For the past three decades, Illinois-based designer Wil Fidroeff has helped people build their own dome home by letting them participate in the process and making it cost-effective. He founded Faze Change Produx, the company that makes DIY dome homes, dubbed EconOdome. The DIY home comes pre-cut and partially assembled with detailed instructions, making it super easy to put together. It can be built from wood and thermoplastic polyolefin (a highly durable and low-cost, single-ply roofing material).
Similar to an average home, EconOdome homes involve a foundation and the main floor. Once that base is in place, the walls and roof are installed. In total, there are 130 triangular roofing panels that connect to form the dome, which has ten identical sides. Parts in the DIY kit are pre-cut to fit precisely with no additional work required, thus minimizing waste and saving time. Assembling it is very easy because the wood also comes with pre-drilled holes for stainless steel screws and caps.
EconOdome comes in various frame kit sizes, including a 26-foot fully insulated two-story model, which costs around $18,000. This model spans a little over 800 sq ft and comes with a fully equipped kitchen on the first floor and a second-floor bedroom. The bedroom features a half-bath and an area for a home office or extra storage. The company also offers a smaller 13-foot option for those working within a lower budget.
EconOdome interiors are finished with exposed wood, and exteriors come in light gray, tan, or white. Those living in a hurricane-prone area can add hurricane panels and an apex vent to ventilate air, heat, and moisture.
Fidroeff explained:
Our two most popular frame kit types are the ‘T-Beam’ frame kit, which features an exposed wood interior, and the more economical ‘Basic’ frame kit. The third type of frame kit is called the ‘Double Dome. A Double Dome frame kit can consist of two 2×4 Basic EconOdome frame kits (one dome inside a larger dome). Or, a Double Dome can consist of a 2×4 exterior Basic EconOdome frame kit plus an interior T-Beam EconOdome frame kit. EconOdome frame kits are most often used to build a two-story home above a 10-sided perimeter riser wall.
These dome homes would be ideal if they included clean energy options and water harvesting systems. That way, people could build sustainable communities anywhere.
In 2019, tiny home company Arched Cabins introduced their DIY Arched Cabin kits in multiple sizes for as little as $1320 for their smallest model. The kits are manufactured in Texas and delivered nationwide – directly to the site you want to build them on, with step-by-step building instructions.
