"Professional Dome Plans is a book for builders, not dreamers. If you're planning to construct your own dome, the detailed shop drawings and terse suggestions will be well worth the asking price.* As Hill dryly remarks, when describing his penchant for rounding dimensions to the nearest thirty-second of an inch, ‘This level of accuracy may seem extreme, but it’s my experience that people are capable of making all the necessary mistakes without help from sloppy dimensions'."

"Mother Earth News" January, 1990 

* The comment that it's "well worth the asking price" reflects the original 1990 price of $34.95. Regrettably, we are unable to continue to develop and deliver the plans for that price. A personal license is now $54.95 for unlimited personal use and a commercial license is $184.95 plus a modest royalty.

"Anyone who has ever been intimidated by the desire to build a geodesic dome will be relieved to know that the cavalry has arrived. A recent publication from Jeffrey Hill of Precision Structures, Oregon, titled Professional Dome Plans, has brought the other-worldly science of building geodesic domes down to earth where it belongs — firmly within the abilities of the do-it-yourselfer.

Beginning with a few explanatory pages of terms and materials, Hill heads straight to the heart of the matter, offering precise scale drawings of 39’, 45’ and 50’ domes and their riser walls. These three sizes account for approximately 80% of all residential dome construction. And to satisfy the builder who has a desire for a dome size other than the three drawn within the book, or who wishes to use nonstandard size lumber (the dome plans in the book all use 1 1/2" thick lumber), Hill has been considerate enough to supply tables that list precalculated parts for 49 sizes of dome, from 12’ to 60’ in diameter, and 12 simple formulas for calculating most parts for any size dome.

The simplicity of the book suggests careful thought from Hill. The drawings are clear and easy to understand, showing the assembled panels and their plywood skins, and separate cutting lists for the individual parts, as well. These drawings illustrate all the boards and their angles as they would appear lying flat on a radial arm saw table, lending a perspective that makes cutting the compound angles nearly foolproof.

What it all adds up to in the end, is a book that cuts through the complex geodesic math, reducing it to the unimportant obstacle that it is, clearing the way for the important task of building a dome."

"Canadian Workshop" March, 1989  

* "Canadian Workshop" changed its name to "Canadian Home Workshop" in May of 1998. It's still the same great magazine, just with a new name.

"Designed to give a simple understanding of a complex building procedure, Professional Dome Plans is a collection of drawings and diagrams that aims to make dome building self-explanatory. The book is written for those who understand woodworking, but a solid grasp of geometry will also be helpful.

Jeffrey O. Hill is a former plant manager at Oregon Dome where he helped produce commercial and residential domes. To Hill’s credit, the plan book is thorough. After introducing the methodology of building a dome, three featured dome plans are shown. A foundation view, a top view and an elevation are diagrammed, each with a key to understanding the building formulas. These plans are for domes measuring 39 feet, 45 feet and 50 feet in diameter.

The book is divided into several topics: terms, which define the major components and parts; format, or how the plans are set up and in what order; and assembly, which describes raising a dome. Though the book could have been written a little more clearly, Hill calls it a ‘basic book that really takes all the mysteries out of dome building.’

Following the dome plans, standard pentagon and hexagon construction shapes — the two components essential to domes — are diagrammed individually. Drawings also show how to include a skylight into the pent or hex form.

Riser wall plans (riser walls sit under a dome if more height is needed) are next, followed by a chart for constructing 49 different dome sizes. A solid understanding of geometry will help if you are building a dome a different size than shown in the book, though Hill says the book ‘makes it easy for anyone to build domes without an advanced math degree.’

To make the plans easier to read, they are diagrammed lying flat on a radial-arm-saw table. According to Hill, this makes cutting the compound angles of the plans virtually foolproof."

"Professional Builder" Mid-March, 1989