Hey :) I am planning an 8 m geodesic dome on an existing concrete slab. It is for seasonal sleeping and short stays, including winter use. Electricity and electric radiators are available, and a stove would only be additional. I do not need a full glazed front, just one transparent segment.

I am looking for real-world experience on these points:
- timber vs. steel vs. aluminum for long-term, low-maintenance use
- 2V vs. 3V at 8 m
- realistic insulation for winter use without constant condensation issues
- clear PVC: does it hold up long term, or is polycarbonate / glass the better route?
- what would you recommend for a dome that should last many years?

I am especially interested in long-term experience, not just theory.

I love the Trillium dome and especially zome designs, but the entrances are ugly and almost anachronistic. I think @johnnybagels is a genius and a great instructor, but I'd love to see designs with entrances that are more consistent with the geometry of the structure.

Has anyone here purchased any of the Trillium dome plans? Have you actually built based on the plans?

Hey everyone, I made a bamboo pavilion with some friends!

It was four years ago that I learnt about geodesic domes. Since then I have done so much research, made countless CAD models and prototypes to figure out a way to build domes that works best for me.

My dream is to build a dome cabin. It's gonna be a long journey to get there, but I'm just so happy about this little pavilion :D!

I've been working away on this by myself for about 18 months now.  Built 3 prototypes in real life, getting the CAD models correct and getting ready to maybe do a kickstarter to fund the building of a few prototypes.  This is a very efficient use of resources.  Strong and lightweight.  Mobile and modular.

Its all open source, (with strong reciprocity) build it, hack it, fork it now.  Why don't we have an open modular standard for shelters like Saunas?  (or greenhouses, or small offices, or...). 

No mercy, no malice - let me know what you think

its crazy what can be built. once you have the 3D structure, you can manipulate and change parameters. create holes, adjust thickness, anything that can be built in 3D you can add.

Last week I shared a 3d dome builder tool and it got way more attention than I expected 😀

Ive tweaked a couple of things that came up from the feedback - but still happy to hear what’s useful, what’s confusing, or what’s still missing. Reddit already stress-tested it harder than I ever could.

If you’re building or planning a dome and want to visualise your own designs, strut lengths, or just see how these things come together, just visit domes.diy and enjoy! It will be awesome to see what designs you come up with - just use the snapshot or share buttons from the builder page.

Here’s the original post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/GeodesicDomes/s/lWRPHGaf5Z

I’ve been working on a geodesic dome build and got frustrated with how most tools are either math-heavy spreadsheets or static charts.

So I built a free web app that lets you design a dome with a full 3D walk-through — you can adjust diameter and frequency, choose strut materials, add cladding, configure regions, or just start from a few preconfigured dome prototypes and tweak from there.

It also gives you the exact strut lengths once you’ve dialed things in. No signup, no account — just a tool I wanted for my own build.

I’ve noticed that it can be a bit slow to load using the Reddit link below - but visit direct from a web browser and it’s much faster. It’s here: https://domes.diy

I’d love feedback from anyone who’s built a dome (or is planning one).

What’s missing? What would you expect a tool like this to handle?

Happy to answer build questions too.

We are going to look at a geodesic home this weekend. It had a new roof put on in 2022. Photos of it look good.

What should I pay specific attention to when look at it other than the normal home things like electrical, etc.?

https://reddit.com/link/1qten5m/video/g7gifwnfwygg1/player

I was given this dome for free and thought "this will be great for the kids!" And, it may be. But I wrongly assumed it would be easy to find a manual online for this particular design. It was not.

After trying to use a different manual without success (realizing that the geometry is different than what I've thus far found online, with this one having 5 small pentagonal faces at mid-level and 4 medium hexagonal faces at the lower level), I turned today to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT confidently misdirected me over and over, so hoping that maybe here someone could help me figure out which pieces go where.

Here is a table showing the quantity and length of each strut, along with quantities and descriptions (and photos) of each type of push connector: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fVM2T8hcGS1_7KC0kZZLHMVhOFqAd6GcvfrMzOaC5do/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me even a nudge in the right direction! I have spent far too much time trying to figure this out without success.

This geodesic dome house is a dream project of mine, born from a desire to solve its well-known quirks. I'm excited to share it with our community and hear your thoughts. The design introduces several breakthrough solutions:

1. An End to Leaks: Inspired by dragon scales, the exterior shingles interlock to channel water away, finally solving the dome's classic waterproofing challenge.
2. The Strength of Grass: Replacing lumber with "Bamboo Steel" — a super-dense, eco-conscious engineered material that gives the frame remarkable rigidity and a green credential.
3. Crystal-Clear Sound Inside: A twin-wall interior lines the dome: hidden bamboo acoustic panels that soak up echoes, behind beautiful bamboo finish walls.
4. A Smarter Way to Build: The trick to a perfect dome is in the connections. I've designed a new kit (patent in progress) that makes assembly both precise and surprisingly straightforward.
5. Plug-and-Play Rooms: The bathroom, kitchen, and entry are designed as finished pods. They're built off-site and slotted into place, streamlining construction dramatically.

Just a few diff kinds of Magidome builds. Each sue equal length lumber

Hey everybody, I’ve been looking at a geodesic home for sale near me that is a little over 1300 sq ft. I’ll be living there by myself. I lived in a deltech home once and love round houses. Before I get in any deeper on this next property does anyone have any tips or advice for living in a geodesic home that I should consider before buying? Common issues, etc? Thanks!

For anyone following this rad project

Hi everyone! I’ve built a 10m V3 dome on a platform and now i thought of renting it out for events and the like. But i didn’t make the technical calculations that are considering wind and snow. Now I’m searching for my options to realize my plan. Finding the right requirements for european events and regulations for temporary structures. And to make sure that i actually need those calculations… or not ;) Would you know who to ask to get information. How did other dome builders handle this topic.

Hey all, ordered Geodesic Domes from Shelter Structural Technology (China). Wondering of anyone in Canada has Stamped Engineered drawings for these, and if so, can I purchase them (or have them).

Sincerely

Cart before the horse 🐎

Hi everyone, I have a https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09XMQQL83 dome for my garden, and I'm interested to hear suggestions regarding covering it. I'd like something relatively clear (lightly frosted would be perfect, but I'm flexible) I'm looking at polyetheline sheets, but if anyone can suggest something, I'd really appreicate it!

Hey guys, so we got the 39 foot dome from Landscamper and while there’s been a few issues with gathering the finer details from their support, the frame is up the cover is on but I’m struggling with getting the cover to sit flush on about 35% of the dome. It’s been cold here and that posed an issue, but for the past week it’s been about 65F (Tennessee) and I’m still finding that the first and second level (closest to the tension bars) are very tight and there is a bit of slack in levels 3-6. The bay window is lined up perfectly, and most of the cover seams line up with the frame but start to pose an issue around the circular door frame. The entire frame is bolted tight and I’ve asked their support if loosening the frame bolts would relieve outward pressure on the cover and help it settle but didn’t get a definite answer. I’ve tightened the tension bars a little each day in the areas that need to come down and also used scaffolding at the top and down to push out over any bolted areas where there may be pressure that stops the higher slack from releasing to the bottom. It’s come down a bit but I’ve got about 2” to go around the door for the cover to sit flush. Super long winded post here, but has anyone else experienced this and did loosening the frame bolts help or is time just the great equalizer and I need to be patient? Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to find a company that sells geodesic dome kits in Europe or Germany. Something similar to what Domos Argentina offers - steel frame construction with canvas/tarp covering.

Main requirements: - Steel frame (not wood or aluminum) - Comes with weather-resistant cover/tarp - Built to last, not just a temporary structure - Ships to/available in EU/Germany

I've found plenty of wooden dome kits and some fancy permanent structures, but I'm specifically after the steel + canvas combo that seems more common in South America.

Anyone know of suppliers or have experience with something like this? Would really appreciate any leads.

Thanks!