Circular homes are having a renaissance. From inflatable concrete shelters to earthen superadobe domes and traditional adobe roundhouses, curved structures promise strength, energy efficiency, and resilience in a hotter, stormier world. Their geometry sheds wind, holds heat, and uses fewer materials than boxy buildings. They also just feel better, as bed-“womb” builder Hassan Fathy always said.

But there’s one practical concern that consistently comes up when readers explore these climate-smart homes: How do you put flat windows into round walls?

Curved architecture may be ancient, but modern living still expects views, ventilation, and natural light. Fortunately, builders have developed elegant, low-tech solutions that work across materials and climates. Here’s a guide to the most effective ways to fit windows into round or dome-shaped homes.

Create a Flat “Window Buck” Inside the Curve

This is the most common method used in superadobe domes, monolithic domes, inflatable concrete houses, and even straw bale roundhouses. A window buck is a rigid, rectangular insert made from wood, steel, or composite. It’s placed into the wall while the dome or roundhouse is being built.

How it works: Construct a strong rectangular frame the size of your chosen window. Anchor it to rebar, mesh, or the foundation. Build your curved wall—earthbags, adobe, or sprayed concrete—snugly around the frame. Install a standard flat window once the wall cures.

Why builders use it: It interrupts the curve just enough to create a flat surface without weakening the dome. Standard windows fit perfectly, and the buck acts like a structural anchor.

Shape an Arched or Vaulted Opening (The Classic Adobe Method)

In traditional Middle Eastern and North African adobe buildings, window openings are shaped as arches carved into thick earthen walls. The windowpane stays flat, but the curved walls taper gracefully toward it.

Benefits: The arch distributes structural loads evenly. No lintels needed, reducing cracking. Creates deep, shaded window wells—excellent for cooling in desert climates. Ideal for passive solar design. This method is especially beautiful in hand-plastered homes and pairs well with natural finishes.

Add a Mini Flat Section or Buttress for the Window

Curved homes don’t need to be perfectly round. Builders often create a subtle flat segment or “mini buttress” — just wide enough for a window. This technique is common in eco-resorts in Sinai, Jordan, and Portugal that want the sculptural look of domes but the convenience of standard glazing. Why it works: It’s simple, avoids complex carpentry or brick work, and creates a stable vertical plane for installation without disrupting the overall geometry.

Install Circular or Porthole-Style Windows

Some builders embrace the curve by choosing round or oval windows. These are custom-builds, and more expensive options generally. Plastic windows, with tints, may be found in home and dome kits for a reduced fee.

Where you’ll see them: Inflatable concrete bunkers, monolithic domes, tiny eco-homes, storm-resistant shelters and in barrel sauna. They eliminate the need for a flat insert and can withstand extreme wind. Repurposed marine portholes are surprisingly popular thanks to their durability and charm.

Round homes ask us to rethink building conventions. Their curves offer comfort, efficiency, and surprising strength—but they require intentional window design. Whether you’re building in the desert, forest, or city fringe, one of these solutions will fit your climate, materials, and aesthetic.

The post How flat windows work on round and dome-shaped rooms appeared first on Green Prophet.

Maybe you were raised on Teletubbies or fell in love with Hobbits? You too can have a curved, green-roof home as a backyard home for AirBNB or for your in-laws. Maybe it will be your first home and you want to make it a tiny home and green. Meet Wonderful Structures, a US company that supplies the framework upon which you can build a hobbit home. A build can be done in as little as 3 days, according to the company formerly known as Magic Homes.

Related: the Hobbit home set for demolition

Imagine a 400-square-foot tiny home with a low carbon footprint, nestled in the earth making it energy efficient to boot but with the convenience of a conventional house?

Vanlife made sense 10 years ago when global nomadism first took hold, but with a Starlink and an off grid parcel of land, true off-grid and efficient living is possible with Wonderful Structures.

The company manufactures prefabricated vaulted panels to be covered with soil so you can live in a Tolkienesque building you might be able to build yourself. Check your local building codes of course before you order.

Below are some photos of the construction process.

Can anyone build such a home anywhere? The company says: “Our technology features an innovative construction system designed to meet various standards for earthquake resistance, wind loads, and fire safety, making it eligible for approval worldwide.

“We recommend consulting your local building department to understand the specific requirements in your area. Additionally, standard construction permits will be needed for your project.”

::Wonderful Structures

The post Build a green-roofed Hobbit home in 3 days appeared first on Green Prophet.

Binishells are a fast-made construction made by inflating a gigantic neoprene bladder then covering this balloon in a thin coat of reinforced spray-on concrete. The technique developed in the 60s by an Italian architect could be a great solution to urban and rural housing in southern United States and Mediterranean regions.

Concrete isn’t considered an environmental material (see the problem with concrete mining here) but perhaps the technique of creating a sort of paper mache with concrete sprayed on an inflatable surface could have applications in vernacular building thinking and the use of more natural materials.

How Binishells are created: architect Nicoló Bini starts with a two-dimensional shape on the ground, then adds wooden a form around an air bladder and reinforced steel rebar, and then places concrete that sets and slowly rises from the ground.

Some installations of this technique can cost only $3500 for a tiny home, posing a solution to a housing crisis.

The Italian-born, Australia-raised Bini started doing high-end work for Usher and Cara Delevingne but then grabbed onto an idea started by his Italian father which is now seen in seaside celebrity retreat or in disaster-area shelters that he has suggested for Pakistan and Ukraine and to protect Bedouin desert dwellers.

His father Dante Bini built some 1,600 Binishells globally making him the most prolific dome builder in the world. It’s a mode of building that sits well with Middle East and western sensibilities.

Among his projects are a cave-like bungalow in Malibu, custom-built for Robert Downey Jr. and his wife.

Fit for a Hobbit or the Jetsons or the Flintstones, this home was built with spray-on concrete and with advances in 3D printing we assume these structures could be built more quickly and safely using AI and current modeling software.

If you look to nature it’s not easy finding squares and sharp angles. Nature loves curves and shells for protection and for homes.

Binishells can be quickly erected with locally sourced materials and a minimum of specialized tools. Darin Olien, the wellness guru and producer/co-star (with Zac Efron) of the Netflix series Down to Earth is also planning on purchasing a Binishell home which will go further than the Downey home; it will operate off the grid.

Celebrities have the resources and money to try experimental buildings as they often have multiple homes and go for showstoppers for wowing the world. But Binishells, if made with earthen materials could give livable and loveable homes as envisioned by architects like Hassan Fathy.

Given that concrete does not do well in extreme cold climates like Canada where freezing and thawing in rapid succession would crack the concrete, this could be a good alternative in Mediterranean cities. Better yet, build the homes with surfaces so at the end of life the concrete can be thrown into the sea for coral reef restoration.

::Binishells

The post Binishell dome homes from sprayed concrete could cost $3500 a home appeared first on Green Prophet.

Located 8km from downtown Siwa Oasis, the Freedom Farm House is listed on AirBnB for $133 a night. That’s a lot compared to the hostel/hotel I use when I’m there, which costs more like $15 a night with all the trimmings, but I am notoriously broke and cheap. (Update 2024 – the listing is no longer on AirBnB).

For people who have a bit more money and a family, this little gem has no corners and a giant tree marks the nucleus of one of the chalets, the “umbrella room, which has a bamboo ceiling, a living area, and an upstairs bedroom with spectacular views of the surrounding dunes.

It seems like they might not have had many hits so far since there has been little activity on their page, but they should. At least we think so. New York City on the other hand would probably fine the smithereens out of the family who listed the place since they are essentially running an informal hotel (illegal hotel in legalese.)

The buildings looks like a traditional earthen Siwa home that cross-pollinated with a Khalili-esque dome house.

Speaking of trimmings, no place I’ve ever been in Siwa has offered breakfast, water, a telescope, fireplace, desert walks and access to ATVs as part of the deal, which is the same regardless of the number of people who show up. Get a crowd together, and this place is practically free.

It takes some perseverance to get to Siwa, which lies just east of Libya. Either a long bus or car ride from Cairo, the journey is worth every dust spec, every extra freckle from the sun, and every mile of desert scenery.

The Middle East is very unlikely to see any changes to its AirBnB policies. Here people have bigger worries, like how are we going to save Syria from total destruction and the hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced as a result of this awful war?

Meanwhile, at least at this round farm house, it’s still possible to feel free.

Update: In 2024 we looked for the listing and couldn’t find it but AirBnB has a wide range of low cost and attractive options for Siwa, should you like to visit the Eco Lodge Siwa Oasis hotel featured above, click here.

The post Visit the Round Freedom Farm House in the Siwa Oasis, Egypt appeared first on Green Prophet.