Because It's a Dome
by
David B. South, Jr.
reprinted from The Monolithic Dome Roundup Winter 1998
What
question is asked most often by people who see or hear about the Monolithic
Dome for the first time? "What is it?" "What are the domes built for?"
or "How much does it cost?"
I think the most asked question is: "Why would someone want a dome?" That
question is significant because it often implies a deeper issue, "The
dome shape is so unusual that there must be some other reason, aside from
appearance, for wanting a dome?"
Of course, the reasons can be many. Energy savings, safety, durability,
and cost are some of the reasons for building a dome. There are people
who, believe it or not, even prefer the dome shape. And often after hearing
the many advantages of the domes, people's attitudes change about the
shape. But is the dome shape an impediment to our business?
What if we could build a home that is 70 percent more energy efficient,
will last for centuries, is capable of surviving major disasters, and
looks and costs exactly the same as every other house. Would we succeed?
Would anyone believe us? I doubt it.
Improvements in technology often require drastic changes in our perspective.
The horseless carriage, airplane, and computer completely revolutionized
society, but not transparently. Each required new thinking, compromises,
understanding, education, and - most importantly - acceptance. When each
invention was introduced, they were ridiculed, misunderstood, hyped, and
even lied about. It took years before they were accepted by the public
and became part of everyday life. Domes are no less of a breakthrough.
Monolithic Domes will succeed not in spite of its shape, but because of
it. Because it is a dome, people are confronted with something completely
different. Because it is a dome, they must ask questions about it. It
cannot be ignored. It cannot be dismissed. There must be something compelling
about these structures for someone to buy one.
Right now we are starting to see a change. That most popular question,
"Why would someone want a dome?" is beginning to diminish. We have a while
before Monolithic Domes are generally accepted. But because it's a dome,
it will happen.
Roundup Changes
Our change from a newsprint, black and white, newsletter to a color journal
has been difficult and rewarding. The change forced us to grow in ways
we never expected. We had to buy new software, scanners, CD creators,
and more. Plus we needed to spend the time learning the technical and
creative process.
We also had to hire more help - a terrific staff writer, Freda Grones,
and a funny cartoonist, Russell Ellis. With all the hard work, the results
have been very satisfying. And the letters we receive are very positive
about the change.
But there is one thing that our readers have made clear - show more houses.
So we contacted many home owners and have gotten a great response. We
have received a lot of letters and snapshots and are planning a lot more
on homes. In this issue, we decided to write about our most popular home.
You may have seen it on one of those little ads in the back of Popular
Science or Popular Mechanics. It is also on the cover of our free brochure
and is one of the best examples of a Monolithic Dome home. It is the "Eye
of the Storm," and it is the first of many stories on dome homes and their
builders. Check out Dome News for
a sneak peak at future stories.
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