Wood Stove Heating in a Dome

Cozy even in the cold of winter, a wood stove (or gas, propane or radiant floor heating) provides sufficient heat to keep the whole family warm.

Wintering in a Pacific Dome

Even in the harsh winter cold living in a Pacific Dome can be a warm place to live. Heated year-round it takes only a few minutes to melt the snow off the roof and create a cozy place to be. Combined with a winter liner and Thermoshield Insulative Paint you can live all year in a Pacific Dome.

Tipis and Domes - Field of Dreams

At the Mystic Garden Party in Ashland, Oregon the tipi and dome fit snugly together in your field of dreams.

“House and Garden” Feature

The geodesic dome perched high atop a mountain outside Ojai is constructed of powder-coated conduit with a stretched membrane of rubberized canvas. The dome is a perfect half-sphere, 44 feet in diameter and 22 feet high. A 16-by-30-foot picture window of clear marine acrylic provides dramatic views of the Topa Topa Mountains.

The kitchen has a ladder to August’s room. The Servel refrigerator runs on propane, and the cabinets are from IKEA.

A conventional house was never an option. When interior and production designer Shawn Hausman first entertained the thought of building a home in Upper Ojai, just north of Los Angeles, he envisioned a tree house - something like the archetypal clubhouse in the sky, yet capable of sheltering a family in relative comfort year-round.

“It was a romantic idea, but ultimately impractical,” he admits. “We wanted to find a solution that was inexpensive but genuinely interesting, a house that would have very little impact on the environment. We were also looking for something that could be disassembled and transported to another location if we ever decided to move.”

Hausman designed the bed and bedspread in the master bedroom for the Standard hotel, West Hollywood, California.

The tree house fantasy wasn’t a total failure. “When we met, Shawn completely seduced me with this idea of living in a tree,” recalls Jessica Kimberley, Hausman’s design associate and partner in life. “We were both committed to exploring wild, alternative options.”

Their search ultimately led them to the idea of a prefabricated dome. They gathered information from the Buckminster Fuller Institute as well as from the Internet, where they found dozens of companies that specialize in domes. The news wasn’t all good.

 

 

The toilet stall is made from a cardboard Sonotube.

“We liked the concept of the dome, but not the finished product. “Hausman says. “Most of the ones we saw were wood-framed, not inexpensive, and not easily transportable. A lot of them sacrificed the curving quality you expect in a dome, because of the rigid geometry of the typical triangular modules.”

 

 

From the Richard Shultz Contour lounge chairs on the front deck, right, you can enjoy views of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean..

Yurts were next on the agenda. Fortuitously, during a yurt reconnaissance mission at the Ojai Foundation, the couple stumbled upon a dome that appeared to meet their specific aesthetic and budgetary criteria. The designers worked with Pacific Domes, the manufacturer, to pull off the ambitious project.

Hausman’s 11-year-old son, August, inquisitive and remarkably design-savvy, contributed his own ideas. “This was an extraordinary creative outlet for all three of us,” Hausman insists.

Shawn Hausman and Jessica Kimberley travel to the dome in their rugged Ford pickup.

The dome itself, 44 feet in diameter and 22 feet high, perches on a simple wood deck supported by concrete footings. The frame-one-diameter conduit, powder-coated in vibrant orange - has a canvas skin treated with rubberized paint that provides a degree of insulation as well as protection from UV rays.

For ventilation, parts of the skin can be peeled back, and each of the 15 vinyl portholes can be replaced with round screens. The designers deployed furnishings - a mix of funky vintage pieces and custom elements - in an open plan that preservers the fluidity of space, light, and views within the dome.

The modesty of the structure defers to the majesty of its undeveloped mountaintop site, which offers sweeping views that extend to the ocean and the Topa Topa Mountains.

There are no paved roads, no Starbuckses, and no neighbors, save for coyotes, deer, rattlesnakes, owls, hawks and the occasional mountain lion. The remote location presented serious challenges to comfortable habitation: access to running water, electricity, fuel, and telephone lines simply didn’t exist.

The central screen of multicolored acrylic panels, Hausman’s modern interpretation of a stained-glass window, encourages the spread of daylight, while subtly dividing the space. The coffee table is fashioned from black walnut burl. The Tobia Scarpa sofa is from Carla, L.A…

The project took the better part of two years, and plenty of trial and error, to resolve these issues in a manner consistent with the family’s environmental concerns. Solar panels supply nearly all the electricity. Water flows from a tank hoisted onto the property. Propane fuels the stove and refrigerator. As for the telephone line, Hausman purchased a spool of industrial-grade cable and ran it up the mountain himself.

“I love the isolation - it feels really wild and free up here,” says August Hausman of the completed dome. “Basically, it’s really cool.

 

36FT (11M) Dome - Northern California

Here is a story from a sweet family telling their Dome experience. The photos in this article show the dome through the construction process:

We began clearing a space for our dome in June of 2004. We had originally, wanted to build the 44′ dome but were unable to clear sufficient space to put it on. We ended up going with the 36′ dome and are pleased that we did.

The foundation was finished in September and we eagerly awaited the arrival of our dome. Our new home arrived in two boxes on September 24th. You don’t often expect to get your new home in a box the size of a washer/dryer combo.

We started unpacking and labeling our poles the very next day. Two of us were able to get the first couple of frame rows going ourselves; eventually it took 3 people once we reached eye level. After the first few rows, we found ourselves in need of scaffolding and rented a 20′ package.

It took a little over a week to finish the frame and we called in all our friends and neighbors to help get the skin on. We used the bucket of our old tractor to help us get the skin rolled out. Positioning the skin turned out to be a challenge. We started out in the wrong place and had to make some adjustments to get it aligned. After “scootching” it around awhile, we got the skin in place and the roof zipped on. The following week, we got the insulation in and the winter liner installed.

The contractors were called back in and went to work on the interior, building the walls. Because of the unique nature of the dome, our contractor experienced unique challenges, and met them head on. Since the walls and the floor of the loft can not be attached to the sides of the dome, they had to come up with some creative alternatives that included extra foundation, interior supports, and weight bearing walls.

It is now the end of February and our dome home is near completion. When it is finished, our dome will have two bedrooms and a full bathroom down stairs, with a loft in full, but very small bathroom upstairs. It looks like the plumber and electrician should be our final stages and they are almost done. We hope to be living cozy in our Pacific Dome by mid March.

36FT (11M) Dome - Mendocino - Northern California

My family lives on 20 acres in Mendocino, Northern California, in a Pacific Dome that we built a few years ago. After installing a propane monitor heater, winter cold became winter bliss. The monitor has a fan to blow the heated air and the dome shape seems to be ideal for the feature.

It takes about 5 minutes to heat our 36 ft. dome and according to our gas company, we use less propane than the majority of their customers. The stove vent goes right through the winter liner and skin. Heat is insulated through the pipe by a double wall as it exits. We love our dome!

30FT (9M) Dome - Northern California

We were guests on this property in Northern California, and were blessed with the opportunity to stay in this 30′ dome. It has been used for dance and yoga workshops, gatherings, DJ events and sacred healing ceremonies. It is sitting on a deck that is about 10′ up in the air, on top of a mountain overlooking a breathtaking forest and on a clear day, the Pacific Ocean.

It had a hardwood star mandala floor that was great for movement and dance. It also had a wood stove in it that kept it nice and toasty at night. There is an outdoor kitchen on the deck and below that, an outdoor shower on the ground level. It is a very magical space, and at the moment is used to houseguests and those working on the property.

24FT (7M) Dome - Orcas Island

Fall has arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and Winter is not far away, and we are LOVING our 24’ Dome Home! The floor is sanded and oiled, the door is hung, the loft is sturdy, the underground room (Kiva) is cozy and dry, the wood-stove is installed, the exterior of the dome has 3 coats of Thermoshield, and I’ve lost track of how many neighbors and friends have said “Cool!” when they’ve seen the space. Lot’s of small finishing details remain on the to-do list, but enough has been completed to feel the contentment of living here and prepared for whatever the weather will bring. Here on Orcas Island, WA in the San Juan Islands north of Seattle. A four-season location with occasional winter snow, spring rains, warm summers, and fall windstorms.

With the help of my brothers and dad, in a couple of hours, the dome frame was re-assembled on the ground beside the deck. Then a call out to the neighborhood brought enough people to pick the frame up and set on top of the floor, aligned to the corners. We then pulled the canvas over the frame and lashed it down – that part of the project can happen *so* quickly! Then installed the door, ‘scored’ as a defective unit from a door company on the mainland. The loft is supported by 1” galvanized pipes and four 4×6” beams, with lateral support provided by plumber’s tape connections to the dome frame.

But even summer nights here get cold, and it the recent installation of the wood-stove that has really made a difference in Living. A little plumber’s tape and a stovepipe bracket connected to the frame of the dome holds the pipe firmly in place. A simple hearth and heat-shield of painted concrete-board completely protects the floor and walls from heat. Near future projects include installing Reflectix insulation as well as a ceiling fan, and lights, and a ladder for the loft, and a shoe-storage box, and….the list is long, but I am very pleased.I can’t say enough about how happy I am with Thermoshield Paint, that is a waterproofing and UV protection. Before it was painted, in full sun, the dome could get unbearably hot. Now, painted, and with some curtains over the main southwest facing window, it stays very comfortable inside. Comfortable enough for a rocking afternoon jam session a few weekends ago…drums, bass, guitar, vocals…everyone in the neighborhood heard, but (ahem) we are pretty good and only received distant applause and no complaints.

20FT (6M) Dream View Dome - Healing Room

DreamView Dome, situated above sweeping views of Bald Hill and the Pacific Ocean, is a sacred geodesic dome intentionally created to promote equilibrium and healing through massage.

I’m a new owner of the fully erected 20′ DreamView Dome and am very pleased with it. I use it as a sacred space for my massage and healing work. One of my first concerns was how hot the dome would get during the day (up to 50 degrees warmer than outside) and I found most of my time adjusting the windows and base screens to make it comfortable for my clients. When Pacific Domes suggested I add the solar attic fan I knew it was the right solution.

It fits right into a window port hole (actually directly into the window frame!) and was fully assembled so it was running immediately. DreamView Dome has been much more comfortable ever since and it’s easier for me to focus on my practice.

16FT (5M) Domes - Washington

I imagine that most people who are attracted to Pacific Domes have a lot in common. We want a beautiful space to live that doesn’t enslave us with a mortgage payment. We want comfort and sanctuary without using excessive natural resources. We want to live close to nature and yet feel secure and safe from the elements. Most importantly, we want it done in a day or so. We’re a demanding lot, but luckily the people at Pacific Domes understand us.

Although we’ve owned our one Pacific Dome for 5 years, it wasn’t until this last fall that we actually moved in full time. We bought another dome and finally made the leap to live more closely with the land. I call it a leap but it was a mental leap more than a physical one. It is your mind that wonders “will we be warm when it’s 5 degrees outside?” or “if this is so easy why don’t I know anyone else that lives in a dome?”

Put your mind at ease because with some Reflectix, you’ll be downright cozy when it is 5 degrees and the only reason people everywhere aren’t in Pacific Domes is because they don’t know about it yet. We have a 16′ bedroom dome and a 16′ kitchen dome. We live with our 2 dogs and our 2 cats and there is still enough room for company to spend the night.

We are both very grateful to Pacific Domes for providing such a beautiful, structurally sound, and affordable shelter. They truly are shelters for freedom and that logo means a lot more when its your freedom they are talking about.

Take the leap
Jacy and Travis