The Family Kemp: The Dome

The first Kemp Family home was a two-story Geodesic-dome (pictured below). The unusual design was created by my dad and built by himself with the assistance of family and friends. Living in a caravan while the house built, Mum and Dad, cleared and landscaped the land, laid foundations and began building, Also, building on a dirt road in the bush meant that no electricity was available during the construction of The Dome. Whilst the plan had been to install solar electricity, the costs involved prevented this step from happening and main electricity would be later connected to the property.

View 'The Dome' video:

Building The Dome

At first a smaller prototype dome was designed and built to rehearse the construction process and iron out any faults.

Next the land was prepared for building by; clearing, levelling and laying down brick foundations. A twelve-sided slab was poured to create the base of the dome.

As triangular framework was fixed together using steel joining hubs, the dome began to take shape.

A roof was made from corrugated colour-bond iron sheets. Cutting wooden and metal materials into triangular frames and at difficult angles, was difficult with a limited supply of power or power tools.

The Dome's walls were cladded using cedar timber, and transparent plastic and fibreglass sections made up skylight panels designed to allow in more natural light. Windows were custom designed and made in a triangular design, and the pentagonal, central roof skylight, was a made with a combination of; wood, glass and metal materials.

The interior was fitted out and finished on an ongoing basis.

Many hours were spent growing up in this house and i am still impressed by the architectural quality of The Dome and its design as i look back over old photographs. The fact that my parents designed and built a two-story geodesic dome without electricity and hence power tools is a feat almost unfathomable in this present day society of electricity and connectedness. The Dome was; the first geodesic dome approved for construction by the Shoalhaven City Council, and very difficult to explain or describe to other kids, teachers and adults while i was growing up. I used to (and still ) use the 'half a soccer ball' metaphor to describe The Dome and this seems to help describe it to people.

Prototype Dome