20' Deltoidal Geodesic Dome Build (aka kite dome, unity dome, etc)

Trilliumdomes.com
@TrilliumDomes
This design is based on a deltoidal hexecontahedron.
I got the inspiration from Paul Robinsons "Unity Dome" design. You can find his video here ( • UnityDome Most efficie... ). Be sure to check him out and look out for his new book on geodome geometry.
I modeled out the polyhedron and changed the orientation and design of the opening. I also ended up with some discrepancies from Paul's dihedral angles but I'm not sure how that arose.
The dihedral angles I used were:
Short strut ripped 19.3
medium length strut ripped 8.8
long strut ripped at 90

[@claudenobles779]

You R dedicated. Your focus and passion is...I feel it..."there is no part-time best"...you R much appreciated. At about mid June will have a modest one built. Be excellent 💪

[@loghomebuilder407]

Great job! I love seeing domes go up.

[@johnnybayles7412]

Thanks!

[@alanmoore8405]

This appears so similar to Paul Robinson's design like you have mentioned. I must say I like this design more primarily because the entryway appears to be more eye catching; or I've been looking at computer models for too long and to see it actually built looks fantastic. Wish I could get a better idea as to compare it to a piece of furniture or a person though.

[@trilliumdomes]

Thanks! Yeah I will hopefully add a video of the progress of the dome soon and include some people for scale. This opening is a bit different and allows the dome to be a bit smaller and still allow a decent sized opening. Paul has since released a video of many people building the "unity dome" design and theres a few different opening designs!

[@bistrovogna]

@@trilliumdomes Could the angle discrepancies come from a slightly smaller dome? What's the length of the triangle sides? Very nice dome :)

[@trilliumdomes]

@@bistrovogna thanks! So the dihedrals would stay the same no matter how you scaled it. I don’t know the panel size off the top of my head but I was able to shrink the dome a bit with the new entry way design.

[@bistrovogna]

@@trilliumdomes I think the torched and oiled wood is the nicest detail. On the wiki page for deltoidal hexecontahedron it says the dihedral angle between any pair of adjacent faces is 154 degrees. I'm probably mistaken but interpret that as bevel angles being 13 degrees everywhere. So I'm just as confused about them as everyone else :P

[@jamesgeisler1824]

Very nice job, thanks for sharing.

[@lowowl]

I see. Yeah I like the frames being all one shape and size like the unity. I enjoy the concept.

[@trilliumdomes]

Definitely! There’s some pros and cons to this design. Overall I wouldn’t switch over but I did very much enjoy building it and probably will use the geometry again in certain situations

[@lowowl]

@@trilliumdomes yeah I like it conceptually however I think it is not as attractive as it’s counter part, like maybe a 2v. I modeled a 2v “dodecahedron” (soccer ball) and was wondering what your thoughts on a honeycomb dome design. Seems better for roofing and house materials but also not as smooth appearance as it’s icosahedron counterpart.

[@johnnybayles7412]

@@lowowl You know I still haven't built a honeycomb design. I know that the frame isn't as strong at lower frequencies and you have higher spans for material (if not filled in with framing) but I think it's definitely doable. I have seen some pretty attractive looking smaller structures with that design. I would have to play around with some designs and see what I come up with. Let me know if you end up doing something like that!

[@structuralfungi]

Have you considered making the plan for this available on your website? It's lovely. The big door way is the best.

[@LDHAl412]

very similar free download wangerflange.com/downloads/unitydome_basic.pdf

[@willd2609]

omg this is awesome. so many questions! What did you use to cover it? how does it stand up under rain? how did you waterproof it? would you be willing to share the sketchup file? :)

[@samuelchamel2951]

So cool

[@MrCheaterpipe]

Is there a reason you decided to double the width of the long strut was it not going to be structurally sound or was it purely an asthetic decision?

[@trilliumdomes]

It was a little of both. I knew people would probably hang hammocks so I wanted to add a beefed up member for anchoring those. Also, I was curious of how it would look. I ended up liking it!

[@MrCheaterpipe]

@@trilliumdomesi like the asthetic aspect a lot it gives another dimention to the whole design

[@johnnybayles7412]

@@MrCheaterpipe Thank you, I totally agree !

[@BrianWood]

Does it cause an issue for the wood being directly on the ground?

[@johnnybayles7412]

We actually went back and built a deck under it, so I need to make a update. However, it is also on a pressure treated base plate. So if set on well draining substrate like gravel or patio brick, it would be totally fine!

[@ricorunnyc]

What kind of plastic surrounds exterior?

[@trilliumdomes]

9 mil woven polythene film. Very durable material.

[@overthenever4262]

👍

[@tedg8612]

Complicated. Expensive to heat. Not practical. But it's pretty

[@trilliumdomes]

Actually pretty simple as domes go. And it’s a greenhouse so it’s not meant to be heated 24/7

[@pnwbriar301]

Considering its on our property so we have firsthand experience with it, we find it extremely practical. We don't heat it often as its a greenhouse so it builds up lots of heat all day and is comfortable at night for much of the year. on the few times we do want it a bit warmer, we have an extension cord run to it and we have a little space heater that gets it toasty fast. We have camp outs in it during the late spring to early fall, its a great chill hangout space for studying or enjoyment reading, we use it for yoga sessions, a friend of ours hosts tea ceremonies and massage sessions out of it, and we even use it during large parties as a hangout space. It is easily one of the coolest additions we have made to our home and everyone who comes here loves it.