Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day, everyone!!!

You're probably wondering why in the heck I'm celebrating the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter on an environmental blog.

Well, because great awesomeness and joy that ensues when you eat a pie on Pi Day, of course!

Sure, it's cheesecake... but that's kind of a pie, right?

But even if we ignore that very obvious fact, circles are important when it comes to environmental responsibility.

No, they really are.

Ok, I get that it sounds like I'm just coming up with an excuse... mainly because I am (I love Pi Day!), but circles really are valuable in terms of energy efficiency.

A while back, I mentioned dome structures.  Eco-domes, like the ones in the concept photo (below) by Miguel of biocasasostenibles, are energy efficient in many ways.

His design is vaguely reminiscent of Tatooine's structures, no?
Awesomeness!

Most obviously, eco-domes tend to be small, and with extraordinarily thick walls.  But the circular structure is really what makes them so much more awesome than your standard green building.

See, the round design causes air to bounce off the walls in a predictable manner, circulating it throughout the building.  Using your heater, therefore, circulates warm air throughout, keeping it constant.  Obviously, the same goes for cool air.  Let energy is used to keep a comfortable temperature.

Efficiency.  All because of that beautiful pi.

But don't take my word for it.  I discovered a geodesic dome company that can show you in a much much eloquent manner... complete with the math to go along with it.

Good Karma Domes creates homes with this concept firmly in place.  They even have a page that specifically talks about the science behind their geodesic homes (in layman's terms), as well as some of the math involved.

And, yes.  They use Pi.

The homes are pretty inexpensive, as well.  Having fun, doing my own thing, plugging numbers into their estimator, I created a home with all the frills for around $40,000.  That's complete with me standing around and watching them do all the major work.  Nice!

Check them out!  Or, go to Miguel's biocasasosentibles, where you can get an in depth look at what he did, as well as design downloads so that you can really get into it.

Seriously.  His site rocks.  
(That was a pun... Commence laughing... he's a geologist.)

Just be sure to have a translation tool handy if you don't speak Spanish, since that's the language it's written in.

Now go have a great Pi Day!!!  I know I will.