Dome on the Range

More dome-related news, at the intersection of sustainability, autonomy, and nonstandard engineering. A student from southern Maryland is attempting to design, build, and  -live in- a completely off-the-grid geodesic dome at his college campus. It’s an ambitious project, and he needs help. If this kind of self directed design/build research is of interest, and if you’re able to offer material or monetary support, see below for more information:

A Brief Overview:

I will inhabit a structure of my own design and construction for the 2009-2010 academic year. The structure is a 3v 5/8^th section geodesic dome, 15’ across and 9’ tall. Not only will the dwelling be habitable; it will be comfortable as well. The dome will be insulated, heated, and well ventilated.  In addition, it will have a floor, windows, composting toilet, and an electrical system for charging a laptop and powering interior lights using solar power. The materials I will use to build the structure, such as steel struts, a polyethylene cover, and a wooden floor, are almost exclusively recyclable. In fact, the conduit tubing used to make the frame already contains around 30% recycled steel. The dome’s systems are designed to be completely “off-grid” and as such require no connection to…“the grid.” The structure is easily transported in a normal truck or van, and can be assembled by two people in two days or less.

Why?

This is certainly, on average, the question I get most often regarding this project. The answer is not entirely simple, but not entirely complicated either. First, there is the ambiguous nature of my motivation and ambition. Sometimes I just have to say, “Because I want to,” and leave it at that. Each of us has a creative side; a will that seeks to invent itself in the world. Who is to say where the inspirations for these “life projects” come from? Perhaps it is deterministic, perhaps divine, maybe it comes from neutrinos… I don’t know, but it is there. I’m sure Sartre, Maslow, and Nietzsche (and others to be sure) will all back me up on this one too.

That being said, there are also several practical reasons for the project. I will be exempt from housing fees for the year, which will help to lower the mountainous student loan debt I will amass during my time at Juniata College. It will also give me an excellent opportunity to monitor and reduce my (negative) impact on the environment, not by following some environmentalist creed, but as a freely occurring product of a way of living. I believe that when one is in control of, or at least in closer proximity to, the systems and processes that provide for one’s comfort and well being, wastefulness is generally reduced.  The dome project will give me the ability to design the systems I will be living with (and by) from the ground up, and will put me in a much more intimate relationship with them. In addition to my aforementioned primary motivations, I also just like interesting projects and look forward to having a place to myself and much more freedom than a student living in campus housing.

I appreciate your interest in this project, and if that interest should compel you to make a donation, be it material or monetary, it will be likewise appreciated. I am happy to hear from you and answer your questions, send pictures, or just converse. Feel free to send this along to anyone who might be interested! Again, thank you.

Jake      welleje07@juniata.edu

If you are interested in making a donation here’s a list of materials and their approximate cost. Paypal contributions should be sent to: welleje07@juniata.edu Checks made payable to Jake Weller may be sent to 1289 Golden West Way, Lusby, MD 20657

Materials list:

• Frame
  • ¾” EMT conduit (60 x 10’ lengths)……………………………………………………………$186.91
  • Fasteners, ¼ 20 x 1 ½ cap bolts (100ct), ¼ cap nuts (100ct), ¼ flat washers (100ct x2)………..16.52
  • Stakes, rebar sections 3’ (4 to 8 as available)…………………………………………………….10.00
• Cover
  • Shrink wrap: wall section 7 ½ x 50, roof section 22 x 22………………………………………150.00
  • Cost of covering, heat gun technician………………………………………………………… …50.00
  • Reflectix insulation, 100’ roll. ……………………………………………………………….  ..170.00
  • Ground cover, Visqueen plastic sheet 18’ x 18’ ……………………………………………… ..20.00
• Floor
  • MDO ½ plywood  x 6 sheets………………………………………………………………….180.00
  • Joists, 2” x 4”  Euro grade ( 8’ x 2) (16’ x 5) (12’ x  2)…………………………………………50.00
  • Insulation as available (e.g. blue foam)………………………………………………………….50.00
  • Fasteners,  1 ½ wood screws (100ct)……………………………………………………………10.00
• Electrical
  • 45 watt solar module……………………………………………………………………..…….300.00
  • Solar charge controller……………………………………………………………………..…… 40.00
  • Bus board………………………………………………………………………………………. 20.00
  • Storage, 6v golf-cart batteries x 2……………………………………………………………….200.00
  • Wire, awg10 ( 60’)……………………………………………………………………………….25.00
  • Lighting, LED modules, Bebi Electronics “Rinorino Katakata” warm white (x 5)……………..90.00
  • Fittings, threaded terminal posts, various connectors, lugs (e.g. crimp connectors)………………8.00
  • Battery box, BlueSeas dual 6v box………………………………………………………………94.99
  • Digital volt/amp meter (to measure charge/maintain batteries)………………………………….25.00
  • 12v auto cig adapter (for 12v laptop connection)…………………………………………………7.00
• Heating
  • Kerosene marine stove (used)…………………………………………………………………..250.00
  • Exhaust, 2 ¼ stove pipe (10’)…………………………………………………………………….40.00
  • Copper feed lines and replacement fittings…………………………………………………..…..15.00
  • Kerosene approved  5gal fuel can …………………………………………………………….…15.00
• Rain Catchment
  • Filtration, ceramic filter (e.g. gravity filter)……………………………………………..………100.00
  • Various fittings, (e.g. hose clamps, collars, petcock)…………………………………….………10.00
  • Potable water containers 5gal (x3) …………………………………………………………………….15.00
  • 1 ½” PEX hose ( 2’) ………………………………………………………………………………5.00
• Safety
  • Fire extinguisher, Kidde FX340GW (x 1) ………………………………………………………40.00
  • CO detector, batt-operated, Kidde KN-COPP-B (x 1)…………………………………………..45.00

Ongoing needs:

• Kerosene
• Distilled water (to maintain

batteries)

Thank you to:

Jim & Denise Weller

Ingrid Lofgren

Juniata College

Washburn’s Boatyard

Eric Skow

Chris Washburn

Scott Hicks

Fred Scharmen

Lane & Sybol Cook Anderson

Sneade’s Ace Hardware

Joyce Brocchini

Lauri Brocchini

DCH Detailing