There's no place like dome

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February 17, 2007

By Robert Barron, staff writer The Enid News and Eagle Sat Feb 17, 2007, 11:36 PM CST

Donna Geller is building the home she has wanted for a long time, and you can’t miss it.

Geller is building a geodesic dome that will cover her entire house. Once completed, it will give her extra room at a lower cost than traditional remodeling, she said, and it will lower her energy costs substantially. Geller has wanted to build the dome since she moved to Enid in 1988 and bought her house at 1301 N. Oakwood. But, every builder and real estate person she talked to laughed at her, she said.

Recently, though, she said she needed to remodel and was determined to build the dome. She did the initial design herself and hired a contractor friend from Dallas, who acts as her contractor.

“Why not build it?” she said. “I can have up to 10,000 square feet of space cheaper than I can have two bedrooms and a storm shelter,” she said.

Geodesic domes typically enclose a large area with little material and are considered by many to be one of the strongest building forms, according to information Geller provided. Domes are constructed of a number of triangular wood panels that form the dome shell. The shell, or sphere, is a geometric shape that encloses the most volume with the least surface area. A geodesic dome’s aerodynamic shape offers the best above-ground protection against winds from any direction, according to Geller’s information.

Geller’s dome will be storm resistant and will withstand 300 to 350 mph winds, she said. It was specifically designed for that purpose.

“It’s smart, efficient, clean and easier, plus it is a storm shelter,” she said.

Geller said in checking with area builders, the common cost for construction is about $140 per square foot. The dome will cost between $50 and $60 per square foot, depending on how handy an individual is, she said.

Once the dome is complete, the entire roof of her house will be removed, the walls will be removed and the house built out to the configuration of the dome, Geller said. It will center around the kitchen. The front door will open into a foyer, with stairs leading up to the second floor.

The dome has a radius of 100 feet, which will allow Geller to add 2,500 square feet upstairs.

A balcony will circle the front area upstairs leading to two additional bedrooms. Downstairs will include a full guest bedroom suite. One reason for the guest suite, she said, is when she gets old enough to have someone care for her, she will not have to leave her house, but will hire someone to take care of her. The living area and master bedroom suite are in the other end of the house.

Geller will add a geothermal heat and air system, and the load calculations indicate energy costs at 30 percent over her current costs, she said.

“I’m getting 8,000 to 9,000 extra feet of space for less than the cost of two bedrooms and a storm shelter,” she said. She indicated the cost would be about 60 percent of the normal cost.

In the rear portion of the home, she will have an exercise pool and a spa. The exercise pool is small and circulates water so the person using it stays in place.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I moved to Enid in 1988. I was surprised there were none. I came from California where there are lots of them,” she said.

Geller thinks the world will be much different in a few years. She thinks energy costs will go up again.

“It’s ecologically smart,” she said.

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