demaerre / Getty Images You could forget the box and opt for a dome home, like Solaleya’s Domespace model shown here. “Our designs are guided by nature’s spontaneous proportions (the Golden Number: 1.618) to enhance structural strength and promote a sense of well being,” claims the Solaleya website. “Think of a soap bubble,” explains Timberline Manufacturing Inc., another maker of geodesic dome kits. “A sphere represents the smallest amount of material surface area needed to enclose a given volume of space…The lower the total outside surface area (walls and ceilings) the greater the efficiency in energy use for heating and cooling. A dome has approximately one-third less surface area to the outside than a box-style structure.” Geodesic domes and other space-frame structures are often sold as kits, with prefabricated panels and pre-cut and pre-drilled numbered and color-coded parts. As they say, assembly is required. When you get the “first draft” of the plans for your new home, go over them thoroughly and make sure everything fits together geometrically. Know how to read house plans, and question any empty spaces that you just can’t visualize. Mint Images - Tim Pannell / Getty Images Halfpoint / Getty Images Save money by doing your homework. Who would have thought you’d have more homework all your life?
