“You may not be able to change the world, but you can at least change your footprints on this earth.” ― Jules Dervaes, Urban Homestead (1947 – 2016)
Begin Your Journey Towards Self-Sufficiency – Dome Home Homesteads
An urban family homestead begins with the decision to change your paradigm and create a new sustainable future for yourself and your loved ones! If you’re searching for options to jumpstart your exciting journey toward self-sufficiency, Dome Homes offer a cost-effective means to take first steps and begin your achievable dream.
The spacious dome interior offers limitless possibilities for creativity. Its circular design encloses the greatest volume of interior space with the least amount of surface area.
Pacific Domes – 3D Shelter Dome (1:11 min)
Perfection of the Dome Home Homestead
Dome Homes are manufactured in the USA, using the highest tensegrity (tensional integrity) geo-engineering standards. Geodesic Domes are composed of inter-connected triangles that lend unparalleled strength.
Buckminster ‘Bucky’ Fuller, father of the modern geodesic dome, demonstrated the difference in strength between a rectangle and a triangle by applying pressure to both structures. The triangle proved to be twice as strong and remained rigid while the unstable rectangle collapsed.
The American Institute of Architects calls the geodesic dome “the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space known to man.” You’ll convince urban planners and building departments, by referencing this quote accompanied by a good set of engineering blueprints.
Ecoliving Dome Homes for a Sustainable Future
As shelters, Dome Homes have gained world-wide popularity in non-traditional housing markets. Due to their portability, economical building costs and sustainability, ecoliving domes solve many ecologic and economic challenges that traditional building methods, materials don’t address.
Dome Home kits are prefabricated and go up quickly with simple ratcheting tools. Portable kits go up in just about any terrain, climate or condition. Considered temporary structures, domes can be relocated or retrofitted to create semi-permanent structures.
Urban Family Homestead Greenhouse
Did you know that geodesic structures make great year-round greenhouses? A dome’s structure is one of the most efficient interior spaces because air and energy circulate without obstruction. This enables natural heating and cooling.
Specifically, a dome is energy efficient for the following reasons:
- Its decreased surface area requires less building materials
- Exposure to cold in winter and heat in summer is decreased, due to less surface area per unit of volume.
- The concave interior creates a natural airflow allowing hot or cool air to flow evenly throughout the dome with the help of return air ducts.
- Extreme wind turbulence is lessened because winds contributing to heat loss flow evenly around the dome.
- It acts like a giant downward reflector that concentrates interior heat, preventing radiant heat loss.
- Dome studies, comparing same-size traditional homes, have shown a 30% energy savings.
“In our society, growing food ourselves has become the most radical of acts. It is truly the only effective protest, that can – and will – overturn the corporate powers that be. By the process of directly working in harmony with nature, we do the one thing most essential to change the world – we change ourselves.” ― Jules Dervaes, Urban Homestead (1947 – 2016)
Homegrown Revolution is a short introduction to the homegrown project that has been called a new revolution in urban sustainability. In the midst of a dense city setting in downtown Pasadena, radical change is taking root. For over 20 years, the Dervaes family have transformed their home into an urban homestead and model for sustainable agriculture and city living. Through the creation of the ‘Urban Homestead’ the Dervaes family shows that change is possible one step at a time. They harvest 3 tons of organic food annually from their 1/10 acre garden while incorporating many back-to-basics practices, solar energy and biodiesel, in order to reduce their footprint on the earth’s resources.
Inspirational! Homegrown Revolution – Urban Homestead (15 min. Award-winning short film)
At Pacific Domes, USA, we’re often asked the question, “Why is the geodesic dome called the strongest structure known to man?” Pacific Domes has been manufacturing portable, prefab geodesic domes since 1980, so you’ve come to the right place to get the right answers to your questions.