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GEODESIC WOOD DOMES
 
FEATURES 
 
ENERGY EFFICIENT

Our Continental geodesic domes require less energy to heat and cool and lend themselves geothermal HVAC systems & other types of alternative energy sources. Our domes can save you up to over fifty percent when on standard (on the grid) electrical and gas hookups. This saves you tons of money for years to come! All our domesare wood frame construction for the shell, so you have better insulation for even more savings on heating and cooling, in all types of climates.

 

SUPERIOR IN STRENGTH

Our Continental geodesic domes have been proven to withstand severe inclement weather all over the world, better than the standard box type construction, including snow loads, tornadoes and hurricanes, making them a safe and secure place to live. After all, can you think of anything stronger than interlocking triangles?

 

EASY TO ASSEMBLE

The Continental Quick-build Geodesic dome kit home is ideal for the in-experienced "do-it-yourselfer". Only basic hand tools are required to assemble the basic kit. Everything is precision cut and color coded for ease of assembly, and comes with complete blueprints and instructions. Only regular every day tools are needed and our complete instruction manuals make it a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. We do all the hard stuff, so you reap all the benefits. Once the kit is assembled, everything else is standard construction.　

ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY

Our Continental dome structure itself requires about forty percent less building materials to enclose the same amount of space than the standard square box building. This saves natural resources and the energy used to produce the construction materials, as well as saving energy consumption after the home is finished. Again less energy used means more savings to you and is better for our environment.

 

SPACIOUS

Nothing can compare to our Continental dome home for the feeling of openness and spaciousness inside. The design itself is very pleasing to the eye and harmonious to your way of life. Gone is the feeling of being "closed in" that can come from the standard square box, closed off structures that most people have had to contend with all their lives.

 

 

EXPANDABLE

Our Continental dome can be designed with literally hundreds of different floor plans to suit every need for you and your family. You can start with a small to medium sized dome and add others in a cluster arrangement as your family grows or your needs change. This can be done much easier than standard housing because you are not limited by or worrying about load bearing walls, roof trusses, and "marrying in" the addition so it does not look like an add on. The additional dome or round home can be added to any opening area you wish, with just a little aforethought during the design phase. The domes or round homes can be done in stages and finished as your schedule & budget permits. This allows you to be in charge of costs better than a room addition or remodel project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GEODESIC ALUMINUM DOMES

 

                                             

FRAMEWORK

Continental Geodesic Aluminum Domes uses 1 3/8" O.D. X 16 gauge .065 galvanized round steel tubing or cast aluminum hubs for square end cut 2' x 6' or larger lumber.

 

EXTERIOR PANELS

Continental Geodesic Aluminum Domes uses triangular plywood panels made from 1/2" O.S.B. Structural exterior grade plywood, pre-cut and color coded.

                                                                                                 

FASTENERS  

All grade 5 zinc coated; 1/2" x 2.5" carriage bolts and nuts; USS and structural flat washers; #12 TEK screws; 1 and 2 hole EMT straps; #12 EMB round head screws.


ROOF
Continental Geodesic Aluminum & Wood Domes uses 30 year architectural shingles, 15# felt, 1 1/4" galvanized roofing nails, ice and water dam; Style D roof edge. Upgrades available. Copper or galvanized steel optional.

 

 

 

HISTORY OF GEODESIC DOMES

Richard Buckminster Fuller and the History of Geodesic Domes

 

The design principles of the Continental domes are based on the revolutionary work of American inventor, architect, engineer, mathematician and cosmologist, Richard Buckminster ‘Bucky’ Fuller (1895-1983). He was the second president of Mensa and awarded 25 US patents.

 

Throughout his life, Fuller was concerned with whether or not “humanity had a chance to survive lastingly and successfully on planet Earth, and if so, for how long?” In pursuing this lifelong experiment, Fuller wrote more than thirty books and pioneered numerous inventions, chiefly in the fields of design and architecture. In the 1940s he set out to create a ‘design science’ that would produce the best solution to mankind’s housing problems using "minimal consumption of energy and materials".

 

By replicating ‘nature’s own co-ordinate system’ which can be found in all spheres – from planets to molecules – and understanding that gravitational forces are spherical, his work challenged the efficiency of the traditional ‘linear’ architectural structures, and the geodesic dome was born.

 

This remarkable, sphere-like structure was based on theories of ‘energetic-synergetic geometry’. Fuller demonstrated that a sphere was the most efficient space as it encloses the most volume using the least amount of surface area. Any dome therefore has the least surface through which to lose heat and has the unique ability to stand up to potentially damaging winds.

 

Fuller’s efforts in creating the geodesic dome were applauded in 1970 when he was awarded a gold medal by the American Institute of Architects, critically acclaiming it as “the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space known to man.”

 

Carbon molecules known as ‘fullerenes’ or ‘buckyballs’ are so-called because of their resemblance to a geodesic sphere.

Although the geodesic dome was widely hailed as a credible solution to world housing shortages, this ability was never realized. However, its efficient and economical shape makes it perfect for a range of applications in the modern world.