This earthen dome home was designed to improve your health and wellbeing

These three earthen domes have been designed as a family home which helps improve the wellbeing of the inhabitants. Designed by Holistic Progression Designs, the rounded forms are calming, gently protective, nurturing and the natural materials used are low VOC and taken directly from the site.

The 15cm thick foamcrete walls provide fantastic insulation, keeping the home comfortable and the running costs low. The rounded windows, doors and skylights are like portholes to the outside world and they provide daylight and cross ventilation for cooling.

The benchtops in the kitchen and bathroom are made from tadalak, which is a waterproof plaster surface made from rammed lime which is polished and coated with soap to make it waterproof. It can be used to form curves and has a seamless finish. Pigments can be added to give any colour and in this case the architect chose a neutral colour palette to give a sense of spaciousness to the small footprint of the home. I think it’s interesting that he chose to liven the living space up by adding a punchy bright orange fabric to the banquette seating.

Restrained use of colour and materials is something often overlooked when people design small spaces. The trick is to add enough texture to give it character and warmth, and you can achieve this with a small amount of well-considered materials.

Sustainability specs:
– Made from earth from the site and foamcrete bricks
– Tadalak used in wet areas – a waterproof plaster made from lime which is rammed, polished and treated with soap to waterproof
– Cross ventilation used for cooling and ventilation
– Highly insulated
– Skylights to draw in natural light
– Spans over two levels to work with existing terrain
– Small footprint

I often work with a small footprint yet the spaces feel spacious. This is achieved through built in bespoke furniture, high ceilings and a considered colour palette.