Dome Tops Church in New Mexico
December 22, 2004
by David B. South
We call them hood ornaments -- not to make fun of them, but because they are just a small part of the building. A hood ornament is a dome that sits on top of a conventional building and sends a statement like, "We are a church" or "that we are important." Domes have been signature for that reason for centuries. It started with churches and then moved to government buildings. This constrution tradition is still in effect today.
Sometimes the dome is exposed underneath and is part of a room. Other times the dome is strictly the "hood ornament" to impart the message of the importance of the building and to set them apart from other conventional structures.
Proper planning and teamwork helped South Industries construct a beautiful 34' diameter x 9' high hood ornament to the top of Church on the Move in Roswell, New Mexico. Andrew South, Vice President of South Industries said, "Preliminary site preparation and working closely with all involved parties helped the project run extremely smooth."
"We are a church...come and see."
One of the unique things that happens with these small "hood ornaments" is that they can often be built on the ground and hoisted into place with a crane. The dome atop of Church on the Move is not a structural element. The decision was made to make it an all-foam dome after the conventional building was built. In other words, it was sprayed-in-place with urethane foam, constructed on the ground and hoisted into place.
Urethane foam is the insulation used in Monolithic Dome Construction. By itself it is very strong. We designed this foam dome utilizing wire reinforcing and heavy density foam. That means the completed dome can withstand the wind, snow, and earthquake loads that might be imposed on it.
This is certainly not the first "hood ornament" we have built. We have several built across the United States. They all say the same thing: "We are an important building, come and see."
Editor's Note: South Industries was formed in January 2004 in Menan, Idaho to be a partner company to Dome Technology. Randy South and his sons Andrew, Josh and Nathan formed South Industries to target the residential dome market, but are open to building a variety of buildings. Josh and Nathan travel just about anywhere to build Monolithic Domes. To contact South Industries, call 208-754-4422.
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Dome Park Place - Italy, TX 76651
Tel (972)483-7423 - Fax (972)483-6662
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