A grid of reinforcing rebar is put up inside of that, and sprayed with a thin layer of shotcrete to make a shelter that is incredibly energy efficient and highly resistant to natural or manmade disasters. The air forms are usually sprayed on the inside with a seamless coating of polyurethane insulation. Monolithic domes are made using large balloon like air forms. Ī Creative Guide For Planning Your Monolithic Dream Homeĭome Living offers a great look at the uncommon architecture of monolithic dome homes. A Japanese company, International Dome House Co., Ltd. The best way to mass-produce low-cost, high-efficiency, disaster resistant dome homes may be to manufacture the components from polystyrene insulation, then stucco over the insulation. These houses are often bermed into the ground on three sides to protect them from the weather, and sometimes the top is covered over with earth as well. With earthship technology it is possible to build houses of many different shapes and sizes, including domes, from old tires packed full of dirt. Earthbag construction is ideal for warmer climates, with lots of thermal mass to moderate house temperatures between day and night. Scroll down the page to learn more.Įarthbags are an amazingly adaptive material, enabling the builder to create any shape - from conventional straight-walled houses to circular domes, to freeform walls. Monolithic domes are inherently strong, and resistant to earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and even bombs, as was observed in World War II. Monolithic dome construction utilizes concrete, rebar, and spray insulation, often with an oversize balloon is as a form. I believe that this style of dome home could be quite economical if the domes were mass-produced out of lightweight insulation, such as papercrete or expanded polystyrene (preferably recycled), then hauled into place, connected, and stuccoed over with cement, as proposed in my book, Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction. If I were to build a dome house, however, I like the idea of creating a dome for each room, as shown in this model I built using balloons and paper mache.

That makes the most optimal use of the materials, encompassing the most square feet for the least amount of materials. Most dome homes are constructed with a single, large dome, which is then divided into many different rooms inside. Home | House Building Methods | Construction Articles | Tom's Books & Videosīuilding Schools | Helpful Links | E-Mail | Search this Siteĭome-shaped houses tend to look either really good or really bad. Build Your Own Low-Cost, Earth-Friendly, High-Efficiency Home!

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