The geodesic dome was made famous by Buckminster Fuller in the mid 20th Century and has remained popular with hobbyists ever since. Romania's Biodomes is the latest in a long line of firms to design houses centered around the geodesic dome and its models can operate off-the-grid and withstand severe earthquakes and winds.
Built from metal and either single, double, or triple-glazed glass, Biodomes currently offers over 20 different iterations of its eponymous product. Besides a turnkey option with all the furniture already installed and ready to move in, you can also order a greenhouse and indoor swimming pool, or just an empty shell to do with what you want.
Either way, it should be very durable. Biodomes says that its homes can withstand earthquakes up to 8.5 on the Richter scale and winds of up to 320 km/h (198 mph). None of which is particularly surprising or even unique to Biodomes, as the geodesic dome has long been known to be earthquake- and wind-resistant.
So far, the firm has only built the smallest model, dubbed the Pollux, which comprises 19 sq m (204 sq ft) of floorspace, but says it can build domes up to 314 sq m (3,379 sq ft).
A representative told us that the firm can either partition one large dome into several rooms or multiple domes can each serve as a room, connected to the others by tunnel. The domes can also be built atop a stone wall to gain usable height while retaining their shape. They require a foundation and are non-movable.
To mitigate the fact that you'll be essentially living in a greenhouse, Biodomes says that magnetic blinds can be affixed for privacy and to reduce the sun's effects. However, the firm can also part-bury the dome to create an earth-sheltered home and this should improve thermal performance by a lot.
Off-grid tech is also an option and custom triangular solar panels and solar hot water heaters can be added to the domes.
Prices start at €1,000 (US$1,060) per sq m (10 sq ft). Delivery is available for the entire European Union, and possibly outside the EU too.
Source: Biodomes
