Not only is this dome house made of natural materials totally adorable, it was built for just $8,000 in a mind-boggling six weeks. Builder Steve Areen designed and built his home on an organic mango farm in Thailand. With its rounded doors and overall shape, all this dome home needs is a little more grass on the roof and it’ll be like a tropical hobbit house.
The speed of the building process was certainly aided by the fact that Thailand doesn’t require building permits, but it’s also largely due to the ease of working with earth plaster over locally made bricks. The home also measures just 500 square feet, which is a lot smaller than most Americans are accustomed to, but cozy and livable.
Photos of the Dome House reveal a warm and inviting space with roof cutouts that bring in natural lighting, and lots of custom details like built-in surfaces. The experience of building his own home has led Areen to start building similar homes for others; find out more at his website.
Intrigued by the idea of building your own natural, low-cost home? Learn about seven ways to be your own designer and contractor with eco-friendly materials like cob, cordwood, straw bales and earth bags. Many of these green building techniques make it easy to create a custom getaway that’s tailored to your needs, down to every last detail.

