THE STARPLATE CONNECTION

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Would you like to build yourself a small, temporary home for a little more than $1,000?

by Norm Lee

Like so many other home builders, my wife, Sherrie, and I needed a quickly and easily built shelter to live in while our permanent house was being constructed... but we wanted one that was sturdy enough—and of a suitable design—to be used later as a workshop, small barn, or guest house. It had to be inexpensive, since most of our funds had gone into a down payment on our land; but with winter coming on, it also had to be warm and windtight. The question was, what could we put together with these qualifications?

A neighbor's garage, built with Starplate connectors, was our inspiration. After a speculative look at the triangular walls, Sherrie decided that the pentagon-shaped dome (actually a truncated icosahedron having fifteen sides) had potential as a heat-efficient, cozy home with a loft.

Now, the loft idea was intriguing, but, as far as I knew, Starplate buildings weren't designed to be fifteen feet high, allowing for two floors. The eleven steel plates that come in the kit are designed to bolt to the ends of six-foot 2 X 2's or eight-foot 2 X 4's. Could they handle ten-foot 2 X 6's?

We called David Hamel, engineer and inventor of the Starplate connectors (which are now made by United Steel Products of Montgomery, Minnesota), to find out. "Nobody's ever tried building a house with them," he told us. But, we asked, if the roof peak was supported by an oak post, why couldn't it work? "Either that, or run a cable around the eaves to tie the five roof struts together," Hamel suggested. Otherwise, he didn't recommend anything larger than a nine-foot strut. We considered the risks and the options... and decided to go for ten-footers.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Norm and Sherrie were fortunate to live in an area where the building code requirements present few problems. They needed a permit from the town in order to put up a building, and an inspector checked their wiring, but they had no other stringent rules to follow. Whatever you do, check with your local inspector—call the town clerk to find out who the correct official is—before making extensive plans or buying materials.]

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