About Geo Domes

Creating premium accommodation
in Lake Hawea

Sarah and Richard Burdon believe that accommodation is more than a place to lay your head, it has to be a fun, enjoyable and immersive experience.

Sarah and Richard are also passionate foodies, wine lovers and story tellers and their goal, having being in tourism for a few years, was to create a basecamp where you could stay, explore and share experiences with people over good food and wine. Et voila, Cross Hill Lodge & Domes was born.

They had looked at a number of options to create unique, premium accommodation for their hunting guests and other guests, but the geodesic dome concept won out in the end for all the right reasons. Over the decades, domes have been successfully employed as relief tents, festival structures and winter shelters along with their extensive use as wilderness accommodation. Growing in popularity is geo domes as tiny homes and permanent homes for people across the globe.

Pacific Geo Domes - sustainable and design-led

The chosen domes were sustainable, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and the company that supplied them, Pacific Domes in Ashland Oregon had values that reflected what Cross Hill meant for the Burdons.

“As one of the original manufacturers of geodesic domes worldwide, they had explored and developed the qualities and award-winning building standard that made them ideal for New Zealand conditions”, Sarah said.

“The big windows are amazing, going from the floor to ceiling, more or less.  What this does is bring the outside in and once the planting is established you will get the feeling that you are surrounded by nature.

“The dramatic mountain skyline to your left reminds you that you are on the edge of the mountains.  The sky provides you with the temperament of the weather in real time and due to our Island geography, this changes all the time”, adds Sarah.

Creatings connections to the outside world

Richard and Sarah stayed in the same geo domes during a trip to the Highlands of Tanzania and were sold on the concept there and then.

“We thought they were amazing, relatively simple and connected people with the outside even though they were sheltered inside.

“It’s important to be able to walk around the whole dome to get that feeling of being in a circle with no corners and that is why the bathroom is in the middle of the room.  It also means that one person can get out of bed and go to the bathroom, get changed without disturbing the other person apart from providing a cup of tea in the super king size bed to watch the view.”

World-class design

The design elements and materials also made the domes more environmentally friendly than other buildings and more energy efficient for heating. Equipped with a gas fire and heat pumps the climate control is completed by a solar fan that lets air in and out when temperatures reach 75 F.

Equipped with a fully operational bathroom and quality furnishings, each of the six domes at Cross Hill have a 40sqm interior with a 30sqm deck. The domes are sited in a quiet, private area of The Camp, which has been home to camping and glamping since the 1970s, with The Cross Hill Lodge exclusively available for Cross Hill Dome guests to use.

Visitors have the option of enjoying the tranquillity of their dome during the day and also wandering down and exploring The Camp if they’re feeling in a social frame of mind or hanging out at The Lodge, exclusively for Cross Hill guests.

Pacific Domes – the concept

On the Pacific Dome site, their history explains the science behind their success:

In 1970, when R. Buckminster Fuller received a gold medal for his development of the geodesic dome, the American Institute of Architects called it “the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space yet known to man.”

Indeed, the spherical form of the dome is composed of triangular facets, which can withstand pressure on all sides. Fuller discovered that a sphere created with triangles could have unparalleled strength.

Domes are a true example of “doing more with less.” A dome encloses the largest volume of interior space with the least amount of surface area, thus saving on materials and cost. Since a dome is free-standing, air and energy circulate without obstruction, enabling natural heating and cooling.

We have expanded upon Fuller’s discoveries for over 40 years. Our construction team has tested the inherent strength of the dome with artful skill and precision. Our clients trust that we are providing the most reliable, portable and energy efficient structures.

Generating energy and cosmic connections

Along with the physical elements, consider the cosmic connection outlined here…

“Living in a dome will generate a conscious field which supports the evolution of the soul. This ancient science is called Vaastu. Each dome has a different energetic quality, much like tuning a musical instrument; each subtle sound generated in a dome has a specific aspect of divine consciousness.”

“The structure of the Vaastu inspired dome vibrates with cosmic energy and the bodily instrument resonates with this vibration. To create and offer a home of supreme bliss, and to enable us to experience that supreme bliss, here in this mundane house itself, these are the prime motives of Vaastu science”. Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati

The Beehive giant geo dome

Visitors to ‘The Beehive,’ the super events dome spanning 120 square metres with a 6.7-metre-high ceiling, will certainly provide the unique acoustic qualities these structures are known for. With capacity for 150 people, the space provides the perfect venue for weddings, special events, groups and wellness and corporate retreats.

Experiencing a nights’ sleep in a geo dome is something everyone should do, to experience the night sky, the curvature of the angles, a cocooned feeling and nature almost at your fingertips.