What’s round, sturdy, stunning, affordable, earthquake and hurricane resistant, made in Canada from waste wood and frameable in under 8 hours?
I give you the Canadian Wooden Dome, an invention of Vancouver engineering firm Altus Engineering Ltd.
Green Building Company Profile: Canadian Wooden Domes (CWD)
Company Name: Altus Engineering, Ltd.
Location: Vancouver, BC
Company Mission Statement
“To successfully provide affordable, aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and
durable structures that are highly resistant to natural disasters.”
Dome Basics
Domes are nothing new. Think the Pantheon (Rome – 125 AD), the Taj Mahal (1653), and St. Paul’s Cathedral (London – 1708). It’s domes in modern North America that are uncommon to most. And though the average Canadian surely hasn’t imagined living in one, the beauty, comfort, affordability, security, and environmental benefits may soon woo a great many of us.
(Image Source: Wikipedia)
Simply explained, a CWD is made from 2 x 4 lumber ends cut to a precise size and shape to form panels or sections. When fastened together, these sections become progressively smaller concentric rings, and presto – you have a dome. Watch the video to help wrap your head around it.
(Image Source: Canadian Wooden Domes)
Domes in Canada
Altus Engineering’s CWD building experience reaches 8 years back including prototype development. Currently, one CWD tourist lodge and few cottages have been built in New Denver, BC. Of all the company’s potential clients, it is the government of Mongolia that is signed up for up to 14,000 affordable housing units.
(Image Source: Canadian Wooden Domes)
What Makes a CWD Energy Efficient?
- “A dome contains approximately 30% less air volume compared to a traditional stick built building with the equivalent floor area, because walls and ceilings are sloped not angular – so there is a smaller air volume to heat and cool.
- Angled walls and ceilings create dead airspace that inhibits natural air circulation and warm air tends to pool at the ceiling. With the sloped walls, ceiling and open spans, domes facilitate more natural air circulation with more even heating or cooling.” (Canadian Wooden Domes)
Dome walls are built to 5.5 inches thick, but a greater thickness can be achieved for those striving for higher insulation values. Using basic insulation ratings, dome walls should perform at about R-36 with sprayfoam insulation, or R-20 with cellulose insulation.
Ecofeatures
| Recycled or Reclaimed Content | Framing is made from 2×4 or equivalent lumber ends that would otherwise be chipped or used for finger jointing. |
| Durability | The 24′ dome prototype, passed a series of 9 earthquake tests of increasing intensity while bearing a weight of 5.5 tons. Expected life span is 2 to 5 times that of traditional frame buildings. |
| Toxicity | Depends on finishing materials chosen. |
| Company Location | Delta, BC |
| Water Conservation | Like conventionally built homes, CWDs accommodate rainwater capture equipment. |
| Energy Conservation | Estimated 30-50% energy savings compared with a conventional home of equal square footage due to the lower volume of air. Like conventional homes, domes accommodate renewable energy equipment. |
| Production Impact | A CWD requires 30% less material than a home with comparable square footage. Site disruption is minimized because dome sections are factory built, then transported for assembly. |
| Corporate Social Responsibility Program | No |
| Independent Certifications | No, however the system has earned several awards. |
Dome Construction & Finishing
Altus Engineering Ltd. manufactures the Canadian Wooden Dome (CWD) sections and assembles them on the construction site. This gets you a fully framed and assembled dome with all external sheathing. Because the sections are pre-fabricated and ready to assemble, a dome’s frame can be raised in a single day. The dome featured in the above video link at the University of British Columbia was erected in just 6 hours.
As for windows, roofing, and the rest of the work, the company recommends that post-assembly steps be contracted out, or completed by the homeowner. Of course, finishing can be included at an extra cost.
In addition to single and two-story structures, domes can be built with or without basements, and as additions onto conventionally built houses. While exterior and interior building materials are not limited to those shown in photos, the company lists recommended and compatible materials within their technical specifications.
Budgeting for a Dome
Base prices for dome frame assembly depend on the complexity of the structure but as a guide are as follows:
- a 26’ diameter hemispherical one-storey dome: $21,142.66
- a 26’ diameter hemispherical two-storey dome: $28,196.67
- a 33’ diameter elliptical one-storey dome: $35,420.42
Prices include on-site assembly but not taxes.
Contact
Canadian Wooden Dome Group
1311 Howe Street, Suite 600
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6Z 2P3
T: 604-691-1758 / F: 604-691-1759
Toll free: 1–877-982-3322
Resources
Canadian Wooden Domes
Monolithic Dome Institute -Click on ‘homes’ to see photos of dome homes around the world, some even for sale.
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