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My Dream House

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 9 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

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My Dream of a Round House

 

So I've got this idea that I'm going to build a house someday, and it's going to be a round house.  I've been investigating dome houses, yurts and tipis as part of my research, and thought I'd share it with you.

Please let me know what you thought of this lens by rating it. 

What Type Of Round House Do You Like? 

I sort of think that there might be a spot for each type of structure on my land eventually. Each one has certain structural uses for which it is best. What do you think about round houses? Do you have a favorite?

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Books about Round Houses 

Domes, tipis, yurts and other round shelters

Before you build a house you have to have someplace to build it. I don't yet know where I'm going to build my house, but I'm contemplating that as I do my research on design and construction. I have to decide how severe a winter and summer I really want. What my friends get in Chicago is too much of each extreme for my tastes. After living in California, I have to consider whether I want a fire season as part of my weather range too. Living in Seattle is teaching me a lot about rain. I wonder if a dome house can have a green roof?

I'd like to incorporate independent power resources for this house if I can to handle its electricity and heating needs.

The Beauty of the Round House 

Along with a round house, I'd like to have a moss garden, a koi pond and an apiary. One of the things I'm considering is whether to do one large dome and build a loft in it, or if I should do two smaller connected domes. Over time, expanding the structure to be a partial ring of domes around a courtyard or garden could be good for expansion of space or extended family.

The extensive amount of rain this year in Seattle has me thinking of building on a platform a lot. Also, I was in Hawaii recently, and my friend there has a house up on stilts, and she uses the roofed-but-otherwise-open space below her house for storage and as an art studio. I like her concept, but the structural soundness of her actual architecture gave me nightmares! I'd like to think about levels of housing more, and what possibilities might be had from using the space below a dome too.

the dome home by jacob earl

autumn 2006, dome home in limoges/vars/embrun, ottawa.

domehome by nlghttrain

a local dome home

Dome Home by holisticgeek

Dome Home

domebuilderseries 013 by vaslittlecrow

domebuilderseries

DOME House by micamica

DOME House

Build Your Own Dome 

Designs, kits, plans, builders

The idea of building my own home really appeals to me. I'm really drawn to the idea of a round home. I remember loving Native American tipis a lot as a kid, and being inside things that aren't square just really has always felt good to me.

I really played with Legos, erector sets, and TinkerToys as a kid, and I'm really good at assembling my own IKEA furniture. The idea that I could build a house from a kit is really attractive to me.

I'm also working on what I'd like the inside of my dome to look like too!
Timberline Geodesic Domes
Timberline Geodesic Domes make it easy, practical and affordable for people to construct their own homes.
Natural Spaces Domes
Natural Spaces Domes believes we can produce and live in a home causing considerably less detrimental impact to this earth. We will continue to change and alter our dome building system with this in mind.

Natural Spaces Domes is located 40 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota. We have an office dome, 3 model dome homes, a screen dome and 2 workshop domes. We invite you to visit us when you are in the area.
Good Karma Domes - Manufacturer and Builder Dome Homes
Specializing in geodesic domes - builder and manufacturer of dome homes of all types of construction.
AI Domes - Home
AI Domes - Hurricane and tornado proof, super energy efficient geodesic Dome Homes.
Monolithic Dome Homes
Monolithic Dome homes are beautiful, safe, energy efficient and inexpensive
Dome Inc. ~ Geodesic Dome Home Builders
geodesic dome home, dome house, hurricane house, tornado dome home, cabin, garage, jungle gym, playground, remote shelter, hunting shack and more!

Geodesic Domes 

all sorts of wonderful structures using Buckminster Fuller's fave shape

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eBay

About Yurts 

I love yurts. When it comes to temporary shelter, I think they are one of my most favorite designs. But I'm not sure they would hold up as well as a proper dome structure especially for wetter and colder weather, nor do I think they would be as climate-controlled/comfortable.

I wish I could have a yurt to take to my various gatherings instead of just a tent. Maybe Calyxa and I can do one of these one year for our Nevada adventures.
Pacific Yurts-Original Modern Yurt Manufacturer
Uncompromising quality and service from the original modern yurt manufacturer.
Yurts by Rainier
Yurts by Rainier Yurts - elegantly rustic, a Rainier Yurt will give you a feeling you won't forget. Manufactured by Rainier Industries (formerly by Nesting Bird Yurts).
Colorado Yurt Company - Yurts, Tipis & Tents
Though the name has changed over the years, The Colorado Yurt Company has been under the same proprietorship since its inception in 1977. Owners Dan and Emma Kigar have a simple business philosophy: success comes from making a quality product and treating people right. We made our first yurt in 1983 and it's still in use up on a mesa in southern Colorado. Some of those early buffalo hide reinforced tipis and tents are still around too. What's really satisfying is to see people who have used those structures over the years come around the shop once again-so many of them have become friends.
Yurt Living & Source for Affordable Yurts
Information about erecting a yurt, deck building and a source for affordable yurts.

This is a Yurt 

Yurt Takedown 2 by Syriloth

A shot from the day that we took down the yurt.

Yurt by Laskaris

First day the yurt went up. 6 hours and 8 people start to finish.

Yurts and Tajiks, Karakul Lake by VainShane

I stayed in a yurt! It was great. The whole floor is a bed, and then when you ge...

D.I.Y. 

Folks who've made web pages about their alternative housing

Also on this list is a bunch of architects and designers who make smaller or alternative housing.
HOME BUILDING : Vacation Homes : Sedona Dome-House: Introduction : DIY Network
Meet homeowners David Walske and Rick Goldstein and get a first-hand look at their unique geodesic-dome house in Sedona, Arizona.
RBF Dome NFP: Preserving the geodesic dome home of Buckminster Fuller and Anne-Hewlett Fuller in Carbondale, Illinois
RBF Dome is working to preserve the geodesic dome home of Buckminster and Anne-Hewlett Fuller in Carbondale, Illinois.
ALCHEMY architects
Our distinctive hands-on approach to architecture and design combines a playful design process, collaborative relationships with clients, and partnerships with builders and fabricators, to create a harmonious blend of site, building, and community.
BlueSky MOD
Low-Impact, High-Design Living
Cavco Industries, Inc. - Manufactured Homes, Park Model Homes, Camping Cabins, Commercial Buildings
A Southwest Leader of manufactured and factory built homes. many floorplans and options to choose from. At Cavco Industries, there is something for everyone
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
How each house gets used depends on the occupant's particular needs. What one person would enjoy as a quiet studio in their backyard, another couple might choose to inhabit as a full-time residence. What some people see as the perfect weekend hideaway in the country, others will use as a beautiful free-standing addition to their existing home for accommodating an elderly parent, an adult child, guests, or as office space.
MODERN CABANA
Modern Cabana

Videos of Round Houses 

domes, yurts and tipis


Dome was Built in a day: Diginfo

Runtime: 0:59
8700 views
4 Comments:


Monolithic Dome Shell

Runtime: 2:47
7786 views
8 Comments:


Green Building Ecologic Geodesic Dome Wood House

Runtime: 2:01
7361 views
4 Comments:


Kazakh Yurt

Runtime: 3:47
5326 views
10 Comments:


Yurt Up!

Runtime: 2:08
5142 views
4 Comments:


Amazing Yurt Take Down

Runtime: 1:46
863 views
1 Comments:


Tipi Raising

Runtime: 0:51
6708 views
6 Comments:


The Summer Encampment (Tipi Raising)

Runtime: 3:25
2575 views
2 Comments:


Setting Up A Tipi

Runtime: 4:11
5123 views
10 Comments:

Tipis, Teepees and Tepees 

I have some friends in CA who have a really large tipi on their land, and it's a wonderful ritual space, shelter, whatever you want space. I think having a tipi for ritual use and containing guests would be great. With a wooden deck floor, a tipi can even be a great shelter in full winter.
Nomadics Tipis
Greetings and welcome to Nomadics Tipi Makers. Thank you for visiting us.
We have been making tipis for 35 years and we have made more than 18,000 tipis.
We unconditionally guarantee our workmanship/craftsmanship for the life of your teepee.
United Earth Tipis
Tipis for a new generation. Gaze into the night sky from the warmth and comfort of your very own tipi.
MANATAKA TIPIS
Manataka Tipis feature the classic "Egg-shape" characteristic of the Cheyenne style to the rear, giving the floor its unique shape. This results in giving the owner more usable floor space than most other teepees.
Gaia's Oasis - Our Large Tipi and more...
My friends have a tipi on their land, and hold rituals inside it a few times a year. They had to get a new tipi as the first cover recently succumbed to wear and weather.
THE TIPI - shelter for the Plains Indians
The tipi was a very good shelter for the Plains Indians. It was easy to set up and take down. It was warm in winter, cool in summer and waterproof.
Tipi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tipi (also teepee, tepee) is a conical tent originally made of skins or birch bark and popularized by the American Indians of the Great Plains. The dwelling was remarkably durable, and gave warmth and comfort to its inhabitants during harsh winters, was dry during heavy rains, and cool during the heat of summers.

This is a Tipi 

Three Tipis by babaghan

Tipis at Zajac Ranch. Mission, British Columbia, Canada.

Tipis by Mountain Mike

Tipis in the Big Wood River valley.

Tipi von innen by PeetThePhotographer

Wenn der Stangenknopf schön gemacht ist, dann kommt auch kaum Regen rein.

Tipis by Ms. Moll

Tipis by Merrony's Moll

tipi.jpg by craggs

tipi at sundance lodges, they look so cool in amongst the trees

Unique Places to Stay 

Domes, yurts and tipis to visit or stay in!

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: State Parks RUSTIC CABINS & YURTS
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: State Parks RUSTIC CABINS & YURTS
Cedar House Inn & Yurts, Dahlonega, Georgia Bed & Breakfast Inn
An eco-friendly bed & breakfast in the North Georgia mountains & wine country near Dahlonega, Ga.
Sunshine Coast Accommodation, The Dome House, Coolum, Queensland.
The Dome House, Coolum, Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast. Luxury Bed and Breakfast B&B accommodation.
Dome of a Home - Pensacola Beach, Florida
Our mission is to help reduce the suffering associated with the destruction and loss of one's home in a natural disaster. We want to help promote awareness of the superior building technologies that can alleviate unnecessary losses. Many of the new technologies are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than their predecessors allowing the construction of structures while protecting and preserving the delicate balance of nature.

Our home is available for rent and we participate in many open house tours allowing others the opportunity to personally experience the benefits of monolithic domes.
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast - Healy, Alaska
Denali Dome Home is a year-round bed and breakfast, close to Denali National Park in Healy, Alaska. It is 248.8 miles from Anchorage and 110 miles from Fairbanks, and just 12 miles north of Denali National Park.
Tipi Hire, Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk Coast, England
Just imagine turning up at Burnham Deepdale and knowing that the most elegant and noble of homes is there waiting for you. The fire ready made, the floor laid and all you have to do is light a match, move your bags in and immediately have fun and relax.
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