Dome Homes

Since their discovery and popularization by people such as R. Fuller Buckminster in the early 20th century, geodesic domes have gained a great amount of attention both for their unconventional geometric forms, as well as their structural integrity, but in recent years, people have been pursuing the dome home as a potential solution to many of today's unsustainable practices in the field of architecture. 

The form of the geodesic dome is considered to be the best way to maximize the amount of space within a structure while using the minimum amount of building materials, using up to 60% less material to achieve the same space as conventional homes. Dome homes are also recognized for their ability to conserve energy and remain well insulated, even during the cold months of winter. 

These days, you can even order prefabricated, ready to assemble dome home kits from a number of different supplies. These kits can be made from a wide range of different materials, and can be quickly assembled by just a few workers in a matter of days, or sometimes hours in the case of some smaller projects. 

Although there seem to be a handful of potential drawbacks to building this kind of structure (from difficulty meeting local building codes, to problems partitioning the often times huge open spaces), but that doesn't rule domes out at a potential sustainable living space of the future, at least not in my mind. 

This video features an incredible geodesic dome house in North Branch, Minnesota called Bear Creek.