This Off Grid Dome on an Island is a Dreamy Place to Live
Mark and Chris are two friends who built this amazing off-grid Dome, located on Gambier Island in BC, Canada. The two free skiers met back in 1999 and are best friends ever since. One day camping at Gambier Island, they realized that the ocean offered so much abundance with sea life, fishing, crabbing, prawning – and thought: "Hey, we've been in the mountains for 20 years, maybe we should try something new!". Hence was born the idea of Concept Neverland.
They managed to get a small spot of land for only $155K at a time where the market was at its lowest. Off-grid living had been something both were thinking about, which is why they already had built that same dome up in the mountains first. However, as they ended up using it only a couple of weeks a year, they thought it wasn't getting enough used for how rad of a structure it was. When they got the spot of land at Gambier Island, they moved the dome there and created the project Concept Neverland. Their device: using imagination, being creative, letting loose of all the connections to society, go barefoot and run free. “Neverland” came from the idea that Peter Pan set out: You're free to be young forever. Many people want to experience this way of living and Mark and Chris created a place where this is possible.
To get to their spot on Gambier Island, a private boat brings them to “Concept Neverland Beach”. First thing that jumps into one's eye is an old-fashioned flaw foot tub, out of cast iron, which they found online for free. Fire can be lit up underneath to warm up sea-water one can put inside with a jug. At the same rocky beach they also put a rooftop tent that is fully insulated, giving people the opportunity to chill and sleep at the beach. One of the guys' most recent developments is a small pizza oven which they call "The poor man's Pizza oven". It cost them $80 to make it out of paving stones and cooks a pizza in three minutes.
The dome is further up the hill. It is a dome from the brand Pacific Domes, from Oregon, and has a 24 foot diameter with 14 foot ceilings. The reason they went for the dome structure is that back up in the mountains, this kind of constructions handled snow and wind perfectly. The whole scturcture is built a bit above ground and its underside is insulated with spray foam. The dome deck is made up of 15 pie pieces – everything easily removable and packable for if they were to relocate the round house. Outside, they have a couple of portable electric solar panels, which's 400W go into a 2KW battery generator. When they have full sun, the panels charge the whole battery in six and a half hours. The dome is already 8 years old, traveled to four different locations and is holding up very well – the guys even say it's getting better inside every year.
Right outside the dome, they built an outhouse – of course with view onto the ocean. It is a simple composting toilet with a 55 gallon tank and maple chips besides to cover up one's business. And last but not least, right in front of the dome: an incredible wood-fired hot tub built by their good friend Ryan Markham. It has an external external stove, so that within 15-20 minutes of getting a fire going, hot water rises. The Insulated liner and a lid hold the heat and if the fire gets going even a little bit, the water stays hot all day long.
Even more up the hill, Mark and Chris installed a Yurt they got second hand from the Pemberton Music Festival, calling it now "The Raven's Nest". Worth $20K new, they got it for $5K and upcycled it. It came with the floor package which is an inch and a half ply wood, on the same foundation off-the ground as the Dome. They're still working on it but the plan is to make it as cozy as the dome and to even build a patio in front of it.
One of the greatest thing about the location is the ocean view. Inside the dome, The sofas are positioned in a way that there will always be a view of the sea. The whole space is nice and open and even though it's only 24 square feet, the vaulted ceilings make it feel much more spacious. The outer skin is made of vinyl, plus reflectix liner and then the inner liner – this installation helps immensely with keeping out summer heat as well as with retaining heat in winter. In one "corner" is the kitchen zone: stashing plates, bowls, cutlery, pots pans. Right now they get the water from a creek and put it into a tank with a simple hand pump on top. The creek runs alongside the property and Chris installed a DIY line that gets some of the water until the dome. The cook top is operating on propane. Beside the kitchen are some shelves with all of their tools, a small book section and some other stuff as they try to keep themselves as organized as possible within the limited space.
In the middle of the sofa setting, Chris and Mark installed a nice Lofey stove they found for $400 on Craiglist, it creates a very cozy heat when needed. In the middle of their living room, the friends also installed some swinging rings, because what's cooler than to swing around in the living room?! Wooden stairs lead upstairs to the loft, where there are a queen size and a double bed with two small, round windows above that let in some light. One of Mark's friends, a builder, had reclaimed all of the materials for the loft from a house renovation and built it for them. The loft's floor is out of Plexiglas, so that the light would also reach the area underneath it. Another key component of the Dome: the disco ball. Put a headlamp underneath it and the dome gets taken to the next level!
The plan is for Concept Neverland to evolve and grow another three acres, as the territory is full of nooks, crannies and spots to continue to grow. But Chris and Mark also want a place where they can sustain themselves, cultivating an orchard, greenhouse, garden and produce their own energy in order to be able to live comfortably and happily.
The best friends, both turning 40 now, consider being at a pivotal moment in their lives, where they can either continue living the same life and get comfortable for the next 40 years, or restart again somewhere else, diversifying their experience as much as possible.
Watch the full video here!
