Plydomes

My current obsession is plydomes - A plydome is a dome generally based on a simple geodesic where the struts are replaced by flexible plywood sheets in this case 1/4 inch, there's in all practical sense no framework and the plywood skin supports itself by compression and tension. being of flexible material the geodesic tends to warp itself into a sphere or a squashed sphere given the gravity of our situation.

The design I have used is after a fellow named Steve Miller
Link who doubtless a genius is inspired from Bucky Fuller.

Can't figure out what's wrong with the link &^%% google formactive or plydomes.

But this has been quite a chore, as well as one of the neater projects I've undertaken. Building a plydome is like wrestling with the worlds greatest bowflex type exercise machine - one is literally flexing the structure together. For this structure the basic frame work is almost complete, probably would have helped if I had decided just where I wanted the thing and had not had to take it down and move it twice.

But if you are interested please give Steve's site a visit, he is very nice and helpful if you want to take stab at putting one of these critters together.

A plydome is certainly an efficient use of materials almost all of it is 1/4 inch plywood (bolted together) and it makes an inspiring space, but you have to sit in the middle of one to feel the vibes. By the by this is intended to be the ultimate portable building - I figure eight guys could lift it from the inside and walk it about - could be lifted onto a flat bed and trucked anywhere - or it could be unbolted and carried as several pickup truck loads only to be reassembled.

This is important because the code monsters are generally stymied when you have a portable building.

Oh yes I tend to refer to this as my space program.