One of the oldest forms of housing is round house. The history of its existence goes back to the distant past.

round house

In ancient times, such buildings were built from various materials and served different purposes. The round house was common both in Europe and on other continents, including southern Africa. According to archaeological data, these could be military buildings, religious buildings and residential buildings. This type of dwelling is characteristic of the ancient Celtic culture in Europe and is found in England, Spain and the Mediterranean. The construction of round houses was carried out from wood and stone, on solid or on pile foundations, which shows the high plasticity and adaptability of the concept. Some buildings of this type have survived to this day and are of historical and cultural value. The development of modern architecture has revived the interest of architects in this original form of housing.

Melnikov's House

At the beginning of the 20th century, Moscow architect Konstantin Stepanovich Melnikov carried out one of the most eccentric projects, building a round house-workshop in Moscow. This building was innovative not only in its appearance, but also in its use constructive solutions. For example, the interfloor ceilings were made in the form of a single nine-meter membrane, according to a design patented by the famous architect Shukhov.

However, the implemented project round house caused mixed reactions and criticism from both professionals and the public. The desire to combine an original architectural solution and savings building materials turned around complex layout with an unusual layout of living space. Nevertheless, the round house in Moscow turned out to be one of the few interesting architectural experiments in the early years of the Soviet Union.

House in Taganrog

Built in the first third of the twentieth century according to the design of the architect M. N. Kondratiev. Unlike Melnikov's house, it was an apartment building of a traditional concept, but designed in the shape of the letter "c", which was an undoubted continuation of the architectural experimentation of that era. The building had a traditional brick construction. The architect sought to reduce the cost of construction, thanks to the smaller perimeter of the enclosing structures, a more expressive appearance and the organization of the courtyard-atrium, characteristic of a southern home. The courtyard was framed by tiers of loggias that had exits from all apartments. For the hot climate of southern Russia with little precipitation, the architectural design seems to be successful. Despite the innovative ideas, the building had virtually no engineering equipment, water supply and sewerage, which made the architect's planning solutions of little demand.

Round house in Moscow

The next appearance of a round house in Moscow dates back to 1972. The development was motivated by the same considerations - to combine maximum economy and maximum expressiveness. The strict planning standards of Soviet SNiPs did not allow experimentation with internal layout, so the apartments in the house are no different from ordinary ones standard apartments of that time. The building structures also correspond to the ideology of large-panel housing construction. Architects took advantage of tolerances on the mating angle wall panels and thanks to it they formed a closed ring of a 26-entrance nine-story building. Against the backdrop of the extremely utilitarian development of residential areas of Moscow, the building made a favorable impression, diversifying the urban landscape. Residents positively assessed the comfort of the living environment. On the ground floor of the house there were shops, consumer services and cultural institutions, which, thanks to the configuration of the building, were easily accessible. Despite the generally positive attitude towards the new appearance of the residential building and achieved goals According to economical construction, after the house on Nezhinskaya, only one round house was built in Moscow - on Dovzhenko Street. One of the shortcomings of the building was the difficulty of fitting it into the system of city communications and communication routes.

Modernity

Despite the ambiguity of previous experiments with round houses, the accumulated experience was not wasted. And although modern houses a regular circle continues to be an architectural quest for designers; elements of a round house are widely used in modern buildings. After the disappearance of strict regulation for individual housing, which was used in the USSR, the desire to express itself through architectural forms got a second wind. Round houses are becoming less and less exotic in private development. Architects gain the necessary experience and get the opportunity to evaluate the specifics of living in such an environment and the subtleties of operation. The attractive side of the new forms for professionals is the possibility of using the latest materials and technological solutions that are in little demand in the traditional building market.

Design Features

The curvilinear shape of the building is a feature that can become a highlight, or can turn into a disadvantage. Nice project the round house is undoubtedly much more difficult task for the architect than traditional layout solutions. Instead of the usual rectangular configuration, the rooms tend to be sectoral. It is necessary to combine the curvature of the walls with straight lines structural elements. The specifics of the layout dictate a careful attitude to the design of the premises, the selection and placement of furniture. The unconventional appearance of the building requires careful consideration of the surrounding landscape to emphasize its originality.

Construction specifics

The construction of round houses creates certain difficulties in the work. The absence of right angles complicates the linking of building elements, reduces the number of unified structural elements, and generates a significant number individual solutions construction units. The vast majority of products used in construction have rectangular shape and involve their use in the traditional way. Therefore, for a round house, if it is not wooden, monolithic construction technology seems to be the most suitable. Round wooden houses create fewer construction problems, but also require a non-standard solution for connecting plates or beams. In their production, it is appropriate to use bent glued structures that are ideally suited to the ideology of the project.

Foreign experience

More developed individual construction V foreign countries allows us to evaluate the experience gained there and transfer it to domestic soil. Round houses, photos of which are presented above, serve as an attractive object of self-realization not only here. However, foreign projects of interest should be assessed with caution. Traditionally, the most daring decisions of foreign architects are warm climatic zones, and adapting their findings to our soil is not always possible without catastrophic losses in architectural expressiveness. But such buildings exist, they please the eye and awaken the imagination.

Spherical, domed dwellings have been known for a long time - yarangas, tents, wigwams, etc. - built on this principle. They are distinguished by their high stability and ease of construction, which is what earned them the popularity of our ancestors. But domed houses in pure form, as a phenomenon modern construction, appeared not so long ago - approximately in the second half of the last century. When the American scientist Fuller decomposed the dome structure into simple figures - triangles, from which the entire structure is often assembled. It is on this principle that many spherical houses are built today.

Domed houses: technologies and their features

Dome or spherical house are the names of one construction technology. Actually, the name reflects the peculiarity of this type of housing construction - the house is not rectangular, but is made in the form of a hemisphere. More precisely, in the form of a polyhedron, approaching a sphere in appearance.

This shape better withstands wind and snow loads, with an equal building spot with a rectangular one, has more usable area. But in such a house there is unlikely to be at least one rectangular or square room. At least one side will be uneven. This complicates the planning, finishing, selection and installation of furniture. Most likely, all or most of the furnishings will have to be made “to order”, according to your own dimensions and sketches.

Domed houses are built mainly according to frame technology, so the construction is easy. The frame is assembled from timber or metal pipes, sheathed with sheet building material (plywood, OSB). Insulation (expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, foam glass, environmental materials such as jute, dried seaweed, etc.). That is, apart from the unusual shape, there is no news; the materials are selected as for an ordinary frame house.

There are domed houses made of monolithic reinforced concrete. But this technology is used infrequently, especially in our country, where lumber is sometimes cheaper. If we also take into account the need for good thermal insulation of a concrete dome, its unpopularity becomes clear.

With the frames of domed houses, not everything is so simple. There are two technologies by which they are assembled: geodesic and stratodesic domes. They have their own characteristics that can influence your choice.

Geodesic dome

The dome is divided into triangles, from which the polyhedron is assembled. The peculiarity of this technology is that a large number of beams converge at one point. To ensure their reliable fixation, connectors are used - special steel devices that allow you to reliably connect the elements of the supporting structure. Each connector costs from 600 to 1500 rubles ($10-25).

A geodesic dome for a spherical house is built on the basis of triangles

Given that the number of connectors amounts to tens or even hundreds, their availability greatly affects the cost of construction. Those who plan to build a domed house with their own hands try to do without connectors or make them themselves. The reasons are clear, but if the connection strength is insufficient, the building may collapse under load. So you have to be very, very careful when saving on this unit.

By the way, when using wooden beams There is connectorless technology, but the assembly of such units requires high level carpentry and precision workmanship. And one more thing: they are not as reliable as connections with metal connectors.

The advantage of this type of frame is its stable design. If 35% of the elements are destroyed, the dome does not collapse. This has been tested in seismically active regions, during hurricanes. This stability allows you to easily remove a certain number of jumpers. That is, the opening for doors and windows can be made anywhere, of almost any size. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that the windows will be triangular. There is no escape from this in this design. For many this is a critical flaw.

Another feature is that when assembling the frame, without cladding, it has good resistance to torsional loads, but does not take horizontal loads very well. Therefore, the frame is first assembled completely and only then it is sheathed.

Stratodesic dome

Dome houses of this design are assembled from trapezoidal sections. That is, its fragments are more like rectangles or squares. This structure allows the use of doors and windows standard design. For many this is a big plus.

The disadvantage of the statodesian dome is that structural elements can only be removed after careful calculation and strengthening of adjacent structures. So, moving a door or window or changing dimensions is possible only after the change in the load-bearing capacity of this area or even the dome as a whole has been calculated.

This technology also has its own assembly feature. The frame must be sheathed as the racks are installed. That is, the second row of racks is assembled only after the first is sheathed, the third row - after the second is covered with sheet material, etc. This is due to the fact that in its unfinished form - without cladding - the frame has a high load-bearing capacity for vertical loads and is not very resistant to torsional loads. Once the edges are sheathed, it becomes very stable and reliable.

Unlike geodesic dome, are not required for assembling the stratodesic connector. The vertical parts of the frame are connected using specially shaped locks. Horizontal jumpers are attached using a plate, which is fixed with bolts, under which a metal plate is placed.

There is one more nuance that affects the cost of a domed house. When cutting sheet material for a stratodesic dome, more scraps remain than when constructing a geodesic one. This increases material costs to some extent. But they are compensated by the fact that windows and doors are of a standard design, and they are cheaper than triangular ones. As a result, the cost of the dome different technologies not much different.

Advantages and Disadvantages

No one will argue with the fact that domed houses look unusual. If you want to have a house or dacha “not like everyone else” and have nothing against frame house construction, take a closer look at this technology. The solution is truly non-standard. In addition, they say it is economical. Price square meter starts from $200. But as you understand, this is the minimum price. This is an economical option.

Pros of domed houses

Apart from the unusual appearance The advantages of spherical houses are as follows:

Based on the totality of their characteristics, domed houses look very attractive. In addition, many say that construction requires much less money - due to the smaller surface of the walls, material is saved. According to mathematical calculations, the area of ​​the walls is almost a third less. But if there are any savings, they will not be that big - the construction is specific, using specific components that increase the cost of construction. In fact, the cost per square meter is approximately the same as with a conventional form.

Cons

There are also disadvantages and they are also quite serious. In any case, it is worth knowing about them and taking them into account.

There is also an unusual layout, but it cannot be definitely classified as a disadvantage. I like domed houses precisely because of their originality. So the non-standard shape of the premises is, rather, a feature that must be taken into account when selecting/ordering furniture and choosing finishing materials.

Projects and planning features

It is far from easy to plan a round building in such a way that it is rational, beautiful, and even convenient. There are a few basic techniques that most people follow. The first thing that catches your eye is that there simply cannot be corridors in such a house. They simply have nowhere to lead. This is not bad, but it makes the layout of the house more complicated. Let's start with something simple - how to decorate the entrance to the house.

Entrance group

For our climate it is desirable that entrance doors went out to small room, not in large room. In this case, a small vestibule helps. O can be isolated from total area or attached. A covered veranda performs approximately the same tasks. This is a more “civil” way to solve the problem.

Not everyone likes this approach. Today there are other trends in the world - from the front door you enter into a large spacious hall/living room. Such a layout is also possible, but additional measures are needed to cut off cold air - thermal curtain near the entrance. This is done using convectors built into the floor or by installing several powerful radiators near the door. The first method is more effective, the second is easier to implement. All these nuances are typical for domed houses. The only difference is that you will have to rack your brains to figure out how to fit in the built-in vestibule. The other two methods are easier to solve.

Let's look at the device options entrance group with examples. In the picture above, the right design, the entrance doors open into the living/dining room. This solution is typical for Europe and America. It is gradually gaining popularity in our country, but due to the harsher climate it often brings inconvenience - each opening of the doors in winter brings a significant portion of cold air, which reduces comfort.

The option on the left is with an attached vestibule. There are two exits from the vestibule - one in winter garden, the other is in the kitchen/dining room. The solution is no less modern, but the problem of cold air entering living spaces has been solved. So this idea is worth adopting.

If you decide to make the vestibule built-in, you will obviously have to allocate some area of ​​the house. The minimum is three squares (on the left project). It would be logical if there would be a living/dining room next.

Another way is to allocate a large area and use it as a hallway. Place a wardrobe here, a hanger for things “for now” (draft law). If space allows, you can install a small sofa. For a private home, having a hallway is practically a necessity. Dirt and sand are less dragged into the house. And this is another argument in favor of a dedicated entrance group. Attached or fenced off - it’s your choice. But the entrance area is convenient. At least in our realities.

Organization of space

Most often, the central part of the space of a domed house is allocated for common areas. From this central area you can access all the other rooms, which are arranged in a circle. In general, the central room turns out to be inconvenient, since it is “very walkable.”

You won’t be able to relax in it if it’s a living room, it’s not very convenient to cook in, if you come up with the idea of ​​using this room as a kitchen, it’s also not the best as a dining room best option. Projects that use this space in this way are presented above. It looks great in the picture, but in real life you can’t count on an intimate atmosphere here. So the walk-through rooms are not the most habitable.

Not the best bad way use of this passage area - installation of stairs. After all, most domed houses have two floors, but a screw one just begs to be built here. You just need to take into account that if you simply twist it around a pole, it will be inconvenient to use - the turns will be too sharp. If you design a staircase like a “well,” it will be difficult to build it yourself. So this part will have to be entrusted to someone.

Otherwise, domed houses are planned in the same way as ordinary ones. The basic rule to remember is: to engineering systems were not very expensive, all “wet” rooms are located close to each other. The location of bedrooms, offices and other “dry” rooms is up to your taste.

Video on the topic

No matter how detailed the technology, its pros and cons are described, it is so difficult to get an accurate picture. We receive a significant part of information and impressions visually. Pictures and photos help only partially give general idea. It is much better to see everything with your own eyes in video reviews.

Designers showed how rounded shapes can change the perception of an interior

A round living room can combine the functions of a dining room and home theater (Photo: Architectural Bureau “Golden Heads”)

IN major cities New buildings are increasingly appearing in Russia cylindrical. The time of square candle houses and strict right angles is gone along with Soviet Union: modern developers are trying to give houses unusual look And beautiful shape to stand out from competitors. Often, round houses, that is, high-rise buildings with curved external walls, are built in the central part of Russian megacities. “Round apartments most often belong to the premium segment of the real estate market, since the cost of building houses with round shapes is higher than rectangular ones,” confirms Irina Grinina, leading interior designer of the Cherdak studio. — Having bought such an apartment, the owner needs to be prepared that he will have to spend more money, because the circular layout dictates its own rules.”

Indeed, creating a stylish and harmonious interior with smoothly shaped walls is a non-trivial task in Russian realities. Regular beds, sofas, tables and even double-glazed windows are manufactured taking into account straight walls and 90-degree angles. Anything round immediately falls into the “non-standard” category. “An outwardly effective method is not always due to the practical side, since our brain cannot perceive round room as comfortable,” says Marina Kalinina, chief architect of the Design Technologies architectural bureau.

The editors of RBC Real Estate asked architects and designers to tell us how to properly furnish a round apartment.

Ekaterina Svanidze, partner of the architectural studio Dvekati:

— Irregularly shaped houses are popping up everywhere and can tempt potential buyer its originality. Architects, in pursuit of the implementation of non-standard solutions, design buildings of intricate shapes, including entire complexes of multi-storey residential buildings. Unfortunately, the creators think about future residents last, so behind the beautiful and complex façade they often hide terribly uncomfortable apartments with circular walls. Such apartments require masterly elaboration of the planning solution.

Three-room apartment with an area of ​​62.6 sq. m is located on Moskvorechye Street in the Southern Administrative District of Moscow

Sergey Kudryavtsev, managing partner construction company Pridex:

— The main task that needs to be solved in apartments with complex layouts and non-standard geometry is the maximum preservation of usable space. Sloping roofs, bay windows, balconies in the form of a semicircle - in in this case it is necessary to carefully work out a design project for such housing that would take into account all the features. From the point of view of the engineering equipment of round apartments, there are also some nuances: it is difficult to place standard radiators, and therefore heating of the room is usually carried out using a heated floor system. Air conditioners are integrated into the ceiling.

Rounded walls are great for panoramic glazing, however, double-glazed windows also need to be selected to order. It is better not to use wallpaper on convex or concave walls - instead, I recommend giving preference to paint or textured plaster. Problems with furniture arise when choosing hanging options and kitchen sets, which should be made to order, since ready-made solutions for curved walls - practically impossible to find in regular stores.

Alena Talyanina, designer of the architectural bureau “Design Technologies”:

— Round apartments are created for non-standard people who are ready to sacrifice comfort for the sake of a unique interior. The most convenient place for living will be to place the dining-living room in the center; the remaining rooms in this case become segments of a circle. The best would be the most open space, so I recommend such apartments to small families who do not plan to expand their family in the next ten years. Such apartments are suitable for bold and creative people who are ready to abandon standard solutions. Compared to traditional apartments, the choice of finishing materials is reduced, since many application methods themselves construction tools only suitable for smooth walls with angles of 90 degrees.

A rare example of a round interior in a Stalinist house: here the designers added all three existing loggias to the apartment. As a result, a spacious bay window with rounded walls was formed in the living room.

Anna Chevereva, designer at Zi-Design studio:

— Rooms with radius elements — internal walls, bay windows - with their originality they always create special atmosphere slight surrealism. A modern style with features of modernism and minimalism will help emphasize the advantages of such layouts. Rounded internal partitions can be designed decorative panels made of wood or leather with vertical inserts. Furniture can echo the radius: for example, a rounded sofa, a large radius carpet and a round table will look good in a bay window. An alternative solution is furniture with straight shapes: the sofa group can be placed opposite a radius bay window with view glazing.

Round shapes are not always associated with curvature load-bearing walls. Sometimes the roundest thing can become ordinary apartment with right angles - for this, architects specially build radial internal partitions

Using the example of an apartment designed by Maria Borovskaya, you can see what an apartment with straight walls looks like if you “fit” a round living room with appropriate furniture into it (Photo: Maria Borovskaya Design Studio)

Anastasia Kasparian, architectural bureau “Golden Heads”:

— I am convinced that a circular layout should never be invented on purpose. Often, novice designers sin by trying to create “ round design- and this is always a disappointment. When planning, you should start from the general perimeter of the space: you need to feel and see it best solution. Of course, in buildings with radius perimeters, a circular layout is born by itself. Buying property with round walls, you need to understand that the budget of such a project is always 15-25% higher, since it requires many non-standard solutions. Almost always this will be a special order and author’s development of project details - furniture, ventilation grilles, doors. At the same time, round spaces are very interesting and give professional designers real inspiration.

The living room in a huge semicircular bay window has become the central area of ​​a spacious apartment of 210 square meters. m. The design of this interior was developed by Anastasia Kasparian

(Photo: Architectural Bureau “Golden Heads”)

Ekaterina Lyubarskaya, partner of the architectural studio Dvekati:

— The main rule of working with round apartments is not to place furniture objects near radius walls, but to arrange them in the center of the premises. In this case, furniture becomes a tool for zoning. If the owner is involved in the furnishings round apartment independently, he is often inclined to order non-standard furniture, which significantly increases the cost of the project. Meanwhile, a professional architect is able to arrange space in such a way that non-standard solutions will be able to be minimized.

Galina Krylova, interior designer:

— I love working with round apartments, since their geometry in its construction is already conducive to creativity. They challenge the designer, requiring him to show ingenuity and imagination: to make a complex and irregular - and sometimes triangular and cramped - space logical and convenient. The plans always turn out to be intriguing and unexpected turn. Looks good in apartments like this modern style. Regarding classic interiors, then in the radial version they will look sharper and more original. Don't be afraid of round apartments.

The bedroom and children's room occupied adjacent rooms in the apartment with a large radius curve. From certain angles, the convexity of the walls remains invisible, but the designers still had to adapt the situation to a slight rounding (Photo: Architectural Bureau “Design Technologies”)

Marina Kalinina, chief architect of the architectural bureau "Design Technologies":

— If the radius of the walls is large enough, then the perception of space practically does not change. Problems can only arise when ordering, for example, cabinet furniture adjacent to walls of this configuration. Manufacturers upholstered furniture often adapt to such tasks, and it is possible to find furniture of the desired shape. Other practical nuances - fastening plinths and cornices - can often be solved with a large radius. With a small radius of curvature (so-called bay windows), much more practical problems arise. Such skirting board fastenings most often have to be made to order according to patterns. It is even possible to make radiators using circular patterns. In such cases, it is most comfortable to place in round bay windows either a soft area where sofas smoothly flow around the rounded walls, or a dining room.

Play area in a room with a convex wall (Photo: Architectural Bureau “Design Technologies”)

Irina Grinina, leading designer of the Attic interior design studio:

— If the apartment does not have right angles (and this also happens), then you can forget about the standard assortment: most of the cabinet furniture will have to be made to order. If a loggia or balcony is insulated or windows are replaced, then their cost will be higher than traditional. For renovation work in such an apartment, construction crews will request an amount higher than usual: for example, the percentage of pruning will increase floor coverings, you will have to make connections not at right angles, and so on. As a result, there is an impressive amount that the owner of a round apartment will overpay for “non-standard”. But does this really matter if you are one of the lucky owners of a round apartment? Not everyone can boast of such a layout. And if the work is handled by professionals who think through everything down to the smallest detail and bring it to life, the effect will multiply significantly.

This project interested us from a planning point of view, because... We want a cob house. It practically matches our thoughts and drawings, with minimal adjustments. We need 1-2 more bedrooms, and the winter garden is also a little longer.

Attractive design of a round and spacious thatched house with an area of ​​150 sq.m. The highlight of the house is the winter garden, which constantly refreshes the indoor air and allows you to grow flowers and herbs all year round. The height of the plinth 40 cm is sufficient to protect the thatched walls from moisture in winter and summer, the shape of the roof allows you to place two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor with a spacious 38 m2 hall. The living room on the first floor is combined with the kitchen into a comfortable studio. Large quantity windows provides rooms natural light saving energy all day long, and thick heat-saving walls thanks to round shape They protect heat in winter and cold in summer many times more effectively. Thus, in sunny winter periods the house practically does not need heating.

Total area 150 m2,Living area 78 m2

The absence of right angles allows energy to circulate evenly and not stagnate; a free layout limits us only to the presence central column made from solid logs. Round house, having the smallest compared to rectangular area external walls, allows you to significantly reduce the heat loss of the building. The desire for the sun - the source of vital and thermal energy - inspired people to make maximum use of its power. Designed according to the principles of solar architecture, the house has virtually no windows on the north side, which also allows heat to accumulate during the day. The main highlight of this house is the winter garden attached to the south-west side of the house, which will allow you to have your own green vegetables on the table all year round, and in warmer times it will also be a buffer for heat accumulation and circulation through the rooms.

Layout of a round two-story house

2nd floor of a round house

The estimated cost of construction is $15,000 per 1 square meter.

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Before getting down to business, I want to thank the owner and author of the site, Dmitry Belkin, for interesting and useful communication and the provided platform!

The purpose of the article is the desire to tell readers about my research, experience in the construction and operation of the original “round” country house. I consider it my mission to show that you and I have options and to provide those seeking the right to choose, with which there are certain problems in our time)))

I hope that my materials will be useful and interesting to readers. I will be glad to receive comments and questions. If interest arises, I plan to continue the topic.

Why is the house round?

His idea is as old as time. All authentic buildings of nomadic peoples were, as a rule, round in plan. Wigs, tipis, yurts, igloos, yarangas, etc. - all have a circle at their base, or a polygon imitating it.

Mongolian yurt

Igloo - home of the Eskimos

Tipi or Wigwam - home of the Indians

Also, most religious buildings of different faiths have been equipped with domes from time immemorial.

Christian Cathedral

Dome in the Mosque

Taj Mahal - Mausoleum-Mosque

So much time has passed since then that it is absolutely impossible to reliably understand the reasons that prompted our ancestors to come to rounded shapes. One can only speculate. I'll do them too. And it seems to me that the answers lie on the surface.

Firstly, I believe that in the world around us, many objects are shaped like circles and spheres. And this is connected with the fact that in nature rules rationalism . After all, it is at the circle (or sphere) best regards internal area (volume), to the outer perimeter of a circle (or surface area of ​​a sphere). That is, no other figure can contain more area or volume than a circle or sphere. Man realized this law long before mathematics appeared. Hence the transfer of these forms to one’s everyday life, and in particular to one’s home.

Secondly, such structures, as a rule, unsupported . In the sense that they have no supports except along their perimeter. This is what allowed the ancient builders to create rooms large area, which can accommodate many people at the same time. This is how the first ones appeared public areas. Most likely, such a need arose with the advent of religions. Hence the centuries-old love of religious architecture for domes and their varieties.

And the lack of reliable flooring materials at that time forced architects to make vaulted ceilings and even vaulted window openings. Wrapping it up historical excursion, I will summarize two conclusions that will help you understand the idea of ​​​​"round houses":

Rationalism and Reliability!

I believe that these are excellent reasons to become interested in projects of modern round houses!

Why is it round but not a domed house?

At the beginning of my research, I was interested in domed houses. The most popular type is the geodesic dome.

House - Geodesic Dome

This topic is now fashionable and there is more than enough information on such houses, so I will only describe the reasons why I refused such a house.

Modern life places its own demands on housing. You need a certain set of premises: living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. That is, you need to divide the internal volume of the sphere into rooms, and even floors.

To do this “inside a ball”, where there are no vertical external walls (indeed, there are no walls at all - just a roof) is not an easy task. The traditional solution for domed houses with a diameter of 12 -15 meters looks like this:

The internal space is divided into two parts.

The living room (possibly including a kitchen), with a second light, occupies half of the total volume.

Interior of a domed house. Living room with second light.

I can say that I have no fundamental questions about such a living room. Except, perhaps, for the windows, which are located on the roof and have a triangular shape. In fact, these should be skylights. But roof windows are very expensive and are not produced in this shape. Thus, there are no widespread, ready-made (and therefore inexpensive) solutions for glazing a geodesic dome in our country yet.

Often, dome developers do not pay due attention to this issue, and when it comes to windows, dancing with tambourines begins. These dances are popularly called "collective farm", and do not lead to anything good, with rare, rare exceptions.

The other half of the dome is “cut” into what you cannot live without today: bathrooms, bedrooms, utility rooms, etc. Here again we are faced with the problem of non-vertical walls (and windows too). And if on the first floor, where their slope is not yet great, this is not so critical, then the premises on the second floor, from the point of view of useful space and functionality, are simply a disaster!

Vaulted geodesic dome ceiling on the second floor

Also, such construction comes into serious conflict with the building materials market, which is designed for linear-rectangular objects. This conflict can be overcome, but it leads to higher prices.

So, why such sacrifices? Just because of the original appearance? And why build a round house if there is not a single round room in it?
After thinking like this, I decided that my house must have vertical walls!! This eliminates the problem of non-standard, expensive glazing, and also allows you to join rooms around the perimeter, keeping the shape of the central room round!

This is how my “round house” project was born, which can safely be called original because I generated it myself. Of course, as it turned out a little later, everything had already been invented before me, implemented and can even be bought!!! Later I found projects very similar to mine, and very popular in the USA and Canada. (https://www.mandalahomes.com/, https://www.deltechomes.com/)

Firstly, where are we and where is Canada!
And secondly, “the devil is in the details”!

Coaxial Yurt.

I took Yurta as a basis. This is also a support-free structure, but with vertical walls. Supportlessness is achieved by compensating compression forces with a central compression ring, and tensile forces with belts encircling the yurt around the perimeter.

Yurt. Diagram of forces acting on the frame.

A yurt with a diameter of ~6 m has an area of ​​about 30 sq.m. For me, this was quite enough for a living room combined with a kitchen. I brought all the other necessary premises into “orbit”. They surrounded the central yurt with a closed ring.

Hence the name Coaxial Yurt - i.e. one inside the other.

I wanted the following set of rooms in the house: in addition to the living room, I wanted two bedrooms, one bathroom, a hallway and a storage room. Also, in order not to leave the living room without windows, I planned open terrace under common roof, which the windows would face.

Make the walls round, i.e. I refused to build a cylinder. I decided to simplify it to a polygon at the base. This is much simpler and cheaper to implement. After trying on polygons different order in response to my requests for premises, I came to the conclusion that a decagon would be optimal, or Decagon .

One of my first coaxial sketches.

Sketch of coaxial layout at work.

Implemented planning solutions.

Thus, the Dome House turned into a Yurt, and the Round House turned into a Multifaceted House!!!

Home in numbers

The total area of ​​the house turned out to be around 110 sq.m.
Without terrace - 86 sq.m. One floor.

The area of ​​one trapezoidal segment in the “orbit” is ~ 8 sq.m.
The sides of the trapezoid turned out to be 2, 3 and 4 meters.
I took two of these segments for the bedrooms (16 sq.m. each).

Northern bedroom. View from the entrance.

Northern bedroom.

Entrance to the west bedroom is from the fireplace.

For the bathroom, pantry and hallway - one segment (8 sq.m. each). True, our pantry “accidentally” turned into a fireplace... this happens when you use “sliding design”)))

"Fireplace". The fireplace is gas with a coaxial chimney.

Bathroom. View from the entrance.

Three trapezoids remain for the terrace. (24 sq.m.)

Terrace. Quiet! Rehearsal in progress)

The central living room is ~ 30 sq.m., with a decagon side of 2 meters.