Zomes | Unique structure for ADU structures

lol wow…

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I like the look of it.

You can compensate for the slope by putting storage along the very bottom edge - just means that cabinets at eye level are either shallow or non-existent.

Sleeping loft on top is normal, and I assume top is a window. Please make sure there is a way to easily and completely block the light without much trouble as a lot of people have trouble sleeping with the ambient light that is generated by cities. If you had a set of timer-operated slats so that they’d open at 8am and close at 9pm, that’d be fantastic.

PS: elt1 does have a point about boxes being cheaper. So your clientelle are essentially people who love art and want something unique in their backyard. I think that may limit your buyership…

The other problem is that you have a lot of joints and with weird angles too. Every time you’ve got a joint, you’ve got a potential leak and a potential for a problem. :frowning: From that point of view, as much as I like Zomes for playgrounds, I would very much hesitate to buy one as a house.

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And this could be a pretty big market by itself. Think people who pay 100K for an EV. Probably need to hype up the green sustainable angle.

It could also be an eye catching Airbnb.

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I looked at their management group. Techie immigrants, serial entrepreneurs with no construction background. Geo domes are passé. I think their plan is raise lots of money from tech venture capital with no real plan on where or how to build. In reality these ADUs will stand out like sore thumbs. They do not compliment traditional BA architecture. And will not fit in most backyards.

From engineering point of view, rectangular structures have clearly understood stress points and need fewer support. Plus, almost entire space within a box (compared to a sphere) can be meaningfully used . Unless someone wants to build an equivalent of opera house in his backyard.

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It’s an interesting idea, but I wouldn’t want one of these in my backyard. Won’t fit anyways.

What is the benefit of going with the dome shape, other than that it does not look boxy? All of the benefits listed in the first picture should be applicable to a rectangular structure too if built with the same materials, probably at a lower cost.

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Here is the ADU I built

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/9c29d587c39174fb59ec5582cb176dd5-cc_ft_576.webp

Looks a helluva lot better than a Geo dome. Cost $75k finished. Not just a shell. I rented it for $2500/m
6 years ago. 600sf. Bamboo floors. Vaulted ceilings. Matched the architecture of the main house.

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/518649bca8e49cd8e4320d8e0f4d16eb-cc_ft_576.webp

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/26061bf438ac0bf54acc5e4d02e22b42-o_a.webp

https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/23cfd5da4997ec44995298ff6834beb2-cc_ft_384.webp

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Miss those 75k days

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Having trouble seeing the photos… Can you insert them into the post?

I dont think our target market are the folks that want a cheap trailer that falls apart after 10-15 years. We are selling to folks that want a great looking healthy ADU added on to their $1,000,000+ home.

I was limited to how many times I could post sadly!

ELT1 just because you have the opinion that a dome is a waste of XXXXXXX doesnt mean that there arent people that appreciate the engineering and effort to get where we are. I certainly respect your opinion and youre absolutely entitled to it but…lets keep this thread on topic with utmost respect for each other and opinions.

Maluka this product looks cool, its bug proof, fire proof, and its modular with building science in mind. We also price it fair so that its very comparable to a box design. It’s not for everyone…thats ok. Neither are box structures.

I get that, but I don’t get why you cannot also offer a boxy alternative for folks who don’t like the dome shape. Is there any particular reason that cannot be done? In my opinion it would make a lot of sense, as like you said dome is not for everyone so why not fill that void? Technically there shouldn’t be obstacle to that.

There are lots of things In life that are made that aren’t made for everyone and those things are made to fill a void.

Like sports and luxury cars, small airplanes, designer clothes, the list goes on and on.

We feel this structure looks great, it’s very strong, assembles quickly, and will last for many years to come all while coming with a very affordable price tag.

ADUs are poor mans contraption to fulfill housing need.
ADUs are not snob or elite products like 300 feet yatch or a private jet.
Does your product fulfills the needs of the ADU market that is looking for some extra space?

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We do fulfill the poor man’s requirements for adu but the design, engineering, etc also allow for higher end installations.

Adu isn’t the only market we are catering to. Think remote glamping as well. Adu is just a simple way to use existing space to generate income and solve a housing issue while also being able to be removed or moved to a other location later on. A standard box type adu can’t do this.

For example, we will be installing 6 of these on some acreage in Sedona AZ as well as some camp sites in Texas.

That is good. I think no one wishes ill on this forum for your business. All they are suggesting is that the your product should match (in price, features, value) the target market. If you have researched your market well and targeting it right, you should be OK.

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Properly built geo-dome does look beautiful, and built one myself for my green-house. As a living quarters, this has been explored in Swedan / Norway where the dome structure reduces the surface area for heat escape. If you have an acreage, it may fit in as a nice cottage. For ADU for Urban backyard I am doubtful – green house does look cool though.

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Seems like this is your unique advantage over square one - question is how many percent of your would be buyer want or need to utilize it. But today you do pay the price of furnishing the place with custom design (I can’t go to Ikea to furnish my ADU efficiently). It’s like building software, where you pay the price of complexity for future flexibility.

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I still have concerns over the water proof nature of the dome. Each corner and each edge is a potential failure/leak. With a greenhouse, it doesn’t matter much.

Also intuitively, it seems like as it ages, it would sag down and outwards. Would want to see floor to ceiling supports near the skylight area to add to the stability of the structure.