Dome Home Designs, Dome Plans, Dome Building Manuals Workshops & Training

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Dome Shaped Structures - Inherent Energy, Strength and Beauty

One of the oldest best-preserved buildings in the world is a dome, the Pantheon in Rome. It is over 2000 years old and still in perfect condition. This magnificent dome structure has withstood the ravages of invasions and sacking through time where all other buildings in Rome are in ruins.

Inherent Special Qualities of Domes

The most common response form people who spend time in dome structures is they become aware of a natural calming feeling being in the space. Not having corners that trap stale air and form mold is a huge factor. Energy flows inside a dome. Sound waves travel toward the centre point of the diameter line - it is pure sound at this point with no phase cancellations or distortions.

Sacred geometry is inherent in the circle.The universe is based on spheres and circular energy. There is more than meets the eye about domes

The dome shape is also inherently very strong. Structurally a dome is very much more efficient than conventional buildings because a dome shell structure distributes load evenly around the structure allowing it to accept significantly higher load scenarios that conventional rectangular buildings.

It is also very efficient in terms of use of materials. A dome building covers a floor area with approximately 35% less external surface area that a conventional building.

So when you combine all of the above you get a naturally comfortable space that feels strong, safe and secure that will out perform any other form of structure.

Living in a Dome House

People who live in dome houses are almost entirely in agreement that they would never want to move back to a rectangular building. Interesting! Why is that?

From all our experience with dome buildings and dome homes and having visited many dome homes in various countries there are a few aspects which really stand out and some of these hit you as soon as you walk into a dome.

Generally, the first impression is one of space and light. Contrary to external appearances the interior of a dome is much larger that it looks from outside due to the 30% less surface area of the building. It plays an illusion.

Second impression is how absolutely comfortable it feels inside a dome-shaped building. No corners, just smooth round walls and roof which feels very natural and nurturing to the human being.

Thirdly, furniture fits into a round space perfectly well. Pictures hang on the walls just the same way they do on a flat wall and actually the flow in a round space also feels a lot more comfortable.

The Purest Sound Inside a Dome

If you study how sound waves move and interact inside of a space of any kind it will give you a good impression of how the space feels to inhabit. For example inside of a hemispherical dome, sound is reflected from the dome shape back to the center of the structure at the diameter.

What this means is that there is absolutely no phase cancellation or standing wave action inside a dome. The sound is pure in contrast to rectangular buildings which severely distort the purity of sound because of reflections off the walls.

Behavior of sound in a dome shape illustrates very well how all the energy flows inside a dome - no stagnant energy stuck in corners.

In addition to orientation, Feng Shui in the design of a home or any other building deals primarily with energy and the flow of energy and how the building will FEEL to it's occupants.

The best aspects of Fen Shui are inherent in a dome.

Ventilation in Domes

A common comment made by people who live in dome houses is that they do not have a mold problem. This is due to the superior ventilation inherent when a dome is ventilated through an opening in the apex which causes the most efficient and thorough ventilation of the space below. In contrast to a conventional building, a dome draws air from around its circumference expelling through the apex.

Composite Materials for Dome Construction

Domeshells has been designing, developing and building dome-shaped structures since the year 2000 focusing on the use of composite materials and fabrication systems to build lightweight structures. Composite structural skins sandwiched over a light weight foam core creates relatively lightweight panels with excellent thermal insulation.
Seven years R&D in collaboration with QUT School of Engineering, Brisbane has given us the opportunity to develop various material systems which can be used to build domes using various mold systems.

In contrast to linear construction a dome geometry (the shape) must be formed by some means other than a straight line.

Compound Curves of the Dome Shape

Domeshells does NOT design or build geodesic domes which are created with triangular elements to form a dome shape with facets. Domeshells has always built completely compound curved surfaces using mostly hemispherical geometry. Our domes have smooth round surfaces

Compound curves mean that the surface curves in all direction. It is not just a mono curve. Creating compound curved elements requires a mold system. A pattern is made of the shape and then the composite material is applied over that shape to form the dome or the elements or pieces of the dome which can be joined at a later stage.

Methods of Constructing Domes Using Composite Material Systems

GRC/Polyurethane Foam Core

Domeshells has developed a patented system of fabricating dome structures using an air-form. An air-form is a balloon fabricated in the shape of the dome which is fixed around the circumference of the slab or foundation and inflated.

Once inflated, the inside of the balloon is accessed through an airlock system and from inside the air-form, the various composite materials are sprayed creating a monolithic shell structure.

This system utilized high strength polymer modified, glass fiber reinforced concrete structural coatings either side of a closed cell polyurethane foam core.

The Most Advanced Materials Dome Building System

FRP (Glass and Resign/Foam Core) Aerospace Materials

More recently Domeshells has been utilizing materials that are closer to aerospace materials than conventional building materials. Aerospace material systems are now cost competitive with other material systems in the construction industry. Laminated sandwich systems mean that domes can be produced with extremely high-performance characteristics in all respects.

Bamboo Domes - Most Advanced Low-Tech Dome Building System

Bamboo, Mesh, Sand and Cement Dome Building System

Using these simple easy to get materials to build domes is very exciting because of its low cost and versatility. Low cost in materials although high labor content makes this system ideal for many parts of the world and for people who have more time than money.

Using Bamboo Mesh and Render for dome construction produces very strong 'monolithic shell structures'. Like a sea shell the dome has no seams and with continuous reinforcement together with the mesh and the bamboo the dome shell is capable of any load imposed provided the design is appropriate.

Common Uses for Dome Structures

A dome-shaped building can be used for any purpose that a conventional structure is used for including:

• Cabins
• Houses
• Tourist accommodation
• Mining accommodation
• Storage silos
• Survival shelters
• Storm shelters
• Emergency shelter
• Disaster reconstruction
• Extreme conditions shelter

Dome Design Services Including Drafting, Architectural & Engineering

Domeshells provides a complete design service all the way to the council for any dome project. We will advise the most appropriate system for a particular project.

Speak with us early in your project to save money and get the best system for your purpose.

Our collective experience spans several continents and dome projects from tiny backyard cabins all the way to massive FRP domes in the Middle East.

Storm Shelters, Survival Shelters and Survival Bunkers

There is so much happening in our world today causing many people to think of preparing for the worst. Civil unrest and war causing massive migrations of people into refugee situations and climate change and natural disasters of all kinds are affecting millions of people all over the world.

No one can say that they are not aware of tremendous and rapid change happening all around us. Seems the world is going crazy and our politicians seem hell bent on war and total control of the people.

Depending on where you live these events may well make you consider alternative forms of shelter that will be more capable of providing safety and shelter in the precarious years ahead.

Domeshells Worked Towards Developing Extra Strong Shelters That Can be Adapted as Above Ground and even Underground Storm and Survival Shelters and Bunkers

For the Rebel In Ya! Build Your Own Dome Shelter or Survival Shelter

Not all of us want to go through our local building authorities or city council for permits and all the red tape associated with building habitable structures which are why we have always had in mind finding ways to do-it-yourself.

We are really excited about our Bamboo system because this system of building a shelter or bunker is relatively easy to do it yourself. We know this because we have tried and tested the system. To begin with, it is just about the cheapest in materials and secondly it can be learned by anyone. It is a total DIY Storm Shelter system.

If you have even the slightest feeling that you should be considering getting your own survival shelter or even that you must have an alternative form of storm safe shelter and you just don't have the cash - then the next best thing you can do is buy our Bamboo Mesh and Render dome building guide because if the worst comes to the worst this system will provide you with the cheapest and strongest storm safe shelter. We have proven that you can build a structure strong enough for an underground survival bunker.

One of the best things about our survival shelter design is that it can be utilized for any size structure and you can make it as strong as you like simply by increasing the thickness of the walls - Even if you just keep the Bamboo Mesh and Render Guide safe at home knowing that if you ever needed you will be ready to go

Structural Analysis, Engineering Design Services, Design/Build

Our multi-disciplined team is uniquely experienced in design, production and engineering of shell structures and shell elements in GRC, FRP and "Hybrid Composites"........

For more information please fill out our CONTACT form or give us a call on Tel: 02 6677 0216 (International: +61 2 6677 0216).

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