Rural Builder - Summer 2010

Here is how Linda Boothe, marketing director for Oregon Dome, responds to some of them. Her comments are in italic type.

CONCERN: Spaces within curved boundaries tend to be less usable than within rectangles. The curved walls require either custom furnishings, 100 percent prefab design or an open spaces approach.

RESPONSE: That objection might apply to a second floor or loft upstairs. But geodesic homes certainly can have interior walls to divide areas such as bedroom and bathroom. A typical main floor will have 10 vertical walls and no curved surfaces.

CONCERN: Geodesic buildings are susceptible to leaks, due to the large number of edges created by the triangles. RESPONSE: That’s why buildings are shingled. Any good grade of laminate shingles or shakes will prevent leaks.

CONCERN: Residential geodesic domes have been less successful than those used for working and/or entertainment, largely because their complexity makes for higher construction costs.

RESPONSE: On the contrary, repeating shapes make them less expensive.

CONCERN: The dome shape makes it difficult to conform to code requirements for the placement of sewer vents and chimneys.

RESPONSE: That is correct, but resolved with careful design.

CONCERN: Off-the-shelf building materials (e.g., plywood) normally come in rectangular shapes, and much material may have to be scrapped after cutting rectangles down to triangles, thus increasing construction costs. RESPONSE: Wrong. One shape is a flip of the other. In any case, whatever waste there might be is on our end and would be reflected in our prices; and we certainly do plan to minimize waste.

CONCERN: Fire escapes are problematic for larger structures, and they are expensive.

RESPONSE: Indeed. Meeting codes is not difficult, just ex-
pensive. One solution is to use a lower profile dome with-
out a second floor. We recommend this approach for most
commercial buildings. Again, simple and repetitive is the
way to save money.

CONCERN: Windows conforming to code can cost anywhere from 5 to 15 times as much as windows in conventional houses.

RESPONSE: Wrong again. We use conventional lines of windows in our domes. Windows certainly can be customized, but it is not necessary. As before, to the extent this might be a problem, it is addressed at our end, since we ship framing ready to receive the windows as specified by the owner and contractor.