Geodesic dome construction using roof planes

[Bradley Boltz]

This is a true geodesic dome constructed in Chief using roof planes

I had first done it as a wood framed dome with a comp roof, but have converted the roof planes to glass, and added tubular struts using the ridge cap feature

Seriously nice of you Bill. This should be in the Chief Manual somewhere and or one of their video tutorials. You made it look easy.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this a 2V (2 frequency) 4/8 (or half) dome type? I found an out of print(I think) book that's available to read for free online @issuu.com/golfstromen/docs/lloyd-kahn1971 . The title of the book is Domebook 2 by Lloyd Kahn copyright 1971 and looks like a good read. Glance thru it and it's a very nice book on small scale residential geodesic dome construction. One of those good Mother Earth News hippie type well illustrated books that I've always loved.

I just finished a preliminary design for a client that wants to demo his dome but keep his 36" high masonry and frame base/knee walls and existing slab and interior plumbing. My footprint was a modified 10 sided (decagon?) with alternating 16' and 8' baseline "vertices". I've reluctantly replaced the dome with 97.125" 2X6 stud walls framed on top of the knee walls and roofed with a regular pentagonal center post supported 6/12 pitch roof structure.

Pending cost prohibitive pricing by the builder, they will hopefully just remodel the more conventional (albeit flat roofed) appendages. The owner is tired of leaking pentagonal skylights (recently replaced) and wants a conventional forced air hvac system. I will try to talk them out of removing the skylights until/if they would recommence leaking. If I have to replicate the dome via cad (on Chief), I will be using your method to properly draw this beauty. Thanks and have a great Christmas holiday season.-Brad

House was on the market in the burbs of Reading, Pa and listed for around $225k and getting no offers due to it's slightly awkward floor plan and lack of a true 2nd bedroom (which is being resolved in the remodel).