Dome greenhouse
January 16, 2011
We thought it might be a good idea to make a greenhouse in the shape of a dome because the wind can be very strong on Strumble Head peninsula. 15 pieces cut at an angle of 12 degrees were needed for the base. Every piece of wood has two very big nails through the ends, which stick into the ground in a simple way to get it all in level.I glued and screwed the ends together, put a few stones under the wood and strapped it all tight with a band strap. It was so strong that I could jump around on it and it didn’t move at all. The band strap could be taken off after the glue dried.
This is the drawing we had- the layout, what we needed to make was: 5x 3 triangles fixed together, 9x 6 triangles together and 7x 5 triangles together (the top is double ). So total of 104 triangles plus the 4 along the entrance. We cut the wood at 750mm length each except for the ones on the inside of the 5 triangles together we cut those shorter. This drawing is all we had the rest was trial and error, and to be honest I don’t know the sizes anymore.
We cut lengths of wood for the 108 triangles. These are not all the same size, but this is unfortunately something we found out later on in the process.
Actually, doing the calculations just about finished us off. What we had was the 2-D drawing so we knew that we had to put 5 triangles together and 6 triangles together and 3 triangles together. We also knew how to puzzle those together to get the dome. No sizes or angles were given. I can’t tell you the angles I made a guess and it wasn’t perfect. It worked but not a perfect fit.
Jobina tacking the poly-tunnel plastic over the triangles. The plastic was heated up to stretch it over the triangles.
108 triangles ready to be screwed together in 5’s 6’s and 3’s
Drawing of the base needed 15 pieces of wood. We used old roof frames chucked away in the field next to our project.
All 750mm long cut at 22.5 degrees, glued and screwed together, In each part there are two very long nails at the ends sticking in the ground that was to make it possible to level out the whole base , after it was level I filled the gaps with small stones.
Left over roof plastic we had saved to seal the base, slugs in our minds.
Started with a 3 together one screw it to the base.
And build it up, more and more parts added.
At this point we still didn’t know if it all would fit to make a dome, but it looked already amazing anyway.
The last one is a double one for airflow. Would it fit?
It looks like it worked out nicely. And it is very strong amazing didn’t expect that at all.
Make the best use of the dome, I made tables and put a floor in using old pallets.
This circle is built in the same way as the 15 base.
We have already been using the greenhouse for two years. This is the time of year that we clean it out, collect seaweed and mix it into the soil to make it ready for the next season so that we can grow all kinds of lovely vegetables again.
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January 29, 2011 at 12:35 pm
I love this! Amazing. And Rebecca’s cupboards too! Would you have a look at my van on my blog? I would love to have something done on the inside in lovely wood. I want to use it for heading off into the hills to think and write. Something simple but beautiful with space for 3 dogs. And to carry paintings.
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January 29, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Wow Astrid, this greenhouse is fabulous and I am deeply envious! You are very talented. I’m so glad I found your blog.
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January 17, 2012 at 6:58 am
I really love your dome and you did a great job. My hat is off to you. 🙂
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March 6, 2013 at 5:31 am
I want to build one of these and have been doing some research when I found this blog. Do you have any advice, tips, and resources to offer? This is beautiful and I love what you did with the inside beds.
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May 9, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Beautiful.
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March 21, 2014 at 9:09 pm
this is an awesome greenhouse!!
There is just one tiny problem I have with it….
If you could add dimensions to everything, & what size/type of wood used, etc., that would make it easier for al of us who read this to maybe build one…
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March 21, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Thanks for your interest and yes I understand, I’ll have a look in my notes and drawings in the weekend.
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March 22, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Cool!!
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July 4, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Wow simply amazing somthing I would love to build someday for a growing family
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July 4, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Stunning work. Lovely eye for details too. Well done to you both, hope you reap the harvest this year.
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July 4, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Amazing! I want to have one of this someday in my farm. But I have to get a farm first! =)
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July 5, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Obviously, a lot of TLC went into that construct. Great job.
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July 5, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Starting this project all the way in Hawaii, hope I can get it right!
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July 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm
[…] to save money, and they are not as complicated to construct as they appear. This dome, built by Astrid de Groot in Wales, is a gorgeous example of a handmade geodesic […]
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August 19, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Reblogged this on Chilli Farm Norfolk and commented:
Very clever. Would love to build one of these on the farm! http://norfolkchillifarm.co.uk/category/blog/environmental/
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August 19, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Love this. Reblogged it and will get to work designing one for the farm! Great work!
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October 9, 2014 at 7:41 am
Thanks ! It is a great ideea
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July 24, 2015 at 6:59 am
Fantastic. We have just built a very similar dome and we love it. You do beautiful work.
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August 2, 2017 at 8:14 am
[…] to save money, and they are not as complicated to construct as they appear. This dome, built by Astrid de Groot in Wales, is a gorgeous example of a handmade geodesic […]
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August 8, 2019 at 9:50 am
also built one of those, about to build my second one, a 6 metre 🙂 It’s alot of work compared to a square building but it’s so worth every minute of it 🙂
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March 1, 2020 at 9:37 am
thank you very much for sharing with us this superb realization of a greenhouse dome and I will surely build one similar to yours in France in Brittany
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May 28, 2020 at 7:01 pm
Reblogged this on To Live Will Be An Awfully Big Adventure and commented:
Reblog! Wow I want to make this!!!
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May 28, 2020 at 7:01 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this!! I definitely am thinking about making one!
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