building a geodesic dome just got a whole lot easier thanks to hubs

building a geodesic dome just got a whole lot easier thanks to hubs
all images courtesy of hubs

building a dome is a semi-complicated pursuit typically reserved for technically-apt. aside from their difficulty, most look a bit cold, unfriendly, and also very out of place in the natural environment. ‘hubs’ bridges the gap, and provides a way for children, home-builders, and whoever else to create their own, mathematically-accurate structure. chris jordan and mike paisley — the creators of ‘hubs’ — started developing the product over three years ago.

prototype 6-way hub, SLS 3D printed

the team was in the process of building a dome, and like any true do-it-yourselfers, were doing so as cheaply and unprepared as possible. well, eventually they finished, but in the end thought, ‘surely, couldn’t this be a lot easier?’ dozens of iterations later, the first prototype of ‘hubs’ was born using a solidoodle 3D printer back in 2012. eventually, with help from johnathan rowley at london’s digits2widgets, they possessed a nearly finished form and were one step closer to being ready for production.

‘hubs’ concept is simple, and for anyone who grew up with k’nex, pretty familiar. the small, modular object acts as a connection point for a series of five/six rods. working like any ball joint, the ball piece screws into a piece of lumber, and then pops directly into the main hub. from there, it’s merely repetition. raising a basic structure takes about 10-15 minutes — with all materials on hand — and for the less technical; a semi-guided team of two boys built one fully within half an hour.

‘hubs’ dome 

compatibility with any type of wood results in a finished dome that looks natural, and much more complementary to garden spaces than a metal or plastic option. it also allows for easy altering. simply cut or find a larger piece of wood, and the dome can adjust to any size needed. to gather funds for injection-moulding, ‘hubs’ was launched on kickstarter. now, just over a week later, the project has surpassed its goal by over £4,000GBP. for more information, or to get in on kickstarter pricing, check out the campaign here. 

construction is simple and quick 

a dome can be fully built in anywhere from ten to 30 minutes 

construction 

garden space 

with netting for enclosed mini-farm

connector prototype detail 

‘hubs mini’ uses plastic straws for miniature mock ups or class room use 

‘hubs mini’ dome 

possible uses 

the builder determines the size of the dome: flexible angles allow the structure to be adapted 

‘hubs’ makes building a dome simple and economical 

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designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom