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Progress
Report: Dome of a Home in Pensacola Beach, Florida
by Valerie
Sigler
photos provided by Valerie Sigler
With a sigh of
relief, we have become structural! The balloon is up, four inches of foam sprayed,
over five miles of rebar placed and five inches of concrete sprayed on the
interior. Because we are in the midst hurricane season, relying on the fans
for inflation left us in a precarious predicament. Storm surges will annihilate
generators.
The balloon
was inflated on April 30, 2002. In those twenty minutes, the beach's landscape
was irrevocably changed. The dome became the new landmark and the subject
of much discussion. The island is home to many walkers, bikers, and 1.4 million
visitors each year. Streams of people each day come by to inquire and gaze
at the balloon.
The most common
questions people ask are: is the home being built underneath the balloon; why
aren't they working on the dome, (not realizing that at this stage the work
is being done on the interior); how is the balloon removed; and of course,
what is the cost? We have conducted numerous tours through the dome to inquisitive
passers-by. EVERYONE we have spoken with has expressed support and excitement
for the project. Those who have experienced hurricanes first-hand grasp very
quickly the implications and advantages of this structure.
The neighborhood
elementary school toured the dome on the last day of school. We were intrigued
and encouraged by the thoughtful questions the students asked. One six-year-old
boy looked around in awe as he whispered, "When I grow up, I want to have
a home like this." Having the opportunity to share this technology with children
was a great joy. Field trips to interesting places leave an indelible mark
in one's memory. We know these students will be discussing this adventure
with their grandchildren.
Mark conducted
a demonstration comparing conventional fiberglass insulation to the foam being
used in the dome. He dipped each one in a bucket of water to simulate the
results that occur when a hurricane douses a home. The soaking, soggy fiberglass
insulation elicited a resounding "Yuck!" And the unaffected foam received
a "Wow!" in response. Many of the children asked if they could take a piece
of the foam home as a souvenir. The crew was very helpful in distributing
these keepsakes from the field trip to the impressed students. The collection
of pictures and thank you notes we received from the children was a wonderful
bonus for us.
The local ABC news
affiliate is continuing to do dome updates on Sunday evenings. Mollye Barrows
has aired five segments to date. The segments generate extensive hits on our
website, Dome of a Home and several
"I saw you on the news. Great house!" responses. Because our desire has always
been to educate and increase exposure of dome technology, we are extremely
appreciative of Ms. Barrows and her camera crew. They are very interested in
the project and are always ready to film the latest achievements. We are also
grateful to our local newspaper, The Islander, for distributing information
through their articles.
The website
has gone global! We have received visitors from all continents in
the world. All very exciting for us as we sit on this spit of an island
in Florida.
Our
Website, has pictures and renderings of the home. Once completed,
the site will also contain a virtual tour.
With over
1.4 million visitors to the beach each year, the dome is in a position
to generate a tremendous amount of interest. We have been told by the
local government to expect a majority of those visiting to make the dome
one of their tourist attraction stops.
A unique opportunity
awaits future visitors to the sugar white beaches of Pensacola Beach, Florida
-- VACATIONING IN THE DOME!!! For those who want to experience living in a
dome or to vacation in a one-of-a-kind house, the dome will be available for
weekly rentals. Visitors can spend a week "living in the round" while they
vacation on an island covered in white sand and surrounded by emerald waters.
Our goal is to be ready for the 2002 Christmas and New Year holidays. Anyone
interested in renting the dome of a home can contact our property manager,
Paradise Beach Homes, at: 888-860-0067; 850-916-9314; 850-932-9723.
We hope by
offering scheduled tours and opening the home for weekly rentals to provide
a venue for further understanding and acceptance of the incredible advantages
of the dome structure.
Related
Articles:
[Editor's
note: Valerie Sigler sent this update to Monolithic in July 2002. We appreciate
her attention to details in telling their dome-building story. For more
information and the latest progress of their dome home, visit their
website.]
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