History of Domes The history of dome buildings goes far back into ancient times and perhaps even further. Some people might disagree, but huts, mounds, and tombs appeared in ancient Middle East, India, and the Mediterranean regions in the form of dome structures. However, the art of building igloos has been lost to time and perhaps the construction of these dome snow buildings could possibly be tens of thousands of years older. Dome structures like the Roman Pantheon are evidence of such ancient engineering technologies. Although the architectural engineering technology of dome buildings has been lost to ancient times due to a series of technological advances in architectural engineering, dome style buildings are making a significant comeback through the development of new and improved building materials that were not available in ancient times. These materials have now made it possible for some dome buildings to have a great advantage over conventional buildings and their material, and as result have become a more efficient building structure for the future. What is a BioDome? A BioDome, also known as a geodesic dome, is a geometric structure which is half of a geodesic sphere. BioDomes house and protect a self-sufficient ecosystem by means of recreating a natural outdoor environment with or without the aid of technology. To put it into simpler terminology, essentially it's a greenhouse but it's extremely more efficient in every aspect than a standardized modern greenhouse. The geometric shape of a BioDome gives it a higher resistance to natural elements, better air circulation, are more efficient at maximizing solar energy, and the amount of material needed to build a BioDome is far less than our standardized modern greenhouses. Why a BioDome? BioDomes have many advantages over standard buildings, but the overall advantage is efficiency. Efficiency is broken down into smaller sub-advantages units, these are just a few: high resistance to natural elements, better air circulation, maximization of solar energy, and a self-sufficient ecosystem. These units are in high demand across the world, whether it be the global market, third world countries, or future colonization of planets. The global market demands the advantages of BioDomes as there is a constant drive for cheap quality innovations which BioDomes provide. The materials needed to build BioDomes are easily available; you need the main material to build the skeletal structure of the dome and the material to build the outer shell of the dome. For the skeletal structure, you can use plastic, wood, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), carbon fiber, and fiberglass. The shell can be built using anything that insulates and allows sunlight through it. Third world countries have basic resources available to help construct BioDomes no matter their environment: a desert environment, cold environment, or an area where natural disasters or elements strike constantly. Because of their geometric structure, BioDomes can be highly resistant to wind, temperature change, earthquake resistant, and fire-resistant depending on the materials being used. BioDomes are meant to re-create and build a self-sufficient ecosystem, thus enabling mankind to colonize other planets. However, thus far we still haven't been able to develop the technology to transport humans to other planets in an efficient manner, but don't be surprised if the first building on another planet is a BioDome. Where can BioDomes lead us in the future? BioDomes, the answer to our ever-changing world and the ever-increasing demand to become more efficient. Unlike our typical building structures -elongated, rectangular shape- BioDomes are geometric shapes which distribute structural stress evenly throughout the dome. They have a higher resistant to earthquakes, which makes them ideal structures to build in high earthquake zones; to minimize structural damage and speed up recovery in the affected area. BioDomes geometric shape also has an effect on wind resistance that makes them highly wind resistance in stormy conditions. Because of their shape, BioDomes also have an increased living area making them more spacious than our modern day buildings. Air circulation is also more efficient and makes it easier to maintain an ambient air temperature throughout the dome while decreasing the energy that is needed to circulate air. BioDomes also mirror sunlight and because of this effect, they are highly solar efficient at maximizing solar energy year round. But perhaps the best characteristic of BioDomes has to be the fact that they use less material than conventional modern day buildings; the larger the BioDome the more efficient it becomes. Where are BioDomes needed? BioDomes are an enclosed environment, just like a greenhouse, but more geometrically shaped and easier to control. BioDomes are a developing structural technology that is based on the needs of the world. All the benefits BioDomes have to offer outweighs the cost and efficiency of modern-day structures. BioDomes are self-efficient and the interior climate of the dome is not affected by the outside climate. Having a living, growing, rainforest inside the dome is possible. These domes are essential to the survival of our species. Right now, there are a few countries in the world that can highly benefit from BioDomes, the most important one being China. With China's increase in air pollution, the air is becoming toxic to inhale. A lot of Chinese wear masks to help them combat these effects, but that doesn't prevent air pollution from being produced. The answer to China's problem is building BioDome cities and/or communities. People could grow their own personalized plant environment inside their living quarters, leading to slowly help reduce pollution in China. The more BioDomes that are built, the more plants people can grow inside these domes; leading to the overall goal to become effective. This helps to become more efficient at reducing pollution in largely populated countries and to help elongate the life of their civilians. References: Crane, K., & Mao, Z. (2015, January 12). How Can China Reduce Its Air Pollution, and How Much Will It Cost? Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR861.html Glass Geodesic Dome Homes - The sustainable house of the future. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biodomes.eu/why-geodesic-domes.php The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (2014, April 29). Dome. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/dome-architecture What Is A Biodome? (2018, January 19). Retrieved from http://homeaquaponicssystem.com/greenhouses/what-is-a-biodome/
The history of dome buildings goes far back into ancient times and perhaps even further. Some people might disagree, but huts, mounds, and tombs appeared in ancient Middle East, India, and the Mediterranean regions in the form of dome structures. However, the art of building igloos has been lost to time and perhaps the construction of these dome snow buildings could possibly be tens of thousands of years older. Dome structures like the Roman Pantheon are evidence of such ancient engineering technologies. Although the architectural engineering technology of dome buildings has been lost to ancient times due to a series of technological advances in architectural engineering, dome style buildings are making a significant comeback through the development of new and improved building materials that were not available in ancient times. These materials have now made it possible for some dome buildings to have a great advantage over conventional buildings and their material, and as result have become a more efficient building structure for the future.
What is a BioDome?
A BioDome, also known as a geodesic dome, is a geometric structure which is half of a geodesic sphere. BioDomes house and protect a self-sufficient ecosystem by means of recreating a natural outdoor environment with or without the aid of technology. To put it into simpler terminology, essentially it's a greenhouse but it's extremely more efficient in every aspect than a standardized modern greenhouse. The geometric shape of a BioDome gives it a higher resistance to natural elements, better air circulation, are more efficient at maximizing solar energy, and the amount of material needed to build a BioDome is far less than our standardized modern greenhouses.
Why a BioDome?
BioDomes have many advantages over standard buildings, but the overall advantage is efficiency. Efficiency is broken down into smaller sub-advantages units, these are just a few: high resistance to natural elements, better air circulation, maximization of solar energy, and a self-sufficient ecosystem. These units are in high demand across the world, whether it be the global market, third world countries, or future colonization of planets. The global market demands the advantages of BioDomes as there is a constant drive for cheap quality innovations which BioDomes provide. The materials needed to build BioDomes are easily available; you need the main material to build the skeletal structure of the dome and the material to build the outer shell of the dome. For the skeletal structure, you can use plastic, wood, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), carbon fiber, and fiberglass. The shell can be built using anything that insulates and allows sunlight through it. Third world countries have basic resources available to help construct BioDomes no matter their environment: a desert environment, cold environment, or an area where natural disasters or elements strike constantly. Because of their geometric structure, BioDomes can be highly resistant to wind, temperature change, earthquake resistant, and fire-resistant depending on the materials being used. BioDomes are meant to re-create and build a self-sufficient ecosystem, thus enabling mankind to colonize other planets. However, thus far we still haven't been able to develop the technology to transport humans to other planets in an efficient manner, but don't be surprised if the first building on another planet is a BioDome.
Where can BioDomes lead us in the future?
BioDomes, the answer to our ever-changing world and the ever-increasing demand to become more efficient. Unlike our typical building structures -elongated, rectangular shape- BioDomes are geometric shapes which distribute structural stress evenly throughout the dome. They have a higher resistant to earthquakes, which makes them ideal structures to build in high earthquake zones; to minimize structural damage and speed up recovery in the affected area. BioDomes geometric shape also has an effect on wind resistance that makes them highly wind resistance in stormy conditions. Because of their shape, BioDomes also have an increased living area making them more spacious than our modern day buildings. Air circulation is also more efficient and makes it easier to maintain an ambient air temperature throughout the dome while decreasing the energy that is needed to circulate air. BioDomes also mirror sunlight and because of this effect, they are highly solar efficient at maximizing solar energy year round. But perhaps the best characteristic of BioDomes has to be the fact that they use less material than conventional modern day buildings; the larger the BioDome the more efficient it becomes.
Where are BioDomes needed?
BioDomes are an enclosed environment, just like a greenhouse, but more geometrically shaped and easier to control. BioDomes are a developing structural technology that is based on the needs of the world. All the benefits BioDomes have to offer outweighs the cost and efficiency of modern-day structures. BioDomes are self-efficient and the interior climate of the dome is not affected by the outside climate. Having a living, growing, rainforest inside the dome is possible. These domes are essential to the survival of our species. Right now, there are a few countries in the world that can highly benefit from BioDomes, the most important one being China. With China's increase in air pollution, the air is becoming toxic to inhale. A lot of Chinese wear masks to help them combat these effects, but that doesn't prevent air pollution from being produced. The answer to China's problem is building BioDome cities and/or communities. People could grow their own personalized plant environment inside their living quarters, leading to slowly help reduce pollution in China. The more BioDomes that are built, the more plants people can grow inside these domes; leading to the overall goal to become effective. This helps to become more efficient at reducing pollution in largely populated countries and to help elongate the life of their civilians.
References:
Crane, K., & Mao, Z. (2015, January 12). How Can China Reduce Its Air Pollution, and How Much Will It Cost? Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR861.html
Glass Geodesic Dome Homes - The sustainable house of the future. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biodomes.eu/why-geodesic-domes.php
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (2014, April 29). Dome. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/dome-architecture
What Is A Biodome? (2018, January 19). Retrieved from http://homeaquaponicssystem.com/greenhouses/what-is-a-biodome/