Building a dome house

[GuyF]

Hi, my wife has a piece of land in Suratthani, and we would like to put a house on it.

We didn't know what kind of design to choose from as everything seems so random, and as we got tired of looking we finally found this beautiful dome house.

The guy build it himself in only six weeks, costing him only 8000$

Now I know and I am with both foots on earth that the price will be a bit more than this, and we will also add more rooms, we talking 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, livingroom and a relaxing room.

But now here's my question, does anyone knows if there are company's that could build these for us?

And if there are experts, maybe you could give your thoughts about the cost price more or less...

Here is the site, with many pics, the point will of course be to build it starting from the pics as he explain how to, and then expand to our design, we are talking actually about 7 dome's, different size.

<link removed>

Thx in advance

Edited May 17, 2014 by LivinginKata

[Stocky]

I'm sure the local termites will appreciate all that nice wood!

[Langsuan Man]

It is hard enough to get Thai workers to do straight lines I can imagine the chaos that ensues when you want them to deal in curves.

The reason the guy built his own house ( I have see the pictures and it is tiny ) was probably because the workers could not / would not do it for him

With all the problems in getting a standard house built here in Thailand I wish you luck in getting something done "outside the box" especially in the boonies

[xen]

Have you had any experience with domes?

They are actually comprised of flat triangles joined at hubs . This makes them very quickly erected if the have been prefabricated. They are also very difficult to make waterproof because of the design. I suppose you could cover it completely with a membrane but that would be both costly and defeat the design. They are also both difficult to cool inside and can be difficult to heat in cooler environments. And the acoustics inside a dome are another factor that you will need to contemplate. A mouse farting will sound much louder than it is - ever noticed why there are so many sound bowls or opera houses using a similar design . Using a dome for each member of the household may be a very good idea.

Google Buckmaster Fuller for a lot more information on domes.

Here is the Wiki link : https://www.google.com.au/search?q=buckminster+fuller+geodesic+dome&oq=Buckmaster+Fuller&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j0l5.9786j0j8&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

[timber]

Definitely have to do some real homework on the contractor. Normally if you have potential engineering problems out of the ordinary you will have problems with your contract. Unless you subcontract, and are very knowledgeable about doing the building.

[cornishcarlos]

I'm pretty sure it took him a lot longer than 6 weeks to complete.

The whole point of him building it though, was the fact that he built it himself... Why don't you try the same ??

Linked to his site is the land owners site and they run dome building workshops. About $800 if i remember correctly for a 10 day course.

I would have a go at a small dome 1st and when you have all the skills mastered, crack on with your bigger design

[daveAustin]

Surely a dome in the tropics would just be too hot -- sun hitting from all angles?

[GuyF]

Well, it's not going to be the house where we will be living permanently, it is more of a second house when we go to Suratthani.

I found a youtube video as well for who's interested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02NtjypMHwk

[Seastallion]

Hi Guy,

When I landed in Hat Yai recently I noticed for the first time while I was queuing for immigration, a sign on the wall citing a 1970 something rule forbidding hippies entering the Kingdom. I wonder how Steve got through? Just kidding. He has beautiful music, a beautiful home, though quaint, and a lovely setting.

I'm not sure of I would get used to the hobbit-hole type internal doorways. They seem to be more of a whim than constructural, and not everyone is as lithe as he.

I note the dome house was in NE Thailand. From the greenery around, I wonder if it was somewhere like Chiang Rai where the weather is cooler than down south?

I also note that it is not the Buckminster Fuller type dome referred to earlier in the thread.

This kind of "dome", of concrete, may be suitable here, with some thought to cooling. I recall watching a doco about dome-type houses made with old tyres and beaten earth (and then a stucco-type coating for weather and aesthetics). I'll do a bit of a google and see what I can find because those tyre houses appealed to me at the time and your OP has re-ignited my interest. Possibly very cheap too, and from what I recall, the construction method would be easy to train labourers in.

[Seastallion]

Ok.... There was a recent thread on TVF about "earthships". The earthship concept (which is great for the Arizona desert) with modification for water-proofing al la the NZ Earthbuilding standards (which I haven't researched but I do know that NZ building permits are rigourous and thus these houses must be sturdy and weatherproof), and further modifications for cooling (eg glazing sloping outwards and air circulation), the whole idea of a dome house may be very good.

Lets keep the ideas going.

[Stocky]

This kind of "dome", of concrete, may be suitable here

...certainly the termites won't find that very appetising.

[Rooo]

Looks like a strawberry pot.

[Big Guy]

Looks like a strawberry pot.

Good idea for your new beach house

[Rooo]

Looks like a strawberry pot.

Good idea for your new beach house

For slight built, agile, skinny folk