Dome, spherical dwellings have been known for a very long time. They were one of the main buildings of different nations. Such houses are stable and easy to build. Yaranga, plague, wigwam, etc. were built on this principle. Dome buildings appeared only in the middle of the last century as permanent buildings made of strong and durable materials. Having divided the dome structure into triangles, a scientist from America by the name of Fuller, laid a new direction in architecture - dome buildings. Modern architects use this principle today.
Technologies and subtleties in the construction of domed houses
Spherical or domed houses are rebuilt using certain technologies. Such a building is made in the form of a hemisphere or polyhedron, in shape resembling a sphere stretched up.
The dome house withstands wind and snow loads better. The area under construction of rectangular buildings is used with greater utility. The dome house narrows upward and has rounded walls, at least one. This reduces the usable area of the room. Furniture and interior items should also be selected individually or made to order.
Dome houses are often made of frame technology, which facilitates the weight of the structure. The frame of the structure is made of metal pipes and timber, after which it is sheathed with sheets of metal (OSB or plywood). The building is insulated with mineral wool, foam glass, jute, polystyrene foam, etc. The materials necessary for the construction of the dome house are used the same as for a conventional frame rectangular house.
There are other options. Also applied are the technologies for building spherical houses made of reinforced concrete. But they did not take root in our country because of the high cost of the material.
Geodesic dome
The dome polyhedron is assembled from triangles. The technology consists in the fact that a large number of beams converge at one point, they are connected using connectors - special devices made of strong steel that securely fix metal beams. The cost of the connector varies from 600 to 1500 rubles (10-25 cu).
When building a dome house, a large number of connectors are used, which significantly affects the cost estimate. When building a house on your own, in order to reduce the cost of the design, they make connectors, not buy. So the construction of the house-dome will be much cheaper. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that the strength, connection and quality of the material from which the connectors are made must be at the level, otherwise the house will simply collapse. Therefore, it is worth considering the choice in favor of quality and reliability.
You can also use wooden beams using non-connected technology, but such a design is not strong enough and requires great skill of the carpenter performing such work. But the reliability of such beams and such joints is lower than that of metal.
Main advantages
One of the main advantages of the frame of the geodesic dome is its reliability. If, under any circumstances, 35% of the entire structure collapses, the frame will remain stable. Such buildings are suitable for areas with increased seismic activity, or those where there is a high probability of hurricanes and other natural phenomena that threaten buildings and structures.
The stability of this design is ideal for placing any openings in any place. With ease, you can remove several jumpers, and this will not affect the reliability of the house-dome. Windows of this design will be in the shape of a triangle.
Sheathing the building should be done after the carcass is fully installed, since such a carcass has good indicators of curl, but does not tolerate horizontal loads.
Another type of dome is the stratodesic
In the technology of building these types of houses , sections in the form of a trapezoid are used. Elements of structural components are similar to squares and rectangles, this allows the use of standard openings for windows and doors. The layout and decoration of the stratodesic house no longer claims to be as original as in the version with triangular openings, which is much more convenient and familiar to many.
The calculation of the stratodesic dome requires certain skills. It is more complicated than a geodesic. The stratodesic construction is not as stable as the geodesic dome. It is necessary to remove individual connections from it very carefully and only according to a certain technology, since changing the bearing capacity of one section can dramatically change the stability of the entire dome house. In this minus of such a design, window and doorways are not tolerated without careful calculation.
Construction technology
The technology for the construction of a stratodesic dome is unique. Such a house is sheathed at the same time as the racks are installed. This is another feature of such a dome. That is, each subsequent row of racks is sheathed only when the previous one is sheathed. This technology of sheathing a spherical house is due to the instability of the structure for torsion, although the resistance to vertical loads is high. Additional reinforcement is provided by sheet sheathing, after which the frame is securely fixed.
The stratodetic domed house differs from the geodesic in the first place by the absence of a connector. The frame parts having a vertical arrangement are connected using special locks, while the horizontal parts are fastened to the plates with bolts and a metal plate under them.
The cost of spherical houses made using stratodesic technology and geodesic is not much different. In the case of a geodesic dome house, the rise in price is due to the installation of windows and doors of a non-standard triangular shape. The technology of building a house in the form of a stratodesic dome requires a large consumption of sheet material. It also increases the cost of construction.
The calculation of the stratodesic dome should be correct, but it is carried out quite quickly and easily. So, a one-story house can be built in about 2-3 months.
Pros and cons
The spherical domed house has many advantages. Such a structure is relatively inexpensive. The lower mark for the construction of such a house is 200 at. e. on sq. m. Dome-shaped houses are unusual and cause widespread interest. But at the same time, each such building has its drawbacks. Consider the geodesic and stratodesic domes, the pros and cons.
pros
- A spherical house is an ideal solution for saving space, that is, the usable floor space in the house is used to the maximum, and the ceiling is reduced due to the dome.
- The surface of the walls is also reduced in comparison with standard rectangular houses.
- Due to the reduced surface of the house in winter, heat is much better retained. And in summer, the outer surface is not so heated.
- Precipitation on the surface of domed houses is not delayed.
- Under this design, a lightweight foundation is used (pile, tape, pile-grillage, less often tile - on unstable soil).
- The number of embedded windows is not limited.
- You can use any version of the layout of the house, because domed houses do not have load-bearing walls. Only in large houses use props.
- The house can be heated using solar panels, which contributes to the shape of the house.
- Air is mixed in the rounded roof of such a building, which contributes to room ventilation, air conditioning and heating.
Based on the above characteristics of the domed house, we can conclude that these buildings are attractive. Also, there is a saving in the construction of the domed house, the surface of the walls requires almost a third less calculation than for a rectangular house. But do not forget that such a house is non-standard, and requires additional investment in the interior.
Minuses
Among the shortcomings of domed houses, the following can be distinguished:
- The calculation of the domed houses is very complicated, it cannot be done independently.
- It is difficult to find instructions or specialists in the construction of spherical houses, since the technology of such buildings appeared relatively recently.
- After the construction of the building, a lot of waste remains, because the materials for the construction are usually square or rectangular.
- Windows and doors of non-standard shape, this increases their cost.
- Soft tiles or wooden shingles are the only suitable materials for decorating a house from the outside.
- The interior decoration of the rooms is also complicated by the shape of the walls. So, the bathroom can only be finished with mosaic tiles, and wall decoration with clapboard requires breaking the walls into separate zones, and this slightly spoils the appearance. The best solution for residential premises is plastering walls for painting.
Dome houses are good for their eccentricity, so you should be prepared for the fact that such a house is unusual not only outside but also inside.
Layout and design
As already mentioned above, a spherical house is very unusual and interesting. It minimizes the usable area due to the lack of extra corridors. But along with this, the layout and decoration of the stratodesic dome causes a lot of difficulties.
How to arrange an entrance to the house?
We live in a temperate continental climate, for houses in such conditions it is better to equip the vestibule at the entrance. Veranda is also an ideal solution for building spherical shapes.
But not everyone will like the presence of a vestibule. A large spacious room at the entrance to the house looks much more aesthetically pleasing, but there is a problem in protecting the rooms of the house from the flow of cold air from the street. This will help the thermal curtain, it is built into the floor or ceiling and delivers warm air. For this, convectors are used in the floor, or another option is the location on the sides of the entrance.
You can consider another option for arranging the entrance to the house - the entrance hall. A large room where you can place a wardrobe, equip a sitting area, put a sofa and a table, place shelves with shoes, etc.
Home interior
In the center of a spherical house there is always a large room, this space is a passage. Such a zone is inconvenient for the location of the kitchen because of the centralization of engineering systems, in the dining room located here, it will be uncomfortable. This room most often serves as a living room, i.e., a common room. From it you can get into other rooms of the house, located in a circle from it.
The best option for using this zone is to install a staircase to the second floor, since most domed houses have 2 or more floors. In the arrangement of rooms with high humidity, it is worth remembering that they are close to each other so that the engineering systems are in one place.
The living quarters of the domed house can be located in any part of it, depending on the layout you have chosen.
Conclusion
Dome houses are interesting in their architecture and design. Such a house will undoubtedly attract the attention of neighbors and surprise friends. When choosing a spherical house, you choose originality and reliability. The interior is also unique in its own way. It is the extraordinary nature of such a house that makes domed houses more and more popular.