Dome News - Spring/Summer 1999

MDI's April Workshop In Gary Clark's words, ".they were a great crowd!" The "they" Gary, vice-president of operations at the Monolithic Dome Institute, referred to were the 34 men and 2 women who attended the five-day, hands-on workshop, at MDI's headquarters in Italy, Texas, April 6 through 10, 1999.
"We had a lot of good people who worked together, asked all the right questions, had a lot of fun and hopefully learned a lot, " Gary added. Those who attended certainly agreed.
Hans Van Der Sman, who traveled from Denmark specifically for the workshop, said that he has had "a long-standing interest in Monolithic Domes." Hans has been trying to get government approval for the building of Monolithic Domes in Denmark. His attempts met not with success, but with many technical questions he could not answer. So Hans crossed the Atlantic for the information he needed, and is happy that he did. Hans said that he did get his "questions answered" and now could return home and argue and persuade more effectively.
Justin Cobb, Tom Cobb and Tim Diehl made up a trio from Pennsylvania, at the workshop to learn the Monolithic Dome building process, so they could oversee the construction of an alternative school for delinquent youths. They said that this would be the first Monolithic Dome constructed by the Youth Services Agency of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization, mostly funded by grants and donations. An Airform, 110' in diameter and 45' in height, rebar hangars, vinyl cement and clamp straps have already been purchased by the agency.
Mary Jo Odom from Florida and Bonnie Wood from Washington said that they both intend to help with the actual construction of their Monolithic Domes. Mary Jo said, "I loved the workshop. I'm coming away from it knowing a lot more than I ever anticipated learning." Bonnie added, "Of all the tasks we learned, I like the rebar hanging best-lots of fun."
At Saturday afternoon's barbecue which followed the Workshop Graduation, Californians David Ross, David Jones, Merlin Eagle and Dean Welch, together with Texan John St Pe' conducted their own evaluation of the workshop. They said that they had just had "a little discussion about what we got versus what we paid for, what we wanted and whether our goals were met." The consensus was that they "got more than we thought we'd get as far as understanding is concerned and we made wonderful friends here."
Again referring to the workshop attendees as a group, Gary Clark said, "This was really a high-energy, self-confident group. I was a little worried about so many in this workshop. We usually keep the group smaller. But these people really worked well as a team. We'll have the proof of their efforts with us, right here, for a long time because the 50' diameter dome they worked on will be the first building in our new office complex."

Surviving Fierce Winds "It was no April Fool's joke," commented a traveler on Interstate 40 through northern Arizona, on the morning of April 1, 1999. He was referring to winds of up to 100 mph and 14 inches of snow responsible for two deaths, numerous injuries and millions of dollars in property damage.
The Navajo Indian Reservation between Flagstaff and Winslow is in the area hardest hit by the storm, and it includes three school sites with Monolithic Domes. All three report virtually no damage from the storm.
Ron White, superintendent of Tolchii Kooh Schools (Roundup Journal, Summer 1998, p. 20) said, "I was not at either dome for this 90 to 100 mile-per-hour wind, but I talked to Thomas Walker who is board president for Little Singer and he said that they were 'snug as a bug in a rug in the dome,' and that there was no damage to the dome."
Dr. Ed Segrave, principal at Leupp School agreed. "It (the Monolithic Dome) is a good building. We're in great shape," he said. Segrave also said that their other rectangular buildings did not fare as well. The wind sheered roofs off some and caved in the windows of others.
Tommy Tsosie, with the Department of Youth Services at Birdsprings, said that he and many others were in their Monolithic Dome when the storm hit. "It was really bad," Tsosie said. "Visibility was down to zero. You could not see anything because of the wind and dust. We had travelers coming to us for shelter. But no one in the dome was scared. We felt safe-even when one of the temporary trailers blew over. A kitchen exhaust fan on the outside of the dome got blown off, but that was the only damage to the dome."

Big Projects in Far Away Places
Krakow, Poland According to Stanislaw Tyczynski, owner and director of the largest radio station in Poland, his company will be building "a self-sufficient Radio-City," consisting of 17, interconnected domes. Tyczynski and two assistants met with David South and Larry Byrne in April and ordered a Feasibility Study for this project. The Polish company said that they were attracted to Monolithic Domes after seeing the Monolithic Dome Bithania Church (140' x 65') built in Katowice, Poland in 1985, and after visiting our website.

Taiwan After sending several individuals through one of our workshops, learning the Monolithic Dome construction process, and actually building some small domes, Charles Lin has purchased two Monolithic Dome Airforms for a church and an office, and one EcoShell II Airform; the three Airforms are the beginning of a project in Taiwan.

Golden, British Columbia, Canada Frank Jensen is now constructing his sixth Monolithic Dome. It's a two-story home, high elliptical in shape, 32' diameter and 12' height.

Peru After the April workshop, Edgar Gerber has planned a low-cost housing development that he will present to the government of Peru as a feasibility project and model. Gerber has ordered a 26' EcoShell II Airform, which he will use repeatedly in the construction of the domes.

Programs and Presentations
British TV A television production crew of five, based in London, crossed the Atlantic and traveled to MDI to interview David South and do a segment on Monolithic Domes. The segment is part of the I Want To Change The World public service commercial, commissioned by Price Waterhouse, a global, multifaceted firm. It will air beginning in May on BBC and CNN.

Missouri Presentations On April 26, David South spoke at the 1999 Missouri Concrete Conference, to an audience of professionals at the University of Missouri in Rolla. This conference was hosted by UMR's Civil Engineering Department. Later that evening, David did a second, free presentation to which the public was invited; its attendees included representatives from a Missouri school district and from the Rolla city council. This audience had questions that kept a very tired David talking for more than 2 and a half hours!

Radio Interviews Increase Awareness On The House, a nationally syndicated radio program. Larry DeSha, host of the Agri-Business News Hour, in Amarillo, Texas. KGYN-AM 1210 in Guymon, Oklahoma with host, Nancy Danner. David B. South receives frequent request for radio interviews.

Monolithic Dome Builders
Sutterfield Services Dan Sutterfield is a busy man! He played a key role in organizing both of the presentations David did at the University of Missouri this spring. Thanks, Dan! Dan has also placed orders for three Airforms for Monolithic Dome homes to be built this summer.

Click Dome Builders Bill Click continues building Monolithic Dome homes in the Texas Hill Country. Barbara Floyd, an artist and designer, recently joined Click Dome Builders as an interior and exterior design consultant.

RDE Company Ron Boswell, owner of RDE Company in Lakeview, Arkansas, recently ordered Airforms for the fifth and sixth Monolithic Dome homes his company will be building this summer.

Bruce Williams Bruce Williams has completed the Williams home in Mississippi. This two and a half story home with an interior elevator was constructed by Dome Technology of Idaho Falls. Bruce sprayed the exterior of the Monolithic Dome with 2" of concrete as a permanent exterior.

James and Sue Pritchard Dome Technology completed the 50' x 25' shell for the Pritchard home in Jackson Gap, Alabama.

Mark Henrickson Mark Henrickson has taken delivery of a large Airform for his multifamily home in Yuma, Arizona, and, has finally worked through all the bureaucracy involved in getting his building permit. Mark says that he's ready and anxious to begin building.

The Monolithic Rotating Scaffold The Monolithic Rotating Scaffold -- an original creation of Monolithic Constructors, Inc. provides builders with an inexpensive but productive means for spraying both foam and concrete and for hanging rebar. The Targhee Monolithic polar scaffold pivots in the center, has wheels on its outer edge, and rolls around in a circle. An electric motor powers the Monolithic and moves it in both directions around a dome's perimeter. Its movement can be controlled at ground level or topside.
For example, when hanging rebar, the Monolithic Rotating Scaffold can safely accommodate three or four workers, with one of those workers designated as the person in charge of moving the scaffold to its next desired work area.
The base diameter of the Monolithic Rotating Scaffold ranges from 35' to 50'. Its rails are telescoped inside one another, so rails can be adjusted to the size appropriate for the dome being built. Pins over the top of the rail access the sets of scaffolding which are stacked to the needed height.
Basic price for the Monolithic Rotating Scaffold Base: $2500, including drive system, wheels and rails (does not include pipe scaffolding). For more information on suggested size of a Monolithic Rotating Scaffold for specific size domes and for pricing, please call (972) 483 7423.

MDI's Builders Conference Some 120 Monolithic Dome enthusiasts came from all four corners of the US-plus a number of states in between-to our 5th Annual Monolithic Dome Builders Conference at the DFW Marriott Hotel in Dallas, Texas on March 5 and 6, 1999.
This Conference differed from MDI's earlier ones. For the first time, workshops were scheduled simultaneously, giving attendees a choice of subjects. This meant that folks interested in Monolithic Domes designed to serve a specific purpose, such as a residence, a church, a school or a commercial facility, could attend workshops with that theme.
That evening, activities in the ballroom provided Conference attendees with yet another opportunity to mingle, meet others and exchange information; consume a wonderful meal that definitely left no one hungry; and enjoy a keynote presentation by David South, MDI's president.
An informative, but fun-filled Question and Answer Forum, including the "success stories" and adventures of experienced dome builders occupied the morning of the second day. A song-filled bus trip to MDI's headquarters followed. Then, a tour of various Monolithic Domes in the area concluded our 5th Annual Monolithic Dome Builders Conference.

View of Outside

Under the Big Blue Skies of Montana, this residence is an elliptical arrangement of three domes 45' x 20', 40' x 16', 36' x 14', with a 36' x 18' garage and a connecting greenhouse.

Living Room

The furniture arrangement in the Bubble Dome utilizes the central dome's spacious curve and generous windows.

McLeod Ranch

Home on the Range Antelope Springs Ranch, also known as "Dome on the Range Lodge," is getting a new look. In 1993, Ranch Owners, Bill and Bonnie McLeod built the lodge in Blackwell, Texas (see Roundup Journal, Sept.1994). Antelope Springs Ranch has housed and entertained hunters and guests from all over the world.
A 12-foot high wall of rocks has been placed onto the exterior of the lodge, giving it a rustic appearance; a new bell tower was secured to the dome's top with a slab of light concrete and a 36-foot, steel, octagonal addition is accessed through an entrance created by eliminating three windows in the dome's bedroom. The
McLeods say they appreciate their Monolithic Dome, its living ambiance, utility savings and the security it offers. We'll report more on the "Dome on the Range" when the remodeling is complete.

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