Getting a conservatory to enjoy the summer sun is easy. For a real conversation piece, you need a geodesic dome! The trouble is making the constructions, popularised by legendary American designer R Buckminster Fuller, usually involves a lot of calculations. That’s where DomeKit comes in.

Created by US researchers Effalo, DomeKit is a combination of web-based software tools and specially designed self-adjusting connectors that make putting up your very own dome a cinch.

The project is currently using the Kickstarter funding platform to raise the money it needs to launch the dome creation software which will let you choose the size of structure you want to create.

In the meantime, the makers are offering two kits – a 5ft kid sized dome with enough space for adults to take a seat and a massive 8.5ft dome – to people who back the cause.

The 3D-printed connectors that connect the wooden dowels together to create the domes are made by a network of enthusiasts. DomeKit gets most of its printing done by a guy in Brooklyn with five 3D printers squirrelled away in his garage.

Dome Kit isn’t selling covers for its structures yet but the team behind it say they’re working on open-source plans for them as the next step. Still, covered or not, a geodesic dome will definitely be more intriguing than your neighbour’s new barbecue.