By LAWRENCE TAN

Lest you think aliens have landed and set up residence on Earth, these dome-shaped extraterrestrial-looking homes have been around for 20 years now.

The brainchild of Patrick Marsilli, who built his first dome in 1988, Marsilli then started his own company Domespace Homes, which has since gone on to build more than 130 of these domes in France, and around the world. 

More than just a futuristic design, these domes are conceptualized to serve a more noble purpose. The domes are constructed using FSC-certified wood, and insulated with cork. The hemispherical roof features skylights that allow natural lighting to bathe the interiors.

Solar panels on the roof capture solar energy which can be harnessed for the home’s energy needs, and the best part is, there’s a mechanical structure at the base of the house that gently rotates the dome 360 degrees to maximize absorption of sunlight.

Like the dome’s facade, the interiors are mostly made out of wood, with an open concept layout built around a centralized floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

Marsilli’s domes have been proven to withstand category 5 hurricanes and earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8 (which corresponds to a “Damaging” status) measured on the 12-tiered MSK Scale. These domes are now available in the United States exclusively through Solaleya.

All pictures are taken from Domespace International

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via Inhabitat