Domed homes seem to be coming back into fashion

This week I thought that as so many of our human population seek a secure and comfortable home to reside in, I would turn back the clock thousands of years to when building a domed home was the order of the day.

Domed homes seem to be coming back into fashion again. This is a structural principle that was prevalent in South Africa represented by the beehive homes that were built by indigenous African tribes, and then the cobbled rock and clay-built homes of the early European settlers.

There are many different styles of home that can incorporate the required accommodation needs and aesthetics. In terms of material, there are variables of most locally available materials ranging from rock to clay, rammed earth, straw bale, mud and straw bricks. Even snow and ice are used in countries where that is available as a constant building material!

Essential to the long life and durability of the superstructure is the inclusion of cement into the mix. This can be done at little additional cost, but with a longevity of decades.

In the sketch here I have created the layout to be oval in shape. This is still compliant with the dome structural integrity. Additionally, there are supporting inner walls. As for the outer walling, this can make use of what has recently come into use and fashion. The walling is termed aircrete and is a mix of either Styrofoam, woodchip or straw, or a combination of these, plus sand and cement. A further option is the use of timber saplings, 50 to 100mm, placed as for a traditional beehive hut design. With a 30mm thatch or reed overlay, the thatching can then be overcoated with the lightweight aircrete mix.

Aircrete serves as a thermal insulator and structural component, and copes well with expansion and contraction in areas of vast temperature differences. It can also be rendered waterproof with inclusion of a PVC underlay or via chemical waterproofing inclusion.

For those of us who are innovative and creative, I will detail all the specifics of materials and applications needed in the chosen layouts of your dome home. Kind regards,

Jonno