John duSaint, a retired software engineer, recently purchased a property in Bishop, Calif., located in a rugged valley to the east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Despite facing the risk of wildfires, extreme heat, high winds, and heavy winter snowfall in the area, duSaint remains unconcerned. His plan? To reside in a dome.
The 29-foot dome structure will be coated with aluminum shingles that reflect heat and provide fire resistance. Due to its shape, domes have less surface area than traditional rectangular houses, making it easier to insulate against temperature extremes. Additionally, domes have the advantage of withstanding high winds and heavy snowfall.
“The dome shell itself is essentially impervious,” duSaint expressed confidently.
As the weather becomes increasingly extreme, resilient home designs like geodesic domes are gaining attention from climate-conscious home buyers, architects, and builders. This trend has the potential to disrupt the inertia hindering America’s ability to adapt to climate change. While technologies exist to protect homes from severe weather events, the integration of these innovations into mainstream homebuilding has been slow. Consequently, the majority of Americans remain vulnerable to climate shocks.
In the atrium of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, there is a geodesic dome called “Weatherbreak.” This dome, constructed over 70 years ago and briefly used as a residence in the Hollywood Hills, has become relevant again due to global warming.
“When contemplating the museum’s response to climate change, geodesic domes emerged as a solution to the housing crisis, offering a solution that deserves more attention,” explained Abeer Saha, the curator responsible for the dome’s reconstruction.
Domes are just one example of the innovative responses to climate concerns. Resilient homes made from steel, concrete, and even traditional wood framing techniques are available. These structures offer increased resistance to heat, wildfire, storms, hurricanes, and flooding. However, the added resiliency typically increases construction costs by approximately 10%. Unfortunately, most homebuyers lack sufficient knowledge about construction to demand stronger standards. Conversely, builders are hesitant to incorporate resilient features, fearing consumers will not pay premiums for features they don’t understand.
The simplest solution to this problem would be to tighten building codes at the state and local level. However, the majority of places do not adopt the latest codes or have any mandatory building standards.
Some architects and designers are taking independent action in response to growing disaster concerns. Dana Levy, for example, is overseeing the construction of her new home, which is being built with insulated concrete forms (ICF). This choice ensures the walls can withstand high winds, flying debris, and maintain stable temperatures in case of a power outage. To further enhance its resilience, Levy’s home will feature solar panels, backup batteries, an emergency generator, hurricane-resistant windows and doors, and insulated concrete walls.
The goal of Levy’s home is to provide a safe haven during storms and offer assistance to neighbors in need. Illya Azaroff, a New York architect specializing in resilient designs, designed Levy’s home with input from the client. Azaroff’s experience spans projects in Hawaii, Florida, and the Bahamas. He estimates that the additional cost of incorporating ICF entails a 10-12% premium. To offset the expense, some homeowners, like Levy, choose to reduce the size of their homes, sacrificing extra space for a greater chance of survival.
In regions at high risk of wildfires, architects are turning to steel as a solution. Renée del Gaudio, based in Boulder, Colo., designed a house with a steel structure and siding to create an ignition-resistant shell. Furthermore, the decks of the house are made from fire-resistant ironwood. To prevent the growth of plants that could fuel a fire, the decks and the house’s surroundings are covered with a weed barrier and crushed rock. A 2,500-gallon cistern is also installed to supply water for hoses in case of a fire.
While these features can increase construction costs by up to 10%, using cheaper materials like stucco can reduce the premium while still providing significant protection, according to Ms. del Gaudio.
Notably, geodesic domes evoke remarkable devotion in individuals seeking resilient home designs. Since Hurricane Rita devastated the small community of Pecan Island in southwest Louisiana in 2005, Joel Veazey’s 2,300-square-foot dome home has stood strong against storms that demolished most of the other houses in the area.
“People came to my house and apologized to me, saying, ‘We made fun of you because of the way your house looks. We should never have done that. This place is still here when our homes are gone,'” recounted Mr. Veazey, a retired oil worker.
Similarly, Dr. Max Bégué lost his house to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but rebuilt and reaffirmed his trust in the durability of geodesic domes. His dome home, constructed on the same property, has withstood every storm since, including Hurricane Ida.
The resilience of domes stems from their structural design; composed of numerous small triangles, domes can bear more load than other shapes. Additionally, the dome’s shape redirects wind around it, eliminating flat surfaces for wind to exert force upon.
Natural Spaces Domes, a Minnesota-based company, has experienced a surge in demand for their dome structures over the past two years. According to Dennis Odin Johnson, the company’s owner, he expects to sell 30-40 domes this year compared to 20 sold last year, necessitating a doubling of the company’s staff. Johnson notes that while most dome buyers are not particularly wealthy, they share an awareness of climate threats and have an adventurous spirit.
“They want something that will endure, but they also want something unique,” Johnson observed.
One of Johnson’s recent clients, Katelyn Horowitz, a 34-year-old accounting consultant, is currently building a dome in Como, Colo. Horowitz was drawn to the dome’s efficient heating and cooling capabilities compared to traditional structures, as well as its lower material requirements.
“I appreciate the eccentric, but I love sustainability,” Horowitz exclaimed.
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