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Spherical, domed dwellings have been known for a long time – yarangas, plagues, wigwams, etc. – built on this principle. They are distinguished by high stability and ease of construction, which earned the popularity of our ancestors. But domed houses in their pure form, as a phenomenon of modern construction, appeared not so long ago – approximately in the second half of the last century. When the American scientist Fuller decomposed the dome structure into simple figures – triangles, from which the entire structure is often assembled. It is on this principle that many spherical houses are built today.
Dome houses: technologies and their features
A domed or spherical house is the name of one building technology. Actually, the name reflects the peculiarity of this type of housing construction – the house is not rectangular, but is made in the form of a hemisphere. Or rather – in the form of a polyhedron, approaching in appearance to the sphere.
This form better withstands wind and snow loads, with an equal building spot with a rectangular one, it has more usable area. But in such a house there is hardly at least one rectangular or square room. At least one side will be uneven. This complicates the layout, decoration, selection and installation of furniture. Most likely, all or most of the furnishings will have to be made “to order”, according to your own sizes and sketches.
Domed houses are being built, mainly using frame technology, so that the construction is easy. The frame is assembled from timber or metal pipes, sheathed with sheet building material (plywood, OSB). Insulation is laid between the racks of the frame (polystyrene foam, mineral wool, foam glass, ecological materials such as jute, dried algae, etc.). That is, apart from an unusual shape, there is no news, the materials are selected as for an ordinary frame house.
There are domed houses made of monolithic reinforced concrete. But this technology is used infrequently, especially in our country, where lumber is sometimes cheaper. If we also take into account the need for good thermal insulation of a concrete dome, its unpopularity becomes clear.
With the frames of domed houses, not everything is so simple. There are two technologies by which they are collected: geodesic and stratodesic dome. They have their own characteristics that can influence your choice.
Geodesic dome
The dome is divided into triangles, from which the polyhedron is assembled. A feature of this technology is that a large number of beams converge at one point. To ensure their reliable fixation, connectors are used – special steel devices that allow you to securely connect the elements of the supporting structure. Each of the connectors costs from 600 to 1500 rubles ($10-25).
Despite the fact that the number of connectors is in the tens or even hundreds, their presence greatly affects the cost of construction. Those who plan to build a domed house with their own hands try to do without connectors or make them on their own too. The reasons are clear, but with insufficient strength of the connection, the building may collapse under load. So with savings on this site, you must be very, very careful.
By the way, when using wooden beams there is a connectorless technology, but the assembly of such units requires a high level of carpentry skill and precise execution. And one more thing: they are not as reliable as connections with metal connectors.
The advantage of this type of frame is its stable construction. With the destruction of 35% of the elements, the dome is not destroyed. This has been tested in seismically active regions, during hurricanes. This stability makes it easy to remove a certain number of jumpers. That is, an opening under the door, windows can be made anywhere, almost any size. The only thing to consider is that the windows will be triangular. In this design, there is no escape from this. For many, this is a critical shortcoming.
Another feature – when assembling the frame, without sheathing, it has good resistance to torsional loads, but does not perceive horizontal loads very well. Therefore, the frame is first assembled completely and only then it is sheathed.
Stratodesic dome
Dome houses of this design are assembled from sections of a trapezoidal shape. That is, its fragments are more like rectangles or squares. This structure allows the use of doors and windows of standard design. For many, this is a big plus.
The disadvantage of the statodesian dome is that it is possible to remove structural elements only after careful calculation and strengthening of adjacent structures. So the transfer of a door or window, resizing is possible only after the change in the bearing capacity of this section or even the dome as a whole is calculated.
This technology has its own assembly feature. The frame should be sheathed as the racks are installed. That is, the second row of racks is assembled only after the first is sheathed, the third row – after the second is sewn up with sheet material, etc. This is due to the fact that in an unfinished form – without sheathing – the frame has a high bearing capacity for vertical loads and is not very resistant to torsional loads. As soon as the edges are sheathed, it becomes very stable and reliable.
Unlike a geodesic dome, a stratodesic connector is not required to assemble. The vertical parts of the frame are connected using special-shaped locks. Horizontal jumpers are fastened with a plate, which is fixed with bolts, under which a metal plate is laid.
There is another nuance that affects the cost of a domed house. When cutting sheet material for a stratodesic dome, there are more scraps than with a geodesic dome. This somewhat increases the cost of materials. But they are offset by the fact that windows and doors are used in a standard design, they are cheaper than triangular ones. As a result, the cost of the dome of different technologies is not much different.
Advantages and disadvantages
No one will argue with the fact that domed houses look unusual. If you want to have a house or cottage “not like everyone else” and have nothing against frame housing construction, take a closer look at this technology. The solution is really non-standard. Plus, they say it’s economical. The cost per square meter starts from $200. But as you know, this is the minimum price. Such an economical option.
Advantages of domed houses
In addition to the unusual appearance, the advantages of spherical houses are as follows:
- Optimal use of space. Rooms are obtained with a maximum floor area and a much smaller ceiling area. That is, the unused headroom is less.
- Smaller external wall surface compared to standard rectangular structures.
- Less surface – less heat dissipates in winter and heat is absorbed in summer. That is, the maintenance of such houses is more economical.
Precipitation in large quantities does not accumulate – fall off or drain - On domed structures, precipitation lingers in very small quantities – they simply roll off.
- The design is light, the foundation for it is required to be lightweight. Usually – tape, but both pile and pile-grillage are good. On unstable soils, a slab foundation can be used.
- Any number of windows can be built into the dome. This will not affect the stability of the structure.
- The small size of the house does not have load-bearing walls inside, so the cost of building materials is minimal. Domed houses of a large area should have either load-bearing walls or support columns. But they can be located almost anywhere, which allows you to correlate them with the desired layout.
- The structure of the dome allows you to optimally position the solar panels.
- In dome-type buildings it is convenient to arrange a ventilation, heating and air conditioning system. The point is the rounded shape of the roof, which contributes to the natural mixing of air.
By the combination of characteristics, domed houses look very attractive. In addition, many say that the construction requires much less money – due to the smaller surface of the walls, material is saved. According to mathematical calculations, the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe walls is almost a third less. But the savings, if any, are not so big – the construction is specific, using specific components that increase the cost of construction. In fact, the cost per square meter turns out to be approximately the same as in the construction of a regular-shaped frame.
Cons
There are also disadvantages and they are also quite serious. In any case, it is worth knowing about them and taking into account.
- It is difficult to calculate domed houses on your own. The calculation is not in two, but in three planes, and this is not at all easy.
- The technology appeared not so long ago, there is no exact description and instructions.
- It is desirable to order such a project and construction from organizations that already have experience in building spherical buildings, and there are not so many of them.
The internal layout of domed houses is very specific. - There is more waste of building materials left, as they are sold mainly in rectangular blocks / sheets. This reduces the economic feasibility that arises from the smaller wall area.
- Geodesic domes have unusually shaped doors and windows. They are made to order, and it costs more. The good news is that more and more firms can take on such an order, and this leads to lower prices.
- Limited choice of exterior materials. Only two options are ideal for roofing – soft tiles or wooden shingles. Other materials are uncomfortable due to their shape or rigidity. For exterior wall decoration, you can use the same material, but more plaster and painting are added. There are projects in which the walls and the “roof” are made of the same material. So the division is conditional.
Finishing a domed house has its own characteristics - Due to the presence of rounded walls, the choice of finishing materials for walls in rooms is also limited. So large-format ceramic tiles in the bathroom and kitchen cannot be used, but the mosaic is ideal, but it is much more expensive. When finishing with clapboard, the wall area is divided into sections of small width, which are delimited by vertical strips. Approximately the same should be done when pasting walls with wallpaper, but it does not look as colorful as with lining. Decorative plaster and wall painting are suitable for finishing residential and “dry” technical premises without any problems.
There is also an unusual layout, but it cannot be clearly attributed to the shortcomings. I like domed houses precisely for their originality. So the non-standard shape of the premises is rather a feature that must be taken into account when selecting / ordering furniture and choosing finishing materials.
Projects and planning features
It is far from easy to plan a round building in such a way that it is rational, beautiful, and even convenient. There are several basic techniques that most adhere to. The first thing that catches your eye is that there simply cannot be corridors in such a house. They just have nowhere to go. This is not bad, but the layout of the house becomes more difficult from this. Let’s start with a simple one – how to arrange the entrance to the house.
Entry group
For our climate, it is desirable that the front doors open into a small room, and not into a large room. Saves in this case a small vestibule. About can be allocated from the total area or attached. Approximately the same tasks are performed by a covered veranda. This is a more “civilized” way to solve the problem.
Not everyone likes this approach. Today, there are other trends in the world – from the front door they get into a large spacious hall / living room. Such a layout is also possible, but additional measures are needed to cut off cold air – a thermal curtain near the entrance. It is made using convectors built into the floor or by installing several powerful radiators near the door. The first method is more efficient, the second is easier to implement. All these nuances are typical for domed houses. The only difference is that you have to rack your brains on how to fit the built-in vestibule. The other two methods are easier to solve.
Let’s look at the input group device options with examples. In the picture above, the right project, the entrance doors lead to the living / dining room. This decision is typical for Europe and America. We are gradually gaining popularity, but due to the more severe climate it often brings inconvenience – each door opening in winter brings a significant portion of cold air, which reduces comfort.
The option on the left is with an attached vestibule. There are two exits from the vestibule – one to the winter garden, the other to the kitchen/dining room. The solution is no less modern, but the problem of cold air entering the living quarters has been solved. So this idea is worth adopting.
If it is decided to make the vestibule built-in, obviously, you will have to allocate some area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe house. The minimum is three squares (on the left project). It is logical if the living / dining room will be located further.
Another way is to allocate a large area and use it as a hallway. Place a wardrobe here, a hanger for things “for now” (draft law). If the area allows, you can install a small sofa. For a frequent home, the presence of an entrance hall is practically a necessity. Dirt and sand are less dragged into the house. And this is another argument in favor of a dedicated input group. Attached or fenced off – it’s your choice. But the entrance area is convenient. At least in our realities.
Space organization
Most often, the central part of the space of the domed house is allocated for common use. From this central area you can get to all the other rooms, which are located in a circle. In general, the central room turns out to be uncomfortable, since it is “very passable”.
It will not be possible to relax in it if it is a living room, it is not very convenient to cook in it, if the idea comes to use this room as a kitchen, as a dining room it is also not the best option. Projects that use this space in this way are presented above. It looks great in the picture, but in real life you can’t count on a chamber atmosphere here. So the passage rooms are not the most inhabited.
Not the worst way to use this passage area is to install a ladder. After all, most of the domed houses have two floors, and a spiral staircase just asks here. Just keep in mind that if you just twist it around the pole, it will be inconvenient to use – too sharp turns are obtained. If you design a staircase like a “well”, it is difficult to build it yourself. So this part will have to be delegated to someone.
Otherwise, domed houses are planned in the same way as ordinary ones. The main rule to remember is that in order for engineering systems to be not very expensive, all “wet” premises are located close to each other. The location of bedrooms, offices and other “dry” rooms – to your taste.
Related Videos
No matter how detailed the technology is described, its pros and cons, it is so difficult to get an accurate idea. We receive a significant part of information and impressions visually. Pictures and photos help only partially to give a general idea. It is much better to see everything with your own eyes in the video reviews.