Manufacturing Domed Houses

The company was founded in Vancouver in 1997 by architect Ronan Le Glatin and timber-frame builder Cormac McCarthy. Le Glatin was intrigued with the domed, rotating houses he observed in France.

Sunspace Rotating Homes, now based in both Vancouver and Montreal, produces nine models, ranging from 800 to 4,200 square feet (75 to 390 square meters), and Le Glatin modifies each design as needed to suit different building codes. All components except the windows are cut to order in a factory and delivered in containers to the buyers' sites. Velux windows are imported from Europe.

Each house is assembled on a 12-foot- (3.6-meter-) square foundation. This small footprint means less area to excavate, and more vegetation can be left undisturbed near the perimeter.

On the foundation is installed a turntable-like structure and rings fitted with 1,600 stainless steel ball bearings (Fig. 5.14). The turntable, driven by a one-horsepower (745-watt) motor, allows the owner to turn the house by push button or computer-programmed control. It can also be rotated manually.

Figure 5.14 - The house's pre-engineered structure in construction

All the mechanical services are grouped in a central shaft in flexible hosing that follows the house as it moves. This way, power and water can flow even while the house is moving.

Because of the high insulation levels (R-28 minimum in both upper and lower shells) and the natural convection induced by the shape of the interior space, heating and cooling needs are claimed to be 30 percent less than in conventional houses. Wood-burning stoves, forced-air furnaces, or electric baseboard heaters are options.

Dome-dwellers in earthquake-prone regions will also appreciate the structural stability of the shape. These domes can withstand seismic forces up to 8.0 on the Richter scale. Sunspace also claims that the dome shape helps deflect hurricane-force winds.

Exterior finishes are maintenance free; a standard 300-square-foot (28-square meter) copper cap and the absence of valleys and ridges are said to virtually eliminate potential leaks in the roof. Rain on the copper produces copper sulphate; this mixed with runoff helps prevent moss from forming on the wood. Over time, the copper acquires an attractive patina.