12.26.2011

Circle Dwellings


I live in a circular house.  Well actually it's a dodecagon (12-sided).  When we were building it, the kids HAD to know what a 12 sided structure is called, so we looked it up.

The circle is the most common and resource-efficient shape in the universe.  It's also an inherently strong shape, as is evident by its wide use in the building of storage tanks, train cars, grain bins, rockets, etc.  

So why not live in one?  Perhaps the question should be, "Why live in anything else?" 

Take a look back in history and you will find that what we commonly think of as a 'typical' dwelling is only a relatively recent development in housing.  When humans began building shelter for themselves, it's possible that they were simply imitating other creatures or observing what already existed in nature.  The circular shape was easy to make.  Structural supports could be made to support each other and skins or grasses could easily be laid over the shape. Wind and rain resistance could readily be obtained without corners to cover and seal.

Round or polygonal (many-sided) buildings were used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, through medieval and Renaissance Italy, in Russia, northern Europe and into colonial America. Thomas Jefferson and Frank Lloyd Wright were among the many in more recent times who favored this building shape.

A building's shape is reported by energy experts to be the first important factor affecting energy consumption. A round building has about ten percent less wall area exposed to the elements than a square building of equal floor area. The savings approach fifteen percent when comparing a round to a rectangular shape of equal area. A round building's reduced wall area means additional savings when you consider that ten to fifteen percent less exterior wall needs to be paid for and built initially. The same applies to the foundation walls and footings required. Taking all into account, savings in initial building costs and future energy costs can be substantial.

Why don't we see more round dwellings?   It takes a bit of thinking outside the box (pun intended) to come up with a good design for the interior rooms in a circular building.  But there are some great designs out there.  Circular homes are perfect for you if you like open floor plans and efficient use of space. 


 

 




12.19.2011

The Power of the Circle

Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle.  The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power whirls.  Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.  The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle.  The moon does the same and both are round.  Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were.  The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.  Our tepees were round like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop.
~Chief Black Elk of the Oglala Sioux, 1863-1950 

12.18.2011

Welcome!

First post on this new blog!  Where to begin...

Circle.  I looked up the word online in the Merriam Webster free online dictionary.  Quite a few meanings were listed there.  Ring.  Halo.  The orbit of a celestial body.  An area of action or influence.  Cycle, round.  

Probably my favorite definition:  A group of persons sharing a common interest or revolving about a common center.

Think about how many circles you are a part of in your everyday life.  Work.  Family.  Church.  What are the common threads?  

Lots to think about.

The name of this blog, All My Life's A Circle, comes from a Harry Chapin song.  There are lots of references to the "Circle of Life" in art, in music.  But Harry sums it up best, in my opinion:

All my life's a circle
Sunrise and sundown
The moon rolls through the night time
Til the daybreak comes around

So many circles to be explored...