Geodesic dome shelter from cardboard

posted Feb 10th 2006 11:00am by Eliot Phillips
filed under: misc hacks

geodesic dome

Here are some really thorough instructions for building geodesic domes. This particular set of plans was developed by some Burning Man attendees who wanted a comfortable structure that would stand up to the elements. The dome is made of 30 triangles cut from double layered cardboard, 5 wood triangles with vents, 5 wooden doorway triangles, and 5 cardboard doors. The majority of the triangles are bolted together to form pentagons that are then bolted to each other. With all of the triangles painted and seams sealed with duct tape the structure is water proof. All of the dimensions and assembly instructions are provided to create a dome 12′7″ in diameter and 6′3″ in the center.

[thanks l0cke]

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Comments [17]

Reader Comments

COOL IDEA FOR BURNING MAN. IT TOTALLY FITS WITH THE FESTIVITIES.

Posted at 11:14 am on Feb 10th, 2006 by KurtRoedeger

Probably a better solution and one that’s more portable is the concrete canvas

http://www.concretecanvas.org.uk/

Posted at 11:24 am on Feb 10th, 2006 by andre paris

Sound like an interesting project for a boy scout troop. I myself being a boyscout was always looking for something new to do. Have a time where you make the panels, hike em into the woods, set up camp, Done.

Now if we could make a stove out of cardboard.

Posted at 11:41 am on Feb 10th, 2006 by Hal Hockersmith

Geodesic domes are the new teepees.

Seriously, though, this idea is pretty cool. Anything useful that’s made entirely out of cardboard and duct tape instantly earns my approval.

Posted at 11:53 am on Feb 10th, 2006 by furtim

About the cardboard stove comment, when I was a kid I remember Bill Nye (or maybe it was Beakman of Beakman’s World) making a stove out of cardboard, tin foil, and glass/plexi/lexan. It got hot enough to cook some kind of apple crisp dessert.

Posted at 12:25 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by tiuk

I live in a geodesic dome, and constructing a real one takes not much more time as these cardboard versions! The entire dome structure goes up in just two days. It is a very neat building in which to live.

Here’s a slideshow of the construction process, for those interested: http://kathyschrock.net/domehome/

Posted at 12:31 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by Bucky

Hello my new home design. I was seriously considering building a Geodesic/dome or similar shaped house for my self and rent out a few rooms (note: self college student) of course not from cardboard but something stronger (wood or a metal).

I think reading this post just sealed that idea.

Posted at 2:00 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by Janitha Karunaratne

These are cool. I was obsessed with geodesic domes as a teenager. Anyone interested in designing their own should get “Geodesic Math and How to Use It” by Hugh Kenner.

It has all the formulas you will ever need for calculating and manipulating the vertices and strut lengths and angles. I used it to make a greenhouse from 8 foot 1×2s.

My dome had only had two strut lengths, so I only had to make one cut on each 1×2. I rotated it so that it had a vertical rectangular door formed from the two top and two bottom points of a hex side.

This brings back memories, I wish I had the room to make some domes now.

Posted at 4:15 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by everettattebury

I wonder if I could make one out of FedEx boxes?

Posted at 4:56 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by epooch

as someone who has spend a fair amount of time on dry lake beds, this seems like the perfect structure for a sleeping quarters. it’s got an added cool factor, too: that you have a freakin’ geodesic dome. ok ok, nerd factor, but that’s synonymous with cool anyhow.

landyachting on lake Alvord would be so much cooler with this dome. http://www.windhog.com

Posted at 5:42 pm on Feb 10th, 2006 by JUSTIN

You know, it occurs to me that these could make pretty good shelters for the homeless as well. Here’s hoping some of the ones that go to the library read Hackaday and print out plans or something. =)

Posted at 4:20 am on Feb 11th, 2006 by furtim

Someone already sells geodesic dome cardboard shelters http://thepod.net/html/home.html

Posted at 2:23 pm on Feb 11th, 2006 by Joe

This is nothing new my father made one of these 35 years ago to go camping one summer.He made the pentagons up and stacked them together for transport and when we got to the the camp we asembled it using a regular stapler.

Posted at 6:44 pm on Feb 11th, 2006 by Dave

…or you could buy a regular dome tent the same size for $30, one person could put it up in 10 minutes, and you could use it for the next ten years.

Posted at 12:16 am on Feb 12th, 2006 by Sadgeek

sadgeek?

The sad might be fine, but a geek you are not…

A tent…

I mean seriously!

Posted at 11:07 pm on Feb 16th, 2006 by notthe9

i dunno about you guys, but looking at the site that documents their “success”, it kinda seems like they have used their knowledge of perspectives to fool some people. looks like they took an old photo from a vacation and photoshopped in the the pictures of the domes to make it look like they are in the foreground. and to be honest, how well have you guys seen cardboard hold up in the rain, painted or not?

Posted at 6:58 pm on Apr 11th, 2006 by eric

Posted at 6:59 pm on Apr 11th, 2006 by eric