11-10-2012, 04:38 AM
I've stayed in a dome for a bit. It was quite large. Maybe 50'dia. Two story with some cool traversing beams,"cathedral" ceiling, cat walks and reading nook all by itself up on a "wall". It was really unique. But was the biggest waste of interior space I have yet to see in building. The rooms with the curved exterior wall were hard pressed to find spots for furniture.
If I was building one, I might really think about designing in built-in storage and jettison the furniture in all the small rooms save for a scant table or such.
I've built a lot of radius work and enjoy it. But found I had to increase labor estimates by as much as X6 depending on the project. I also found projects to have more waste when reducing square stocks to curvilinear shapes. For example, a radiused 1x4x8 with bead on edge for soffits would suffer up to 50% waste in manufacture.
I think a more earthen plaster, adobe structure would be the most cost effective. Though maybe not the best suited for earth quake territory. Here, I would definately go with a wood frame dome.
If I was building one, I might really think about designing in built-in storage and jettison the furniture in all the small rooms save for a scant table or such.
I've built a lot of radius work and enjoy it. But found I had to increase labor estimates by as much as X6 depending on the project. I also found projects to have more waste when reducing square stocks to curvilinear shapes. For example, a radiused 1x4x8 with bead on edge for soffits would suffer up to 50% waste in manufacture.
I think a more earthen plaster, adobe structure would be the most cost effective. Though maybe not the best suited for earth quake territory. Here, I would definately go with a wood frame dome.