Dome News - Fall 1999

Monolithic Dome Institute's New Office Complex Work is progressing well on MDI's new office complex at our headquarters in Italy, Texas. To date, we've completed three shells, one with a 50-foot diameter and two with 40-foot diameters, and their connections. In all, we will have 3800 square feet of office space, with built-in potential for expansion. Our target completion date is March 1, 2000-in time for the Monolithic Dome Builders Conference, March 9 to 11, 2000.

Two Dome Workshops in May 1999 Twenty-two men and two women, most of whom met each other for the first time, gathered at MDI headquarters on the morning of May 4, 1999. They had traveled from various states and even as far away as Edmonton, Canada and Melbourne, Australia. At this five-day, hands-on, Monolithic-Dome-building workshop, goals ranged from "learning a new type of construction" to "becoming an independent architect" to "building an environmentally friendly, secure, cost efficient home" to "be a self-employed builder."
A similar group, this time including fifteen men and one woman, gathered on May 18. This workshop's participants included two from Seoul, Korea, there to learn the construction of Monolithic Dome bulk storage and business facilities. Others listed their goals: to "own a dome-building business" to "build my own dome home within the next twelve months" to "build Monolithic Dome rental units."
After completing the workshop, Australian Jeff Shields said that he was most impressed with the friendliness and informality of the group and the "unselfish determination of twenty-five years of experience" recounted by David South and Gary Clark. Shields was amazed by the "pitfalls that David and the others experienced." He said, "It (the workshop) was excellent. You could never get this information any other way. It hits the nail on the head."
Madeline Watson, a sixty-seven-year-old, labor and delivery nurse from California, said, "I had a ball. I have to get thirty-two hours of education in every two years to keep my license, so I attend a lot of seminars. This (workshop) was one of the best I have ever been to. Very well organized. These people are knowledgeable. They handle the class well. They make jokes to get you to think. They let us two women do our chores right along with the rest. They did not put women in a derogatory light or men in a glorified light. The humor was strictly business, and I appreciated that."

The Byrne's Residence

New Home for MDI Architect MDI's vice president of marketing and design Larry Byrne and his family are in the process of moving into their new three-dome home, in Italy, Texas. A 40-foot diameter dome with living, dining and kitchen areas is the center of this beautiful Monolithic Dome complex. A 32-foot diameter dome encompasses the master bedroom, bathroom and a study. Another bedroom and bath, utility area and pantry are included in a third dome with a diameter of 30 feet.

Evergreen Domes Builds Two Homes Jerry Banghart, Owner of Evergreen Domes has recently completed two domes in Washington:
The first dome is in Yelm, Washington and is a 30'x19' dome on a 4-foot stem wall. The home will feature an open loft, 5 augmented openings, 2 skylights and a recessed front entryway. Jerry said, "Since this dome is off-grid, we had to bring a 1200 gallon tank to the top of the hill and that was filled by a trickle feeder from their well on a 12 volt system and then we put on a siphon and ended up with 800 gallons a day and it worked well. We also used a 10 kwh generator to power the fans and equipment. Between the foamers not having enough materials and the providing our own power and water - we lost about 4 days. It was pretty grueling." Despite the challenges, the dome was complete in June and the owner hopes to move in during early fall.
In July, Jerry also completed a home near Omak, Washington for Ron Carstens. His triple dome is located on a mountain top giving a 20-mile view. The 24' diameter dome serves as the entryway, the 32' diameter dome is a garage/shop, and the 50' diameter dome encompasses the kitchen, dining room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an office. Ron looks forward to moving into his new dome home in September.

The Tuttle Home

The Tuttles in Shamrock, Texas completed their 4-dome facility in August 1998. Their home has a 37-foot diameter center dome for their kitchen and living areas and two 24-foot diameter domes for bedrooms, bathrooms and an office.
When the Tuttles called a local insurance agent for a price on a homeowners' policy for their domes, they were astounded by the high premium quoted: $800 per year. So, the Tuttles called another insurer, Noel Watson at Eastern Panhandle Insurance Agency in Shamrock. Watson suspected that the premium of $800 was so high because of a mistaken evaluation of Monolithic Domes; he contacted the Texas State Insurance Commissioners Office. They sent their representative Willard Goss to evaluate the Tuttle property. A reevaluation, based on Goss' findings, resulted in a yearly rate of $174 for coverage on their 2600 square-foot home.
Shirley says, "We love the dome. It's quiet and comfortable. We've had visitors from Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina. We've been featured in the Shamrock paper, and an Amarillo television station did a brief story on the domes when we first began building."

Taiwan Office

Taiwan Office Building Work is nearly complete in Taichung, Taiwan for a 46'x 16'.4" Oblate Ellipse for the Tainan Office Dome. Charles Lin, a recent Monolithic Dome workshop graduate and owner of Charles Lin and Associates Inc., is currently working on several other dome projects.

Rittenhouse Residence Near Santa Fe-- Dome Technology recently completed the dome shell for Rittenhouse residence outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. James and Annette couldn't agree on a house style and design. She wanted a round house; he wanted an earth sheltered home. When Annette saw Monolithic Domes in a magazine she said, "Wow, that's exactly what we were looking for - covering all our needs." Their Triton dome includes a 40' diameter center dome , a 32' diameter bedroom dome and 26' diameter bedroom dome. The center dome will have a uniquely designed fireplace with a snake-type chimney, constructed at its center, separating the living room and the kitchen. The entire home will have in-floor radiant heating. Annette said, "Our plans are to eventually coat the outside with stucco or some type of coating. We are very happy with our dome. We have an incredible view. We will have visitors from all over the world, so the home will be seen by many people. We expect to be moved in by late fall."

Dome Technology
Minford and Judy Beard are near completion on their 40'x12' half-sphere dome home in Dinosaur, Colorado. They are hiring subcontractors to complete the interior and anticipate being moved in by January 2000.

Victoria, Texas Dome Technology has completed two - 130'x70' domes for Equalizer, an Ammonium Nitrate storage facility on the Port of Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Bulk Storage Projects A 200'x100' Synthetic Storage facility for National Gypsum in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. A 200'x100' cement storage unit for South Down Corporation in Charlevoix, Michigan. A 105'x 78' storage facility for F.M.C. (nodule fine storage) in Pocatello, Idaho.

Monolithic Constructors, Inc.
Tabasco, Mexico MCI recently delivered an Airform for a Monolithic Dome church, with a seating capacity of 6000, to the Centro Cristiano Villahermosa congregation in Tabasco, Mexico. The foundation has already been poured for this 216-foot diameter dome.

Houston, Texas MCI, as the construction management firm for St. Agnes Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, will coordinate construction of St. Agnes' new, 200-foot diameter dome church with seating for 4000.

St. Paul Church

Italy, Texas. Smallest Monolithic Dome Church... Rev. E. J. Ates, pastor of St. Paul Church of God in Christ, has asked MCI to help with the design of their new church in Italy, Texas. Rev. Ates said that his small, but growing, congregation hopes to build a 50-foot diameter dome a small church for Texas.

Rick Crandall
Architect Rick Crandall is busier than ever, designing, doing feasibility studies, or consulting on several new projects: Houston, Texas Three Monolithic Domes for the Southwest Community Baptist Church in

Houston, Texas - The largest of the three domes, with a 40-foot diameter and seating for 4000, will be the new church sanctuary. Two additional domes will house a school and a community center. An interior shopping mall will connect all three domes. That connection or flow between the domes is symbolically important to the congregation. According to Pastor Gregory Patrick that design reinforces the project's theme of a bridgea bridge between races and denominations with Christ as that bridge.

Valdez, Alaska A triple interconnected Monolithic Dome as the Valdez Family Recreation Center in Valdez, Alaska Sponsored by private developers, current plans for this project include an indoor swimming pool and ice skating rink and an exterior slope for skiing and sledding.

Bountiful, Utah Two Monolithic Domes with diameters of 120 feet and 100 feet and four levels to be called Wellness Island in Bountiful, Utah This facility will treat catastrophic diseases using natural, holistic remedies and will include an indoor swimming pool and recreational areas.

Venice, Florida A three-level Monolithic Dome with a 168-foot diameter on a 28-foot stem wall for the Catholic Diocese of Venice, Florida Because destructive weather conditions are an ongoing concern, this project, located in Sarasota, is the diocese's first, disaster resistant school.

Dome Tech International
Dome Tech has recently completed two international projects: A 184' x 92' clinker storage (35,000 tons) in South America. Two-137'8" x 68'9" fertilizer storage (13,500 tons) in the Ukraine.

Other large facilites constructed in the U.S.: 1) High school and gymnasium for the Cibecue Community School located in Cibecue, Arizona. 2) A 139' x 112' cement storage (44,000 tons). 3) A 165' x 82'5" gypsum storage (10,000 tons). 4) A 120' x 102' cement storage (30,000 tons).

Youth Services Agency of Pennsylvania After sending two crews to two of MDI's workshops and ordering an Airform for a 110-foot diameter Monolithic Dome, Roger Dawson, executive director of Youth Services Agency of Pennsylvania, says that the Agency now plans to send a third crew to one of our fall workshops. The reason for the additional crew training has to do with additional construction plans. Dawson says the Agency, a nonprofit, privately owned corporation dedicated to juvenile justice and education, recently received a 25-acre site from Luzerna County. So, in addition to the Monolithic Dome alternative school the Agency initially planned, they now plan to build six additional domes, each with a diameter of 50 to 60 feet, as a 100-bed detention facility.

Builder, Dan Sutterfield Dan Sutterfield, owner of Sutterfield Services LLC, has three projects underway: A 40'x12' dome home in Massachusetts for Bill Staruk. The upper level will have 21 windows and 1 door. The lower level will have 5 windows and 2 doors. Initially this dome will be used for a garage/guest quarters. A 36-foot diameter, 2 bedroom home for Richard and Sandy Hale in Weatherby, Missouri. Off the shores of Lake Michigan in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a 7,000 square-foot dome will be constructed for Paul and Barbara Stitt.

Builder, Ron Boswell Ron Boswell, owner of R.D.B., Co. and a 1994 Monolithic Dome workshop graduate has now built 7 domes. He is currently completing 2 - 45'x 26' single dome homes in Gainesville, Missouri: One is for Mike and Debbie Andersland who will enjoy 3100 square-feet dispersed throughout three levels plus an additional 800 square-foot attic/storage area. The other is for Gerald and Donna Klessig's home which will include a 4-foot stemwall. The lower level will include the laundry room, pantry, kitchen, dining and living room. The upper level consists of 1 bedroom and 2 open rooms overlooking the living room.

Nick and Kathleen Howes In Nye, Montana, a tiny community nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills, twenty-five miles north of Yellowstone National Park, Nick and Kathleen Howes continue working on their unique Monolithic Dome home. A 20-foot diameter dome defines each of the home's seven rooms. Two bedrooms, study, bathroom, kitchen and mudroom encircle the great room, providing 1800 square feet of living space. According to Nick, a 37-year-old electronic engineer, who was first attracted to Monolithic Domes by a magazine item, and who attended MDI's very first workshop, the seven domes are all in place now. Photos detailing that process can be seen on the Howes' website www.mcn.net/~nickhowes.

Geldbaugh/Pershey Home

In Newalla, Oklahoma, Joseph Geldbaugh and Diane Pershey, who bought a foam machine and other equipment, and who are training a dome-building crew, continue working on their Monolithic Dome home. It consists of three domes: a 36-foot diameter dome on a 1-foot stem wall as the kitchen and living areas; a 24-foot diameter dome as a master bedroom and bath; a second 24-foot diameter dome divided into two bedrooms for their children. In addition, they are constructing a 30-foot diameter garage. Eventually, Joseph and Diane plan on 3300 square feet of living space and an underground dome with a greenhouse above it.

War Bonnet Construction in Soldotna, Alaska has several exciting projects going. When we called Ray Ansel for an update on War Bonnet's activities, we caught Ray working on five 24-foot diameter, portable Monolithic Domes right in his own backyard. Two of the domes will be shipped, via barge to White Mountain, a tiny village north of Nome or about 1000 miles from Soldotna, where they will become a home for a native Alaskan. Transporting one dome just to Nome will cost about $18,000. But that's economically preferable to shipping equipment, crews and materials for on-site construction. Plans at White Mountain also include a complex of 12-foot diameter Monolithic Domes as fishing huts at a new tourist site. In Ketchikan, Alaska, another developer has War Bonnet working on a dozen 24-foot diameter Monolithic Domes. Meanwhile, negotiations continue with the City of Kenai for a 12-acre site overlooking Cook Inlet at the mouth of the Kenai River. Plans for that site include Monolithic Dome facilities for a small convention center: a 12-story hotel, meeting rooms, restaurants, shops and a surf dome. The surf dome, a sky shell simulating an island paradise, will bring a bit of Hawaii to Alaska.

177 Dome Park Place - Italy, TX 76651
Tel (972)483-7423 - Fax (972)483-6662
| Press Room