Goal For The Green

While surfing today I came across this article about Edward B. Dilley Sr. He is the 57-year old man who has created what he calls the “Bio-Home.”

Since my prior post, A Foam Dome Home, he has updated the site there.  He enjoys his closed housing system where he pays no electric bill, recycles his own water, grows his own food, generates his own power, and also purifies his own air.  Mr. Dilley enjoys a lifestyle that allows him to live totally off the grid. Be sure to check out this report to see what the founder has added to his biodome.  He has all the comforts of home in a very green way.

If you are not quite so sure about going totally off the grid, or perhaps you want something that seems a little more homey then look what I found at Pink Tentacle. These homes offer both beauty and style at an affordable price, starting at about $30,000. If you are looking for more space, it is possible to construct larger, elongated domes by adding more pieces, and joint units that allow multiple domes to be connected into a single structure.

For the traditional person, or to find a contractor in your area to build a dome home that is more the R . Buckminister Fuller type that I lived in, consult your yellow pages in your area.

Here is a little dome history for your information. Man has always been looking for and experimented with designs and materials towards the goal of doing more with less. No man in recent history has done more to advance this goal than R. Buckminister Fuller; philosopher, mathematician, engineer, historian, poet and inventor of the geodesic dome design.

The world took little notice back in 1951, when Mr. Fuller first applied for patents on geodesic domes. Today geodesic domes are recognized as the most efficient building system known to man. Adapting the dome to the single family, wood frame dwelling unit has, until recently, been inhibited by a general lack of technical design information, standardized dome building components, and experienced dome home builders. With the recent widespread manufacturing of standardized and experienced dome home builder and distributor networks that have been established nation wide, dome home construction is a now a practical reality almost anywhere in the U.S. or Worldwide.

Dome homes are an economical, beautiful, and comfortable way to live and go green.  They have also been known to do well in areas that experience extreme weather, due to their eco-friendly design.

You have shown great response and enthusiasm to my post ” A Foam Dome Home. ”

Earlier this week, I received this link to a most spectacular article on this topic.  It covers almost any and everything you could ever want to know about dome homes and personal biodomes.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.  Brian thought you, my readers, would enjoy it.  The article is called “25 Incredible Personal Biodomes” by Brian Thibault.

Just click on this link and Enjoy!

It was 1984, when we had this dome home built. We were very happy and proud of our first home.  We thought we would always be there, but in ’84 interest rates were 13.5%. We struggled for 4 1/2 years and due to things out of our control we became upside down in the loan. We did get it sold, but like many people are going through now, we took a loss.

I can’t think of any drawbacks to living in a dome home.  It was easy to heat, and fit well into the northwest lifestyle.  We especially liked the acoustics on Saturday mornings when the kids got up to watch cartoons. From our master suite in the loft, they always wondered how we knew what they were into without actually seeing them.  It was great.  There are still plans available for this type of dome home, and many varying designs to choose from, including ones with riser walls.

The first Biohome was created by NASA, with the idea of supporting one person in a fully functional habitat.  You might recall the 1973 Skylab project, in which NASA did studies on indoor air quality, and did research involving closed ecological life support systems.

The folks at biohome.net feel the future is now.  They have adapted Buckminster Fuller’s original design of the geodesic dome (which ours was modeled after) and came up with the foam version.  They boast having the best “Bio home Foam” on the planet.  The polyurethane foam is the same stuff used by NASA.  It will not sag or shrink, and is mold and bacteria resistant.

The goal at biohome, is to allow you to live totally “off the grid.”  They provide a unique design, that allows you to be the owner and builder.  This frees you from contractor fees ( a big money saver), and power and water bills.  You can obtain a kit that shows you how to build your own solar toilet.  It requires no plumbing, water, or moving parts.  You can also learn how to make drinking water, no matter where you are on the planet.

While the closed system housing idea will not appeal to everyone, it can free up many resources.  Most importantly, it can free up personal time, of which there never seems to be enough of.  With the recent focus being on our energy dependence, this could be the answer for those willing to pursue it.  Just imagine if humans and our dwellings could be the solution to sustainable living.