Ever dreamed of living in a galaxy far, far away? A custom-built home in Ottawa might be the closest you can get to living in the "Star Wars" universe, with a hut-like design similar to that of Luke Skywalker's Tatooine home in "A New Hope."
At a listing price of $439,900, the so-called "dome home" features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, curved walls, high ceilings (higher in the middle), and 1,600 square metres of land. Current owner Ray Moulton built it 10 years ago, using a monolithic dome design that makes it disaster-resistant, cool in the summer and energy-efficient, in addition to looking like it was plucked off the surface of a desert planet.
The house is located on a rural road relatively close to the bright centre of the Canadian universe (i.e. the capital of Ottawa), although if you need to go to Toshi Station to pick up some power converters, it'll be a bit of a trip.
Ray Moulton says the interconnected domes that constitute the home remind him of something out of "Star Wars." "It also reminds me of hobbits and other fantasy-type stories too," he told CTV Ottawa. "I like the space," he added.
Moulton says the home was built to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, while using relatively few materials. "The amount of concrete that goes into building this dome would be comparable to what would be put into a typical basement," he said.
Realtor Joanne Beaton said the dome home is a bit tough to describe to potential buyers. "It's very hard to put words to it," she said. "You really need to experience it."
Monolithic domes are popular in the American Southwest, but they're rarely used for home designs in Canada – perhaps because it may be annoying to arrange furniture in a round home.
Still, that didn't seem to bother Luke Skywalker or Obi Wan Kenobi.
So if you fancy sharing a meal of blended cabbage and blue milk with your family in your very own desert hut, the Ottawa dome home might be the perfect real estate purchase for you.
