I'm Considering a New Office ...

... and instead of a larger camper, I'm considering something like this:

That particular one is $665 at Amazon, but I may just work out the parts list and hit Lowe's if I think it will save significant money. It works out to about 163 square feet, so more spacious than my little pop-up (117 square feet, but that includes the popout bed spaces -- the actual floor space is only about 55 square feet). This would have plenty of room for bookcases, etc. without feeling cramped.

Of course, the dome is not the only cost. I'd need to come up with some kind of deck/flooring scheme. Probably just a flat deck made of pressure-treated 2x6s, sealed, and some rugs for the inside floor.

If I don't buy one of these pre-made ones with a clear PVC cover, I'll have to figure out a way of covering it, and if I do go with something like this one, I'll want to paint it except for a "skylight" up top, and perhaps a window or two.

Then a number of sheets (I haven't calculated it yet) of foam board insulation that I'll cut to fit the triangles inside the cover, and another paint job, this time on the inside.

And if I'm going to do this, I might as well do an 800-watt solar system -- panels, charge controller, battery, inverter -- at the same time, so call that another $1500.

I suspect I'm looking at $2,500-$3,000 dollars.

If necessary, I might wait on the solar setup to keep initial costs down and just keep using an extension cord/UPS setup for a little while, but it would be really nice to have the place be independent except for plumbing.

In fact, I suppose I COULD buy and assemble the dome, use it for storage or whatever (a greenhouse even!), then build the deck and move the dome onto it later. That modular approach would save me money if I decided before moving office into it that I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

Not included in the costs above would be, over time, installing a mini-fridge, coffee brewer, etc. Usually if I go in the main house during working hours, it's to grab a soda or snack, and that would cut down on the trips back and forth. I'd also probably keep an eye out at thrift stores for a curved instead of rectangular desk to optimize the space a little more.

I've always thought geodesic domes are cool, so this sounds like a fun project ... as long as I can make the case to myself that it will be useful enough to justify the cost, work, and time investment.