Inflation of first Monolithic Dome school gymnasium in California

Twenty minutes and a new dome takes shape. This time it’s a gymnasium for Wasuma Elementary School in Ahwahnee, California. There are other Monolithic Dome structures in California, but this is the first built for a school in the state.

As students watched from an adjacent outdoor basketball court, the dome on the new gym at Wasuma Elementary School rose from the ground Thursday morning.

It took about 20 minutes for the dome to raise from the ground with generator-powered large fans, blowing air into the 8,630 square-foot structure, the monolithic dome was in place in about 20 minutes.

“I am thrilled to see the progress on the gymnasium at Wasuma,” [District Superintendent Glenn] Reid said. “The inflation of the dome was spectacular and the view on the inside is absolutely thrilling. We are looking forward to the completion of this project in the fall.”

“There are several reasons we elected to build a monolithic dome gymnasium. One is cost. The cost of traditional construction is significantly higher than the cost of a domed building. The energy savings from this type of construction will also be significant,” Reid said.

When completed the dome is expected to hold up to 892 people, more than double the old gymnasium which had a capacity of about 375 and will have room for the entire school and guests during graduations and school performances.

It’s an interesting story because of the unique challenges when working with the Division of State Architects in California. Read the rest of One of a Kind by Brian Wilkinson at the Sierra Star.

There’s more about the challenge of building the first dome for a school in an earlier article, Wasuma monolithic gym under construction by Alan Wileman, also of the Sierra Star.