Winter,
1998/1999
Reprinted from the Monolithic
Dome Roundup, Winter, 1998/1999 Issue
Dome Technology | Low Maintenance Appeals to Handicapped | WPHL's New Arena | StarRider | Pappy's Warehouse | Click Dome Builders | Hurricane Survivability Impresses Church | Ganado Feasibility Study | Chicago Church | Creig Lasley's "Triad" | Conventions | Park College | Retreat Center | 21ST Century Homes Films at MDI | Futuristic Look Appeals to Cable Company
 United Arab Emirates |
 Seattle, WA |
 Manzanillo, Mexico |
 Durkee, OR |
 Yazoo, MS |
Dome Technology, headquartered in Idaho Falls, ID, currently has five, new, bulk storage facilities in the works. They include:
- a 130' diameter fertilizer storage dome for Equalizer Fertilizer in Victoria, Texas;
- a 200' diameter gypsum storage building for National Gypsum in Shippingport, Pennsylvania;
- a 145' diameter cement storage facility for Ash Grove Cement in Durkee, Oregon; a 116' diameter iron carbide storage dome for Steel Dynamics near Aurora, Indiana;
- and the world's largest (as far as we know) clinker cement storage facility. This Monolithic Dome, located in the United Arab of Emirates, will measure 200' in diameter and 130' in height.
Low
Maintenance of Monolithic Dome Appeals to Handicapped In Iota, Louisiana,
Don Sonnier of Gillis Domes is completing a three-dome home for John Simar
and his fianc‚e. Six years ago, Simar, then a deputy sheriff, was directing
traffic on Interstate 10 when a speeding motorist lost control of his
car and ran him down. Since then, Simar has regained a limited ability
to walk, but, according to his doctors, Simar eventually will be confined
to a wheelchair.
"I'm preparing for that day," Simar said. "Building the dome is part of
that preparation because it's helping me accept reality. I particularly
chose a Monolithic Dome for our home because of its low maintenance, and
the fact that I may be even more limited in what I can do in the future."
Simar's home consists of two, 28' diameter domes on either side of a central
32' diameter dome, providing 1900' square of living space.
WPHL's
New Monolithic Dome Arena In early 1999, construction should be underway
in Hidalgo, Texas on the new arena for the Western Professional Hockey
League. According to Architect Rick Crandall, construction on arenas in
nine other cities will quickly follow completion of this signature facility
in Hidalgo.
Crandall's other current projects include a three-dome facility, with
a sanctuary that seats 2100 and a school, for the Living Word Bible Church
in Mesa, Arizona; a single dome church, with seating for 1400 and a school,
for Victory Christian Center also in Mesa; a church, with seating for
2800 and a gold-coated dome at its center, for the Broadview Baptist Missionary
Church in Broadview, Illinois; and the first of three phases of construction
for St. Agnes Baptist Church in Houston, Texas (see page 20, Special Edition).
StarRider Theater Now Open The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago, Illinois opens its spectacular new addition this January. The addition includes two floors of dramatic exhibits. The first of these floors, located slightly below street level, displays historical artifacts. The second floor, wrapped in glass, provides panoramic views of "the real sky," Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. But the central feature of both these floors is the StarRider Theater - a Monolithic Dome constructed by Dome Technology with an Airform designed by Monolithic Constructors (see Roundup Journal, Fall 1998, page 14).
 Idaho Dome gets a Face-Lift |
Pappy's Warehouse, a Monolithic Dome near Rexburg, Idaho, built in the early 1980s, with a diameter of 105' and 8700' square of inside space, recently got a new metal coat and a totally new identity. Now, as a facility renting various gardening and home improvement equipment, it's looking brighter and sharper than ever-and successfully attracting both clients and curious spectators.
Rocky
Mountain Dome Co. Cindy and Walter Burnham, owners of Rocky Mountain
Dome Co. in Bonners Ferry, Idaho have just completed the foundation for
a two-story, 40' diameter dome in Aurora, Colorado. The Burnhams should
have the Airform attached and inflated and all spraying completed by the
end of January. With that done, Walter will assist the finish contractor
with the interior.
Marva Houston, the dome's owner, said, "I'm really excited about this
and really looking forward to moving in. I've been interested in and researching
domes for a number of years. My interest began with geodesics. Then, just
by accident, I saw a Monolithic Dome, went in and was amazed by the inside
space and size." Houston also liked the Monolithic Dome's fireproof ability.
She said, "We're building at a rather remote site with lots of trees,
so fire safety is a major concern."
In addition to the Houston dome, the Burnhams are designing their new
website. Cindy said, "We have been getting many calls from folks, here
in northern Idaho, concerned about the year 2000 and the computer glitch.
They don't want to find themselves unable to get food. So, there's a lot
of interest in MonoQuads and EcoQuads for food storage - particularly
ones that can be buried. Our new website will include that information."
Three
New Projects For Click Dome Builders Bill Click, owner of Click Dome
Builders in Bandera, Texas, is working on three dome projects. In Utopia,
Texas, Click completed the foundation for a 40' diameter dome, with a
16' x 8'cellar, for Lee and Fran Davis. Lee, who is 93, claims that they
are "looking toward the future" and want the cellar for food storage.
In Bandera, Texas, Click recently began foundation work for a two-story,
50' diameter by 25' height dome, with 3500' square of living space, for
Robert and Kim Reynolds. Click said, "This is actually a 5/8 dome so it
will start with a 50' diameter, get a little bigger, then go back to 50'
at the second story."
In Giddings, Texas, Click is working on a 29' diameter dome, as an addition
to the Ramon Ybarra family home. Click said that the Ybarras "had already
poured a slab for an addition, then got interested in Monolithic Domes
when a friend gave them some literature, did research, and decided to
convert to a dome." A stone, arched walkway will connect the traditional
home to the dome addition, which will encompass a large recreation room,
walk-in closets, food storage areas, and a laundry area.
Hurricane Survivability of Monolithic Domes Impresses Florida Church Consulting Architect Rick Crandall of Mesa, Arizona said that 1998's hurricanes in Florida have stirred interest in Monolithic Domes. "I'm currently doing a Feasibility Study for an elementary school for the Bishop J Nuvins Catholic Church in Sarasota," Crandall said, "which will be the first of several projects considered by the Catholic Diocese of Venice." After researching various types of structures and their ability to survive hurricanes, the Catholic diocese specifically wants Monolithic Domes.
Ganado High School Orders Feasibility Study Ganado High School, located in Ganado, Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation, has asked Rick Crandall to do a Feasibility Study for their Ganado Pavilion Project - a complex of three Monolithic Domes, at an estimated construction cost of $2,450,000. This project, consisting of a sports pavilion, an animal husbandry building, and an indoor swimming pool facility, recently received a $2.5 million appropriation from the Navajo Tribe.
Chicago Pastor Opts for Fire-, Bomb- and Bullet-Proof Church The pastor of Home of Life Church, motivated by the virtual indestructibility of Monolithic Domes, had Rick Crandall complete a Feasibility Study for a new church, consisting of two, 120' diameter domes. Crandall said, "The church is located on Chicago's south side, in a very rough neighborhood, and is part of a redevelopment project. But it's now on hold, waiting for funding."
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Creig
Lasley's "Triad" Nears Completion Creig Lasley, owner of Next Step
Construction Services in Nevada City, California, said that his home,
of three Monolithic Domes, in a graceful, free-flow design with 3000'
square of living space, should be completed this Spring, when Lasley applies
the outer coating. The unusual grace and beauty of the Triad continues
attracting the interest of other, prospective Monolithic Dome builders.
"That pleases me," Lasley said. "People can call me anytime with their
questions." Next Step Construction can be reached at (530) 470-0440.
A flowing
staircase rises from the stained concrete floor with its look of jade
and its futuristic arcs . The Triad consists of two 36' domes on either
side of a central 46' dome. Creig Lasley's gracefully sculpted Triad is
situated just 100 yards from the shoreline of Scott's Flat Lake in Nevada
City, California.
National Conventions The Monolithic Dome Institute participated in and shared information with other participants at the World of Concrete Convention, January 18-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada. MDI will similarly contribute at the 1999 National Conference on Education, February 19-22 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Park College Wants Twin Domes for Sports Event Center The construction contracts have already been signed and the ground broken for a new Sports Event Center at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. Architect Rick Crandall, who submitted a rapidly approved Feasibility Study to Park College, said, "Park College has one of the most extensive underground campuses of any school in the world. So, this new Sports Event Center will be partially buried to connect with the existing underground campus."
New
Retreat Center at DFW Church of Christ Jesus Monolithic Constructors,
Inc. will soon begin work on a 143' diameter dome, which will be the new
Retreat Center, Gymnasium and Multipurpose Facility for DFW Church of
Christ Jesus, in Barry, Texas.
For this project, Monolithic Constructors will build a special scaffold
that will allow workers to spray the interior of the dome from a pivoting
trolley that follows the curve of the Monolithic Dome.
According to David South, president of Monolithic Constructors, a much
larger version of this scaffold will be built later this year, for the
construction of Crenospheres - huge domes with diameters of 1000' and
heights of 250' (see page 23, Special Edition).
21ST Century Homes Films at MDI A three-person crew filming a 21st Century Homes segment for HGTV, a cable network, recently visited the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas. The crew toured and filmed several Monolithic Domes, including Bruco and Charca Casa, where they interviewed David South. To demonstrate the strength and durability of a Monolithic Dome, MDI's trained personnel fired a 30-06 rifle, with fully jacketed bullets, into a dome. The crew filmed the firing, then focused their camera on the undamaged wall of the dome. The segment will air later this year.
Futuristic Look of Monolithic Domes Appeals to Eagle West Cable Company Its space-age, futuristic look is what Eagle West, a state-of-the-art cable communications company, likes best about a Monolithic Dome. Rick Crandall, currently compiling construction documents for four different buildings in four different locations for Eagle West, said, "Here's an important turnaround in how people are beginning to perceive the Monolithic Dome. Where in the past, some people have been dubious or questioned the look of a dome, here's an example of wanting the dome because of its look." Eagle West's Monolithic Dome will become their standard building to be reproduced in various locations. Each of these facilities will house equipment used in the entertainment industry, as well as equipment used in the medical field to monitor patients.
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