3 Octagon Dome House

The 3 Octagon Dome House stands out for its unique architecture and ambition goals which could only be achieved with concrete and Insulated Concrete Forms. The home is comprised of 10 and 11-foot completely straight ICF exterior walls, which form 3 octagonal living spaces. Atop each is a curved concrete domed ceiling. Precision was critical for this installation to enable the desired geometries. Nudura as the ICF manufacturer offered reassurance for the energy-efficiency and structural integrity the home required. The owners also served as the builders and designers of this project and had attended Nudura’s hands-on training demonstrations to learn how to properly install the product. In talking about the process, the owners said “A lot of customization was required and we were very pleased with the thoughtful and conscientious design and especially the consistent nature of the Nudura ICFs.”

This one-of-a-kind design used concrete, rebar, 4 inches of spray-foam insulation and shotcrete to create a smooth concrete look and maintain the overall thermal efficiency of the home. To execute this, the design/build team created an airtight main floor and added air pressure into the space, which lifted and held up the rebar and concrete while each layer set. The shotcrete tested at 7,500 p.s.i whereas only 4000 p.s.i is required. The concrete was 11” thick at the top of the main floor walls, tapering to 4” at the top of the domes. This order of assembly, with no structural items separating the insulation, results in an R-value of approximately R-60.