Constructing a Monolithic Dome

I sat through a week-long workshop given by the Monolithic Dome Institute (MDI), which is located in Italy, Texas, and received a “Certificate of Completion”.  I can build a Monolithic Dome!  I find it fitting that the uniqueness of the domes matches the uniqueness of the name given to the city where the company’s headquarter is located.  You may understand how unique their aesthetic qualities are once you see pictures.

The workshop is one of four given throughout the year and the people attending this particular one came from all walks of life and parts of the world.  New ideas may catch a lot of attention simply because they’re new, but applying this type of thinking to Monolithic Domes would be a mistake.

First of all they are not new!  The first dome was built in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.  Second, the domes appeal to such a wide array of people because of the specific characteristics achieved by the type of building structure, not simply because it’s a new concept to so many people.  Mainstream construction tends to focus on a few characteristics in my opinion: aesthetics, cheap, quick and easy construction to meet immediate needs.

The Monolithic Dome, on the other hand, focuses on practical, efficient and easy, long term solutions to our building needs.  The week long workshop has the ability to empower its students to be able to build a Monolithic Dome on their own.  Coming from a background with very little construction or building knowledge, I can confidently say that with a good set of instructions in my hands (which MDI provides) I could right out build myself a home.

Ok, so getting down to the nitty gritty.  Five steps!!  That’s all it takes to build Monolithic Dome?  The answer is yes!  Please visit the MDI’s page on “How to Build a Monolithic Dome”: http://www.monolithic.com/stories/how-to-build-a-monolithic-dome.  Those of you in the construction or manufacturing business might understand the possibilities available with a construction process that’s so quick and easy.  Certainly there is a science to how you spray concrete and polyurethane foam and the Airform, a key element of the dome, must be made of a specific combination of materials and in just the right way.  Nonetheless, the methods used can be taught and in fact, MDI has several world-wide initiatives in developing countries where locals are educated on the process and equipped to build communities of Monolithic Domes.

Is there any other construction method that results in a super insulated structure that has received FEMA ratings for being earthquake, tornado, hurricane, mold and termite proof?  How about one that results in a building with a life measured in centuries because of how stable and durable the design is?