geodesic dome home

I saw a geodesic home for sale and will be scheduling an appointment to check it out. I don't really know much about it but the pictures of it looks pretty interesting. At least it is a little different from the standard subdivision houses nowadays.

Does anyone have experience with this types of houses, especially:

(1) Everything else being equal, should this house be more or less expensive than a conventional retangular house? (2) Does it give you more room practically or are the additional space just dead space? (3) The roof seems like it will be hard to access - at least I don't think I can get on it and walk around to pressure wash, clean leaves off, or to repair damage. (4) Are specialty contractors required to replace or repair roof? Looking at web sites on geodesic dome homes the exterior facets came prefabed so will repair be real difficult? (5) It does not have an attic, so in Miami's hot summer heat will this be a problem or is it really like what they say the dome shape makes up for it? (6)Will it be harder to sell later because it is unconventional?

Thanks,

Don't touch it with a barge pole, as the saying goes.

1. They always leak. 2. The interior is almost impossible to divide - this wastes a lot of space. 3. It's impossible to have a private conversation inside one - whispering gallery effect. 4. They cannot be adapted or enlarged.

From 'How Buildings Learn - What happens after they're built' by Stewart Brand.

www.monolithic.com, cheap, expandable, easy to divide i like it

I live in a dome. It does have whisper issues
However I used large area rugs and furniture to create rooms.
Furniture for the second floor can be a problem. The walls arch inward. Like creating rooms on the first level, a certain amount of creativity is required.
It has 1300 square foot and is great for two people.
In many respects I think the perfect use for a geodesic dome is to add it on as a "great room" onto an existing small house. Because you can do it yourself.
As for the leaking; mine is an old one so it did have problems before I bought it. The previous owner used a white latex sealant to fix the problem. Works great, but it is white so now the house looks like an igloo
Due to this, the earthy, quaint little house is an eyesore.
Future plans are to replace the vinyl with stone; reroof the house with tan asphalt shingles with hints of green and replace the single pane Plexiglas windows on the top (they do not leak, but during the winter condensation forms and drips down....).
Once that is done we are thinking of adding on a traditional house and turning the dome into a Great room with upstairs office. This way the add on house can be a kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.
Even a small 2000 square foot colonial will give us 3300 feet with the dome.
Why did we buy it in the first place? I was single (since married, she just wanted my igloo), it is on 4.3 acres, and the price was right due to the houses looks. Good town with decent schools.
Sometimes in life we have to build our dreams instead of buying them But the fun is in the journey.
Plus my wife loves the looks people give her when they find out she lives in the dome

DBull, welcome to the forum It was with interest and a smile on my face I read your above post You are right in very many things. Especially the building dream one

Are there any other such domes people live in, in your area?

Dome homes are few and far between in Connecticut.
Many people are scared off on building them since their may be problems in finding a buyer when it comes time to sell. (no one worries about finding a buyer for a Colonial or Cape)
Also, I had a friend who was an real estate adjuster who claimed it was impossible to come to a accurate price estimate of the home since it could not be compared to other homes in the immediate area.
He tells me this can be a problem when remortgaging.
Domes have a bad rap as having a certain "type" of person build them. Hippies, futurist.
In the original (previous) owners story, this proves to be inaccurate.
They were broke. So they built a dome in a "remote" (thirty years ago it really was, not so much today) town which they could afford.
They bought the kit, put in a cinder block foundation edge, put the plumbing in, poured the cement for a slab (with J bolts), and built the home themselves.
They never had children, so they never expanded the home.
Domes tend to be built for cost savings. They are a kit, so you can skip the middleman and do everything yourself or with family and friends.
Personally I think the best way to use a dome is for building it yourself with these two thoughts in mind:
-Build the dome as a starter house. Add on "regular" house later. This is what I am trying to do.
-Add a dome onto a regular house as a cheap way to make a "great room". At 1300 square feet my little dome feels huge inside. Even with the loft, it is all open and high.

So, the adding of a regular home increases its price and it is good to start with building a dome when one doesn't have enough savings yet to afford something more expensive. Personally I think this is a wonderful way of "working your way up".

But, somehow this reminds of 'lofts'. People that really didn't have any money at all used to live in 'lofts' and then..... all of a sudden living in a loft became fashionable and -very, very strange- their prices went up to cost more than a regular apartment now here in Israel.

You think something like that (it all of a sudden become a 'fashion-item' can happen with domes as well?

I think lofts became popular since they have something very rare in cities. Room. People were willing to put up with the fact the lofts were unfinished and crude to have space.
I see domes as always being a nitch market. Most people do not want to build their own home. There are already a great deal of small homes for sale out there.
Many people who are poor are so due to the breakup of a family. Single moms will not be building a dome.
These will always be a home for very specific needs.
-Retires who want to build a small home in the country. And has family to help put it together.
-A young couple who wants a home in a nice rural town (that’s my story) who plans to built on.
-A handy fellow who wants to add a great room to his existing home but does not want to pay someone to do it.
-Summer cabins
I have seen where some fellows just kept adding domes as their family got bigger. It does give privacy....But that takes a bit of land.
The key to a dome is it is a kit. So if you put it together yourself, it makes sense. If not, a conventional house (which every contractor is familiar with) is a better way to go.

Thank you for explaining. To tell the truth here, in Israel, I haven't even seen Domes. But, given the current hard economic times, I sure think it would be a great idea to introduce them here...

18 Cat Rocks Drive, Bedford, NY - $750,000

This home has been updated and thoroughly inspected.

This unique Geodesic Dome Home is on 1.95 estate-like acres about 25 minutes north of White Plains. As soon as you pull into the driveway, you will fell as if you just arrived at your vacation destination, then, simply lock the world out behind you. "Location, location, location" with this 2304 square foot estate-like setting on 1.95 private acres, located just 1 hour north of Manhattan. Minutes from 1-684 or the Merrit Parkway. Enjoy a cup of tea in front of the cozy fireplace indoors or venture into the great outdoors where you can hike, cross-country ski, snowshoe, walk, or whatever your pleasure on your own property. The possibilities are endless. Feel like you are on vacation all year long with this unique geodesic dome retreat. Fantastic views of the property from anywhere within the home.

Please call Robin Lynch, Keller Williams Realty Group, at 914-315-6182 for an appointment.

Robin, is this meant to serve as an example or are you advertising?

Could be either. It is an example of a well-maintained geodesic dome home that just happens to be on the market.

But, just to stay on-topic here, this home is an example of what DBull wrote about those homes upgraded into more expensive houses by building on, right?

This house is an original geodesic dome home. Nothing was added on or built on.

If so, there are two types (or even more) of dome-homes? Please read the above in this thread written by DBull.

Actually there were many companies that made domes twenty-thirty years ago. Most of them went out of business. Like the company that made mine.
Looking at the dome for sale, it looks like it was built about 25 years ago. When driving an hour to and from the city was a considered to much. Today an hour commute is not considered extreme. It allows a high paying job, while being able to raise your family in a safe environment.
Not to bash New York, crime is not bad. But their schools are.
If people can afford it they send their children to private schools. It is funny since people send their children to Jewish and Catholic schools, even if they are not of that faith, just to get their children into good schools.
Getting a little off topic. The Dome posted was definitely built by someone who was poor, living out in a rural area thirty years ago.
If anyone is interested in a company who still builds Geodesic Domes, this is the one I know of: http://www.domehome.com/

Doug,

The geodesic dome home that I posted was built in 1978. As a real estate agent, I cannot comment about the schools but this house is located in the Byram Hills school district. As a parent though I disagree with your comment that New York schools are bad. This house is in Westchester County and this is also the county where I reside. This house was not built by a poor person. Maybe you can check out this website: bfi.org. Just to let you know a doctor and his wife live there.

Robin Lynch

Thanks for explaining that Doug and Robin. Robin, it cannot be that this doctor and his wife were not as wealthy in 1978 as they are right now? (At least here, in the country I live in, Israel, doctors start out not earning much at all in the beginning).

I should have been more specific. New York city schools are not so hot.
If Robin is truly interested in selling...I mean educating us about domes he (she? Sorry Robin goes both ways) should post a picture of the dome in Spring and an inside picture.
Domes look small on the outside, but since they are usually "open", with only a partial second floor they feel much bigger.
Also, stating the manufacturer of the dome would help in research also.

First of all Copper, I don't discuss the finances of my clients period. Second of all if you would like to see pictures of my property please click on the following link:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/18- Cat-Rocks-Dr_Bedford_NY_10506_1106081011

Since I listed this home in January, I will be re-taking pictures next weekend.

There are various architectural styles in Westchester County real estate. A home suits a buyer's lifestlye or personality. Westchester County does have its share of wealthy people not all of them choose to purchase big, fancy houses.

I wasn't asking you to discuss the finances of your clients, Robin. Just wanted to show that it COULD BE that in those days the people weren't wealthy (yet).

That's all - since that would proved the theory...

I don't know Westchester. I don't even know where it is situated - let alone the neighborhood's character, so I am out of this thread as from now on.

My husband and I have lived in a dome home for over ten years and are very happy in it. However, I'm looking for design ideas to refresh the interior and am delighted to find this site. My most immediate concern is managing the light from our skylight. Our bedroom is in the loft and moving downstairs is not an option. After ten years in Alaska the midnight sun has finally gotten old. Does anyone have any ideas?

Hello DomeDweller, welcome to the forum

Finding a solution sure needs some creative thinking I believe. Perhaps something over the top of the dome can be made that will allow for it to close and open (like blinds but different).

Thank you. We're stuck because we bought one eleven years ago - I thought it was charming at the time. It sits on about two acres. Since we bought it we've build a two car garage with apartment space above on the same property. For resale we need to remodel but we are also considering tearing it down and rebuilding a standard home. Your information helped. Thank you again.

Greetings DomeDweller,
I also live in a dome in Connecticut. When I first bought it the main problem I saw was one of making "rooms" out of the single room from the first floor.
I did this with large rugs, and furniture as borders.
Since we have had a child, I am running on the idea that eventually I am going to add a ranch house to the side of the dome and make the dome itself the "great room". Take out the kitchen and leave the bathroom. The loft will become the guest bedroom and office.
To get more shelving out of the second floor, I purchased two foot high wooden bookshelves, that are about a foot and half deep. This takes advantage of all the spaces where the slope of the roof stops you from putting in larger furniture.
Living in a small house, we have constantly added custom shelving.
As for your window issue, have you thought of a retractable awning that would go on the outside? It would be easier to install and relatively inexpensive. I have seen the commercials for the "sunsetter" ones and they are factory direct. So they may be able to make an awning for you with a material that will put up with very cold weather....
If you would like pictures Of the custom work I have done to the dome,please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

-Dennis

I think it has more floor space, and more open space than traditional homes by far...and you can build "half lofts" and divide it into rooms if required. The trick to making a dome livable, and not be banging your head all the time (I am tall) is to use a lower straight wall foundation.

I guess my point is, if you use interior walls and lofts, with a dodecahedron (12 sided shape) foundation, you'll have plenty of flat wall space. If the outside of the dome is a concrete (or other)smooth surface, it should just take the occasional spray wash, or a scrub down every year or two.

I wrote dometown.net to try and explain how I plan to build my own dome. I have done several domes before, but never something of this scale. Check it out.