Wow! houses: A dome in Annandale Acres
Charles “Chip” Emmons had always been a fan of Buckminster Fuller, the visionary inventor of the geodesic dome. So you could
say the house he and his wife, Betty, built in Annandale in 2001, based on that
concept, is truly their dream house.
say the house he and his wife, Betty, built in Annandale in 2001, based on that
concept, is truly their dream house.
Chip says a dome house has one-third more surface area and
“the structural integrity is far greater than a rectangular house.”
“the structural integrity is far greater than a rectangular house.”
The house, at 7221 Beverly St. in the Annandale Acres
community, has 4,000 square feet, which doesn’t include the smaller dome
containing the garage. And with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, it’s got
plenty of room for Chip and Betty and their two dogs, Shadoe, a German
pinscher, and Spirit, a Manchester terrier.
community, has 4,000 square feet, which doesn’t include the smaller dome
containing the garage. And with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, it’s got
plenty of room for Chip and Betty and their two dogs, Shadoe, a German
pinscher, and Spirit, a Manchester terrier.
The kitchen and dining room are between the two domes. The
ceiling in the living is 36 feet at the highest point. From the upper level,
there’s a spiral staircase to a cupola on top of the dome.
They purchased a kit from Timberline Geodesics, a company
based in Berkeley, Calif., that included the basic design and the framework,
which arrived in three trucks. They hired local contractors to assemble it and
build the interior.
based in Berkeley, Calif., that included the basic design and the framework,
which arrived in three trucks. They hired local contractors to assemble it and
build the interior.
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| The living room. |
What Betty likes best about living in a dome house is the
openness. Before building it, they lived with her parents and five dogs in the
house her parents purchased in 1952 on the same one-acre lot where the dome
house is now. Betty grew up there, attending the old Annandale Elementary
School, Weyanoke Elementary, Poe Middle School, and Annandale High School.
openness. Before building it, they lived with her parents and five dogs in the
house her parents purchased in 1952 on the same one-acre lot where the dome
house is now. Betty grew up there, attending the old Annandale Elementary
School, Weyanoke Elementary, Poe Middle School, and Annandale High School.
She operates an insurance business from an office in the
upper level of the dome house and is
studying forensic science at Northern Virginia Community College in
preparation for a career change. Chip, a former land surveyor has switched
careers and is now a substance abuse counselor.
upper level of the dome house and is
studying forensic science at Northern Virginia Community College in
preparation for a career change. Chip, a former land surveyor has switched
careers and is now a substance abuse counselor.
When they started thinking about building a dome house, they
took the idea to the Annandale Acres Civic Association, even though there was
no requirement that they do so. “Everyone was all for it,” Betty recalls. The
neighborhood has a broad range of house styles, ranging from small cottages
built in the 1930s to huge mcmansions.
took the idea to the Annandale Acres Civic Association, even though there was
no requirement that they do so. “Everyone was all for it,” Betty recalls. The
neighborhood has a broad range of house styles, ranging from small cottages
built in the 1930s to huge mcmansions.
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| Chip and Betty Emmons |
Few contractors are familiar with dome houses, so there were
some construction challenges, Chip says. The original design didn’t have the
right “snow loads” for this area, so some changes had to be made, and the
spiral staircase came in one single piece, instead of two as expected, so “that
was a nightmare to install.”
some construction challenges, Chip says. The original design didn’t have the
right “snow loads” for this area, so some changes had to be made, and the
spiral staircase came in one single piece, instead of two as expected, so “that
was a nightmare to install.”
Another last-minute change called for the kitchen
ceiling to be lower than expected. An archway between the two rooms hides the
different ceiling heights. That worked out so well, they incorporated
arches throughout the house.
After they moved in, they discovered some unique issues with
dome houses: Air handling is more challenging, so it’s been more difficult to
keep the upstairs rooms cool enough in the summer. Domes are also harder to seal
because they contract or expand when the temperature changes, so the screens on
the kitchen window sometimes pop out. The acoustics are challenging, too, so the
large speakers in the living room had to be mounted high on the wall.
dome houses: Air handling is more challenging, so it’s been more difficult to
keep the upstairs rooms cool enough in the summer. Domes are also harder to seal
because they contract or expand when the temperature changes, so the screens on
the kitchen window sometimes pop out. The acoustics are challenging, too, so the
large speakers in the living room had to be mounted high on the wall.
All in all, though, they love living in a dome. “Being
spacious is a big deal,” says Betty. “We found that when people come here, they
are very comfortable, and don’t want to leave. People really seem to like the
energy here.”
spacious is a big deal,” says Betty. “We found that when people come here, they
are very comfortable, and don’t want to leave. People really seem to like the
energy here.”