor not covered by the mezzanine much of the dome interior surface can be seen from the main floor. This is the obvious area for the living room or lounge area. 

7. Where possible utilize sub-floor space, especially on sloping sites, for extra rooms, garaging or games rooms. 

8.  Minimise the number of triangular windows in the dome surface and try to incorporate conventional rectangular windows hung vertically. 

9.  If two domes are required then the connecting space can be used for wet areas and kitchen. 

10. For any building works, not only domes it pays to "cook with what's in the larder." Not only for 
cheaper materials but also what is available right near to where the dome is being built. As an example the difference in cost between a concrete floor and a timber one may well be a function of the distance of your nearest timber supplier or ready-mix concrete plant. 

11. Consider carefully the availability of local labour and services. Domes should be erected under the supervision of an experienced dome specialist. Time and time again I have found that builders are apprehensive about geodesics. While there are really no parts of dome building that are beyond the skills of the average builder, the problem is a psychological one in that the shapes and angles, and the lack of right angles and plumb walls goes totally against the meticulous training of the journeyman carpenter. However boat-builders who are well used to dealing with funny shapes, go straight in and do the job without being upset by the unconventional. However after about ten days around a dome most builders have found pleasure in the difference and have no problem in handling the building works associated with geodesic domes. 
Electricians and plumbers upon seeing their first set of dome plans imagine incredible complexity but find in practice the reality is that they need less wire or piping than for a conventional house. They certainly never need any more than a conventional house of similar floor area. 
The one other task which should be done by specialists or by highly motivated meticulous tradesmen is the weatherproofing system. There is an art to shingling a dome -- we have four different ways of using the same shingles to give four different visual appearances to the dome - all successful with no leaks at all. 

12. Always consider the whole picture in choosing materials or methods of building as the system that is cheapest in isolation may not give the cheapest overall result. The classic example of this is plywood. Compared to other panel products plywood generally is more expensive, but as part of a system the plywood produces the cheapest overall result. Nine millimetre three-ply and 100 by 50 timber makes us portal frames which can span 30 metres, giving the cheapest portal frame system on the New Zealand market. 

13. Sometimes it pays to pay more to save more. There is nothing worse (and nothing slower) than a crane that is just too small. You always get the one the next size up from what you think you need. The same is also true of bulldozers. 

14. Stay as simple as you can -- domes do not need to be large to give a feeling of largeness. 

15. For my money a timber panelled interior surface is the best with contrast to the timber introduced in the internal walls or the floor coverings. A timber panelled dome goes with just about any style of furniture you would want. Even mixtures like my own dome living room furniture - an old but nice out-of-tune piano, a couple of sideboards, some what- nots with family heirlooms, a lounge suite, an old floral stuffed sofa, and a stereo sound system.The other practical reason is that when the dome is being erected the internal lining can get wet, which is no problem for timber TG&V panelling, but a nightmare for GIB (Gypsum board).

16. The sound system is a must for music buffs who live in domes. Remember that a single point source of sound works best. Put your speakers together, point them at the dome surface and let the dome shell be the amplifier. Otherwise there is simply too much reverberation.
 
 

Simple Dome Houses

But there are many possibilities with geodesics -  more ideas set out in "Complex Houses"