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Homes don’t need to be big and homes don’t need to be square. Using a design based on nature’s constructing principles, Buckminster Fuller re-designed the geodesic dome into the multi-use structure we know and love today. Geodesic domes provide an uplifting and inspiring dwelling that is efficient, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and structurally sound.

Geodesic domes offer a lightweight and stable design for small living. Using little in the way of equipment to construct, the frame of a small 16’ dome can fit in the back of a pickup truck and can be set up in a matter of hours using only a ladder. A viable alternative to traditional construction, a dome is a sustainable investment that eliminates much of the environmental impact caused by home building. They require minimal surface area, and can be constructed for permanence on a wooden platform foundation.

The versatility of domes provides something for everyone. They’ve even been used for disaster relief and emergency shelters. I’ve encountered domes at events, as spaces for performance and art, and as temporary structures providing shade and shelter. If you’re someone who enjoys living in an uplifting and inspiring dwelling, domes could be a great option for you.

In July 2011, Adey Gardner bought her 20’ dome from DomeGuys International to serve as her music studio and living space. Along with the professional team from DGI, she put together her dome in less than 3 hours! She customized her space with a bay window, insulation panels for temperature control, and her baby grand piano. Adey says, “Acoustically, playing the piano in the center of the dome is incredible. And with the zip- off bay window, I have a built-in amphitheatre! Since the dome skin is made of vinyl-coated canvas, there is not a lot to block the sound coming in or out. However, recording is not impossible, and I’m enjoying the quality of life that it adds to the tracks.”

Keeping a piano in the space means maintaining temperature and humidity. The space stays comfortable with 100 custom-cut Styrofoam triangles that fit between the dome struts, floor insulation, and heavy polar fleece curtains. While you can opt to add a wood stove to your dome home, Adey chose to use a radiator heater to keep the space warm during Southern Oregon winters. In the summer, the placement of her dome between two giant willow trees does a great job of providing shade. Without the piano to consider, a nice box fan paired with the “roll-up” windows allow enough airflow to keep the space comfortable in the hotter months.

DGI domes are temporary, cost effective, eco friendly, and beautiful. Adey adds that “the most inspiring thing about my dome is the feeling of being in a sphere; it’s almost indescribable how I perceive my surroundings. I’ve been living in right-angled structures my whole life without giving too much attention to how the shape of my house affects my mood, my creative process, and my life. Now I am becoming more aware of the fact that the space we’re enclosed by, greatly influences everything we do and how we go about doing it. Living and working in this dome is my aesthetic dream—it is filled with light and open space, and the feeling of unlimited potential.”

To read more about Adey’s dome experience visit http://tinyhouselistings.com/my-geodesic-dome/ where her story is featured.

To here Adey on her piano, visit her website http://adeyeightmusic.com

Burning Man 2011 with Geodesic Domes

It’s Burning Man 2011 and we are thrilled to be building geodesic domes! It happens every year in the northern desert of Nevada in Black Rock City, and this year we are building 9 domes! BurningMan.com says:  “Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever. Burning Man is also an ever-expanding year-round culture based on the Ten Principles. Burning Man isn’t your usual festival, with big acts booked to play on massive stages. In fact, it’s more of a city than a festival, wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the event.”

For this year’s burn our crew loaded up the camper and the trailer. We packed up our frames, skins, tools, tutus, moon boots, and goggles and  headed to the playa to once again build domes in the Black Rock City desert. This is the first year ever that tickets to Burning Man sold out, and we feel it! For the 2011 Burn, we have 9 geodesic event domes to build: a record number! These 9 domes will serve as shelters, music stages, lounges, and galleries. The domes range in size from 16′ – 60′, and can be found at these camps: FractalNation, Feed the Artists, Disorient, DPW, BadLands, and Rites of Spring.

If you are lucky enough to be one of the people who managed to snag a ticket to this sold-out event, follow the horizon to the big beautiful domes, and come say hey. We’d love to hear how our immediate, reliable and mobile shelters inspired and ignited creativity and self-expression on the playa. Hope to see you at the burn.

DomeGuys International at the Oregon Green Expo

The 2011 Oregon Green Expo is upon us! This is the third annual show and it will be held at the Jackson County Fairgrounds on June 25 & 26th. Admission is $3 daily and kids 12 and under are free!

This year’s Oregon Green Expo will focus on sustainability. It will highlight companies and organizations that offer green and sustainable products. There will be booths and demonstrations on alternative energy & fuels. Meet green Builders. See products for sustainable health & wellness. Learn about alternative transportation, natural gardening & foods, water ecology, and conservation & recycling. Connect with sustainable communities and get information about responsible investments.

DomeGuys International is a sponsor for the Oregon Green Expo. Our 36′ Earth Print geodesic dome will be used as the ”Explore Nature Center” for kids. It will also house a “Play Outdoors Day” for kids and families. One of the golas for the Oregon Green Expo is to educate families on how to get outdoors. Hopefully, this can help fight childhood obesity and nature deprivation. Nature deprivation is a new epidemic due to the increase of technology. Kids are spending less time outdoors and more time on the computer, watching television and playing video games. DomeGuys International is thrilled to support the Oregon Green Expo with such a worthy cause.

We hope to see you there!