Albata Domes

Founded in 1997 by Al Burson, Albata Geodesic Dome Systems is backed with 29 years of dome experience.

Albata Domes is a top-notch Provider of affordable Geodesic Dome Kits., great customer support, and prices that can't be beat!

Through our commitment, experience, and expertise Albata Domes has established a business relationship with our customers that will last a lifetime!

We are a small but growing dome company located in the heart of the South-east U. S. with almost 30 years experience in research, designing, planning and building domes. We have devised a unique dome structure that combines the ease of assembly of the standard hub and strut type dome with the added strength of a stressed skin type dome. This gives you a very strong and easy to assemble dome kit that will give you safety, pleasure and savings for years to come. We believe that domes should be affordable and strong, just as Bucky Fuller intended when he made the geodesic dome design available to the world in the 1950's.

With the cost of housing, energy and utilities rates going up almost on a daily basis, each of us needs to do everything we can to take control of our own futures. This is the main reason for our commitment to keeping prices as low as possible and still produce very high quality dome kits to help you offset some of the costs of living, We will always publish our thoughts on the web site to help our customers to budget their homes to suit their needs. We will try to provide all the information we can about our domes, and geodesic domes in general. One of our goals with our web site and our business is to educate.

Domes fascinate me, and have for over 30 years. I was an engineering student in college, when I was first introduced to the geodesic dome. There was not enough about domes in our course work to satisfy my curiosity, so I started what has become a lifetime of research and learning. I have built many different types of domes and other structures in the last twenty-something years.

In that length of time I have seen many dome companies come and go. A lot of them had very good domes to offer, but the prices were way out of line. Domes should save people money, not cost so much that you can't afford them. This is why we urge people to visit other dome sites from the links on the web to see what is available and to compare prices before making such an important decision. We don't spend unnecessary money on fancy printed catalogues and brochures, magazine ads, classified ads, flyers and mass mailings. We are a totally electronic company, a modern E-business. We had much rather provide better quality in our kits than sell paper products. We sincerely hope that you will consider us to help you make your dome home a reality.

"I guess I almost eat, sleep and live domes. I understand the angles and geometry of a dome, and I love it. I get personal satisfaction in seeing one of our domes 'in the air'. I just like the geometry of the struts connecting into patterns, and the aesthetics of a dome, the beauty and spaciousness. Many times at the end of a day of construction, I will sit inside the incomplete dome and just look. I get a feeling of serenity while there that I don't find in any other structure"

Al Burson, Albata Geodesics

THE ALBATA DOME SYSTEM

The "Albata Geodesic Dome System" is a modified stressed skin type design that utilizes the advantages of the "hub and strut" and the stressed skin type of domes. Our connectors (or "hubs" ) are made from 3/4" plywood and have metal alignment brackets to assure proper alignment of all ribs (struts) and makes assembly much easier than some types of connectors. This eliminates the need to have to retighten any connections because of the wood shrinkage problem that could occur when using a metal type connection against a wood component. Since the connectors are wood against wood using lag screws or nails, this problem is nonexistent . Our connectors are made in house using our special jigs and fixtures to exact tolerances. These connectors are much less costly to make since we control the manufacturing of them, and we can pass the savings on to our customers. Each component of the dome shell kit is color coded for identification and ease of assembly.

During assembly the plywood is then glued and "stitched" (nailed) onto the ribs about every three inches all the way around. This is where the stressed skin part comes into play. Plywood is a very strong material when used as a "skin" where the plywood is allowed to absorb most of the stresses of the dome shell. This system provides for a very strong structure utilizing the distributed stress aspects of the dome design. In other words, everything works as one complete unit for the entire dome.

This may sound a little "corny" to some people, and even sound like a "sales pitch", but it is the truth: Our goal is to provide the general public with quality dome kits that are built from hand picked materials and precision cut, with the added bonus of being easy to assemble and economical to purchase. All of our domes, 36' and larger, contain extra cross bracing for added strength and stability. This is part of the kit and does not cost extra. We also include the riser walls, up to six feet in height, with each of our kits. The price of the risers taller than six feet is based on what the additional materials costs us. Again, we pass these savings on to you.

"A dome just says something to me, whether I am outside looking at the shape, but more importantly when I am inside a dome. The size of the dome does not matter, small or large, it has the same effect on me. It brings a sense of calm, and order. I can look at a floor plan of a dome, and then walk through it in my mind, as it will be when finished. When I dream of a dome, I dream in color and light, space and texture. "

Tricia Burson, Albata Geodesics

ADDED BONUS

We have recently teamed up with Mr. John Johnson at Newageco Construction (as mentioned on our front page) and can now offer help in every aspect of dome construction, repairs, and consultation that can be imagined. This is another way that we can assist people in attaining their dome homes. You don't even have to own an Albata Dome for us to be able to help, as we can now provide you with assistance for all types of wooden, and even some concrete domes.

THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVE ARE:

"Why are your domes so much cheaper, or "What have you left out?", or "What is wrong with your domes that they cost so much less than everyone else's?" The answer is simple: Our domes are designed to be built by utilizing standard lengths of lumber with as little waste as possible. All components of our domes are built by us, so we don't have third party vendors to have to contend with. We work very hard to assure that they are built without compromises or cutting any corners on quality. We contain costs by not having fancy brochures, expensive advertising and high overhead. Almost all of our contact with customers is by Email or phone. We are very serious about containing our costs so that the Albata Domes are the best deal available on geodesic domes, anywhere. Just recently we moved into more suitable, and cheaper, quarters. So, we were able to LOWER our prices on almost all our kits. We now offer new options with the PATTERN KIT and the FRAME KIT. These are even further ways to save you money. We do custom floor plans at no extra charge for our COMPLETE KIT packages, and do them at very reasonable prices for the other options. Our kits are designed to use standard window and door units that can be found at almost any local home supply store. We also do not sell any "add - ons" such as dormer packages, extendors, skylights, and triangles window units. We have found that these can be built on site cheaper, or in the case of skylights and windows, be found locally at quite a savings over us shipping them to you. This also allows the customer to have many more custom options than we could ever provide. After all, this is YOUR dome and you should be allowed to build it any way you want, with the options you want, and not be subjected to someones elses set rules, options, or plans. Once the dome shell is up, everything else is basically standard construction.

MY QUESTION IS:

"Why are everyone else's domes so much more expensive?" Obviously we are making a living doing this and if we can do it, then why can't other dome companies do it? I have seen dome kit prices skyrocket over the years and wonder why it is this way. I believe that Buckminster Fuller would be very disappointed at the present state of the dome business, if he were here. It was his intent to provide an economical structure that almost everyone could afford. A small handful of dome companies are trying to control the whole industry with high prices and "their way of doing business".

Well, it is time for a change.

You now have a choice about domes that hasn't been available before. There are some good dome companies out there and that is why we want you to visit the links from the internet and compare prices and options from all the dome companies. Then come back to see us and we will help you save money and provide you with a high quality, safe, economical, energy efficient, wonderful Albata Geodesic Dome Systems dome home.

Main Menu Home Products Services About Us Contact Us Photos		About Us Founded in 1997 by Al Burson, Albata Geodesic Dome Systems is backed with 29 years of dome experience. Albata Domes is a top-notch Provider of affordable Geodesic Dome Kits., great customer support, and prices that can't be beat! Through our commitment, experience, and expertise Albata Domes has established a business relationship with our customers that will last a lifetime! We are a small but growing dome company located in the heart of the South-east U. S. with almost 30 years experience in research, designing, planning and building domes. We have devised a unique dome structure that combines the ease of assembly of the standard hub and strut type dome with the added strength of a stressed skin type dome. This gives you a very strong and easy to assemble dome kit that will give you safety, pleasure and savings for years to come. We believe that domes should be affordable and strong, just as Bucky Fuller intended when he made the geodesic dome design available to the world in the 1950's. With the cost of housing, energy and utilities rates going up almost on a daily basis, each of us needs to do everything we can to take control of our own futures. This is the main reason for our commitment to keeping prices as low as possible and still produce very high quality dome kits to help you offset some of the costs of living, We will always publish our thoughts on the web site to help our customers to budget their homes to suit their needs. We will try to provide all the information we can about our domes, and geodesic domes in general. One of our goals with our web site and our business is to educate. Domes fascinate me, and have for over 30 years. I was an engineering student in college, when I was first introduced to the geodesic dome. There was not enough about domes in our course work to satisfy my curiosity, so I started what has become a lifetime of research and learning. I have built many different types of domes and other structures in the last twenty-something years. In that length of time I have seen many dome companies come and go. A lot of them had very good domes to offer, but the prices were way out of line. Domes should save people money, not cost so much that you can't afford them. This is why we urge people to visit other dome sites from the links on the web to see what is available and to compare prices before making such an important decision. We don't spend unnecessary money on fancy printed catalogues and brochures, magazine ads, classified ads, flyers and mass mailings. We are a totally electronic company, a modern E-business. We had much rather provide better quality in our kits than sell paper products. We sincerely hope that you will consider us to help you make your dome home a reality. "I guess I almost eat, sleep and live domes. I understand the angles and geometry of a dome, and I love it. I get personal satisfaction in seeing one of our domes 'in the air'. I just like the geometry of the struts connecting into patterns, and the aesthetics of a dome, the beauty and spaciousness. Many times at the end of a day of construction, I will sit inside the incomplete dome and just look. I get a feeling of serenity while there that I don't find in any other structure" Al Burson, Albata Geodesics THE ALBATA DOME SYSTEM The "Albata Geodesic Dome System" is a modified stressed skin type design that utilizes the advantages of the "hub and strut" and the stressed skin type of domes. Our connectors (or "hubs" ) are made from 3/4" plywood and have metal alignment brackets to assure proper alignment of all ribs (struts) and makes assembly much easier than some types of connectors. This eliminates the need to have to retighten any connections because of the wood shrinkage problem that could occur when using a metal type connection against a wood component. Since the connectors are wood against wood using lag screws or nails, this problem is nonexistent . Our connectors are made in house using our special jigs and fixtures to exact tolerances. These connectors are much less costly to make since we control the manufacturing of them, and we can pass the savings on to our customers. Each component of the dome shell kit is color coded for identification and ease of assembly. During assembly the plywood is then glued and "stitched" (nailed) onto the ribs about every three inches all the way around. This is where the stressed skin part comes into play. Plywood is a very strong material when used as a "skin" where the plywood is allowed to absorb most of the stresses of the dome shell. This system provides for a very strong structure utilizing the distributed stress aspects of the dome design. In other words, everything works as one complete unit for the entire dome. This may sound a little "corny" to some people, and even sound like a "sales pitch", but it is the truth: Our goal is to provide the general public with quality dome kits that are built from hand picked materials and precision cut, with the added bonus of being easy to assemble and economical to purchase. All of our domes, 36' and larger, contain extra cross bracing for added strength and stability. This is part of the kit and does not cost extra. We also include the riser walls, up to six feet in height, with each of our kits. The price of the risers taller than six feet is based on what the additional materials costs us. Again, we pass these savings on to you. "A dome just says something to me, whether I am outside looking at the shape, but more importantly when I am inside a dome. The size of the dome does not matter, small or large, it has the same effect on me. It brings a sense of calm, and order. I can look at a floor plan of a dome, and then walk through it in my mind, as it will be when finished. When I dream of a dome, I dream in color and light, space and texture. " Tricia Burson, Albata Geodesics ADDED BONUS We have recently teamed up with Mr. John Johnson at Newageco Construction (as mentioned on our front page) and can now offer help in every aspect of dome construction, repairs, and consultation that can be imagined. This is another way that we can assist people in attaining their dome homes. You don't even have to own an Albata Dome for us to be able to help, as we can now provide you with assistance for all types of wooden, and even some concrete domes. THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVE ARE: "Why are your domes so much cheaper, or "What have you left out?", or "What is wrong with your domes that they cost so much less than everyone else's?" The answer is simple: Our domes are designed to be built by utilizing standard lengths of lumber with as little waste as possible. All components of our domes are built by us, so we don't have third party vendors to have to contend with. We work very hard to assure that they are built without compromises or cutting any corners on quality. We contain costs by not having fancy brochures, expensive advertising and high overhead. Almost all of our contact with customers is by Email or phone. We are very serious about containing our costs so that the Albata Domes are the best deal available on geodesic domes, anywhere. Just recently we moved into more suitable, and cheaper, quarters. So, we were able to LOWER our prices on almost all our kits. We now offer new options with the PATTERN KIT and the FRAME KIT. These are even further ways to save you money. We do custom floor plans at no extra charge for our COMPLETE KIT packages, and do them at very reasonable prices for the other options. Our kits are designed to use standard window and door units that can be found at almost any local home supply store. We also do not sell any "add - ons" such as dormer packages, extendors, skylights, and triangles window units. We have found that these can be built on site cheaper, or in the case of skylights and windows, be found locally at quite a savings over us shipping them to you. This also allows the customer to have many more custom options than we could ever provide. After all, this is YOUR dome and you should be allowed to build it any way you want, with the options you want, and not be subjected to someones elses set rules, options, or plans. Once the dome shell is up, everything else is basically standard construction. MY QUESTION IS: "Why are everyone else's domes so much more expensive?" Obviously we are making a living doing this and if we can do it, then why can't other dome companies do it? I have seen dome kit prices skyrocket over the years and wonder why it is this way. I believe that Buckminster Fuller would be very disappointed at the present state of the dome business, if he were here. It was his intent to provide an economical structure that almost everyone could afford. A small handful of dome companies are trying to control the whole industry with high prices and "their way of doing business". Well, it is time for a change. You now have a choice about domes that hasn't been available before. There are some good dome companies out there and that is why we want you to visit the links from the internet and compare prices and options from all the dome companies. Then come back to see us and we will help you save money and provide you with a high quality, safe, economical, energy efficient, wonderful Albata Geodesic Dome Systems dome home.
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