If you visited the Morrisetts’ new Monolithic Dome home in Anchorage, Alaska and asked, “Is everybody happy?” you would probably get an enthusiastic “yes” from the three humans and an affirmative bark from their dog. The reason is simple: the Morrisetts — David, who is 42 and a computer programmer, April, who is 39 and an office manager for a vending machine company, Joshua, their almost-4-year-old son, and Chewbacca their dog— all love their new dome home.

Anyone who has ever sprayed polyurethane foam during construction of a Monolithic Dome knows that even television host Mike Rowe would agree that it qualifies as a “Dirty Job.” Crews have to work on the interior of the dome once the Airform is inflated, and polyurethane foam literally surrounds them as they spray the building’s curved surfaces.

Since Keith and Sylvia Wortman began construction on their new Monolithic Dome home in Fairplay, Colorado, more than 300 people have traveled to the remote site to take a tour of the unusual property.

I have been contacted by various cities about building little rental units as part of the answer to affordable housing in their areas. Many city administrators now acknowledge that their towns lack affordable housing for those who work and live on the lower end of the pay scale. Those same areas often lack affordable housing for seniors, the physically and mentally challenged, and others.

Building a beach front home offers a few extra challenges such as wind, water, erosion, flying debris and corrosion. A Monolithic Dome home successfully meets each of these challenges.

“The result was worth the effort!” That was how Robert Melosh, facility project coordinator, at the Children’s Reading Center (CRC) described all he and school administrators had to go through to get their new school.

While the population count of Avalon, Texas may be in doubt and small, its pride and interest in their school is not. Most recent proof of that is Avalon’s new Multipurpose Center, for its 250 students in pre-kindergarten to Grade 12. Designed by Monolithic Architect Rick Crandall and built with a 12’ stemwall, this Monolithic Dome measures 124′ × 25′ with a total height of 37 feet.

In the United States and other industrialized nations, an EcoShell II can serve the same purpose as an EcoShell I: It makes an ideal, durable and low maintenance garage, workshop, grain storage, small warehouse or shed. Nevertheless, some people feel that the EcoShell II is an improvement over EcoShell I, since its construction system allows Shotcrete to be applied to the interior of the Airform. This difference does not seem like much to some; others think it makes EcoShell II’s construction process more technologically sophisticated and therefore more appropriate for a nation with a developed economy.

A frequently asked question here at Monolithic is, “How long will it take me to build a Monolithic Dome home?” The quick answer is two to four weeks for the shell. But the real answer is determined by many contributing factors. The timeline here is intended to provide potential dome owners with a general building timeline.

An EcoShell I is a super-strong structure that can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fire, termites and rot that has different uses. In industrialized nations, particularly those with temperate or cold climates, such as the United States, Canada and Great Britain, uninsulated EcoShells make an ideal garage, small warehouse, grain storage, shed or workshop. But in the developing world, most of which has a tropical or equatorial climate, EcoShells can provide permanent, secure, easily maintained and – most importantly – affordable housing.

A small Missouri school district that recently completed the last of three Monolithic Domes, will begin construction this spring on two more dome buildings to accommodate students in kindergarten through second grade. Valley R-6 School District in Washington County plans to build the two new dome structures on the same site as the three existing domes.

Here is a chart that compares the construction requirements of either an EcoShell I or an EcoShell II to that of a conventional concrete structure.

An EcoShell, like a Monolithic Dome, is built of reinforced concrete. But unlike that of a Monolithic Dome, the EcoShell’s Airform is removed and reused. Nor is an EcoShell usually sprayed with an insulating blanket of polyurethane foam. Obviously, an EcoShell and a Monolithic Dome are very different structures. Nevertheless we are often asked: Can EcoShells be coated with foam? The answer is a very cautious Yes because it’s not a smart solution.

At times, we have repented of teaching people how to build EcoShells. The EcoShell is the epitome of a thin shell concrete structure. It’s the best building, if you want a storage shed or ultra low-cost housing. An EcoShell can be built with few materials. Low production costs enable EcoShells to compete with metal buildings. Yet EcoShells have the advantage of being much stronger and longer lasting. But an EcoShell is not a substitute for a Monolithic Dome.

When the Native American community saw their need for not one, but two, new school facilities on its Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona, they got innovative. Superintendent Mark Sorenson explained, “We designed Tolchii Kooh to be like a district office, with Leupp and Little Singer as independent schools, subcontracted to Tolchii Kooh.”

This is a 35′ × 15′ sphere. Exterior is elastomeric Elray stucco. Eyebrows are hand formed out of expanded steel lathe filled with straw.

“This looks like the art school of the 25th century!” According to Roger Klietz, founder and president of the School of Communication Arts (SCA) in Raleigh, North Carolina, that was the reaction one consultant had after seeing SCA’s new Monolithic Dome campus.

If you want to talk to happy, excited people, just call or visit Rock Port, Missouri. This mainly agricultural community, populated by only 1500 and located a short eight miles from the great Missouri River, recently completed a new, Monolithic Dome Technology Center for its school.

One of most unusual homes in Yuma will once again be open for tours as part of a charity fundraiser. The Monolithic Dome home, known as Yumadome, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 7th. Admission is $10 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Helping Hands of Yuma.

A small Missouri school district has received funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to build a Monolithic Dome shelter that will double as a preschool classroom. The dome is the first building of its kind approved for FEMA funding.

The Woodsboro Independent School District has scheduled a community meeting for Monday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. to unveil plans for a new Monolithic Dome multipurpose facility that will double as a community disaster shelter. The building will serve as the school district’s gymnasium and auditorium in addition to providing a safe haven for area residents when severe weather threatens.

Monolithic Inc., a Texas-based company that specializes in the construction of energy-efficient Monolithic Domes that can be used as freezer storage facilities, is proud to introduce an innovative new structure equipped with an automated storage and retrieval material handling system (AS/RS). The introduction of the new handling system makes it possible to build larger, more cost-effective domes for storage of frozen foods.

If you’ve ever driven by the giant caterpillar on Interstate 35 between Dallas/Fort Worth and Waco, and wondered what in the world it was, you’ll have the chance to find out on Saturday, October 25th. The Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas, home to Bruco, the giant caterpillar, will be opening many of the dome homes on its property for public tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the eighth annual Fall Dome Show.

Construction crews building a new middle school and high school in Geronimo, Oklahoma will be turning heads on Monday, October 6th (weather permitting) when they use giant fans to inflate a huge balloon, known as an Airform to create the shape of the school’s fifth and final dome building.

USD225 in Fowler will find out in November whether it can build a futuristic, energy-efficient dome building to serve as a new multi-purpose facility. Voters will decide on November 4th whether to approve a $1.94 million bond issue that would fund construction of a Monolithic Dome structure that would house a computer/technology lab, a new band/vocal room, a new gymnasium, two locker rooms, and a commons/concession area.

Construction crews building a new middle school and gym in Dibble, Oklahoma will be turning heads on Monday, June 16th (weather permitting) when they use giant fans to inflate a huge balloon, known as an Airform to create the shape of a new dome building.

Global warming and the severe weather associated with it have heightened interest in energy conservation as well as tornado and hurricane preparedness. It also has generated increased interest in a futuristic type of building that may offer one of the best solutions to both these concerns: the Monolithic Dome.

The Florida dome home that made national headlines when it emerged virtually unscathed from a direct hit by Hurricane Ivan is on the auction block. The 3,400-square-foot Monolithic Dome home is up for sale for $1.25 million dollars, fully furnished.

St. Joseph Catholic Church in Commerce, Texas is scheduled to begin construction later this month on a unique, tornado-resistant building that will serve as the congregation’s new sanctuary. The new building will be a Monolithic Dome, a one-piece, steel-reinforced, super-insulated concrete structure best known for energy efficiency, longevity and the ability to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s criteria for near-absolute protection from natural disasters.

Monolithic Equipment Manufacturing of Italy, Texas has introduced the MudSlinger GHP 1500 Direct Drive, a new gas-powered concrete pump that eliminates the need for electrical access or the use of generators at job sites, and also features a direct drive to the carousel.

The new Monolithic® concrete mixer, available through Monolithic Equipment Manufacturing, is totally redefining what a so-called "portable concrete mixer” can do.

Domes For The World (DFTW), a Salt Lake-City-based nonprofit foundation established in 2005 with a mission to improve the lives of people worldwide through the introduction and construction of Monolithic Domes and EcoShells, has completed its first major project: a village of 71 dome homes, six public lavatories, a mosque, a medical clinic and a kindergarten on the Island of Java in Indonesia.

Monolithic Constructors, a Texas-based builder of insulated, steel-reinforced concrete storage facilities, has introduced an oil storage tank that is fire-proof, hurricane-resistant and more affordable than traditional steel structures currently used for storing crude oil and refined products.

The company that restored the Superdome after the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Katrina is returning to New Orleans with a dome of its own — a hurricane-proof dome home that may offer one of the best solutions for the city’s rebuilding efforts.

The Children’s Reading Center, Inc. a local Florida non-profit organization which operates a charter school in Palatka, has begun construction of an innovative domed school facility. On Tuesday, February 20th at 8 a.m., crews are tentatively scheduled to inflate a giant balloon that will create the shape of the first of five domed buildings.

Coaches, athletes and sports fans are delighted with Payson Unified School District’s new multipurpose dome, which will be home to the district’s middle and high school basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams.

“The best experience we have ever had building anything,” said Dr. Steve Broyles, Dean of Administrative Services at NCTC (North Central Texas College) in Gainesville. He was talking about NCTC’s new Monolithic Dome Performing Arts Center at its grand opening dedication on April 8, 2005.

Birmingham, Alabama is home to the largest diameter Monolithic Dome church in the world. Built in 2000, Faith Chapel Christian Center measures 280-feet in diameter with a seating capacity of approximately 3,000. The dome encloses 61,575 square feet. The church was designed by Architect Rick Crandall and Dome Technology of Idaho Falls, Idaho built the dome shell.

The atmosphere around Pattonsburg, Missouri virtually sings with the sounds of construction, excitement and anticipation. After five years of what School Superintendent Gene Walker described as, “more than our fair share of trials and tribulations,” this small, rural community watches the completion of its new school facility — four Monolithic Domes.

Once the Monolithic Dome shell is in place, we need to divide the interior into rooms. Our suggested method for this is to use steel studs and sheetrock. You can use wood studs but that interjects a material that is flammable and subject to termite damage. If the walls of the house are simply separators, you can use light gage steel studs and simply put them in place.

Before starting the construction of a Monolithic Dome, each of the items in this checklist must be in place.

Foundation Receives $1 Million Grant to Build Houses in Indonesia

Monolithic Dome homes, steel-reinforced, all-concrete buildings that meet Federal Emergency Management Agency’s standards for near-absolute protection from hurricanes and cost up to 50 percent less to heat and cool than traditional buildings, will be making their debut at the 2006 International Builders Show in Orlando in January.

The School of Communication Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina is unique in more ways than one. It was one of the first schools in the world to offer instruction in high-end computer animation, and its graduates have gone on to work on major motion pictures such as Star Wars and the Matrix.

The story of David B. South – a man whose foresight and determination led to the invention of the Monolithic Dome - is perfectly summarized in the title of a new book about his life: Think Round: The Story of David B. South and the Monolithic Dome as told to Freda Parker.

Compared to other types of structures, the interior temperature of a Monolithic Dome can be more easily and economically maintained. That makes it one of the best structures you can build in either very hot or very cold climates. Monolithic Domes work extremely well in either condition.

To date, of all the school bonds voted on which proposed a Monolithic Dome facility, all but one have passed. We think there is a direct correlation between presenting a Monolithic Dome as part of the proposal for the bond and successfully passing the bond… and here’s why: First and foremost, board members, parents, teachers and community members are concerned about the safety of their children, especially if the community lies in tornado and hurricane prone areas of the country.

We have had our Monolithic Domes checked by professional engineers to calculate the actual heat loss through the structure. This is done by having a measurement of the amount of heating and/or cooling inputs into the building, matching the inputs with the degree days from local weather conditions, and calculating the R-value that must be in place to make the equation balance. In every case, we got an R-value in excess of 80 and generally over 100.

For the convenience of our visitors and workshop attendees we have compiled travel and lodging information to the Monolithic campus from the DFW Airport.

During the workshop you will have the opportunity to participate in the dome construction process, which includes foaming, hanging rebar and spraying concrete. Gary Clark is the Monolithic Representative responsible for this portion of your training. If you plan on participating in these hands-on classes, we require you to bring some safety equipment.