Grand Hassle Nets Grand Facility
![Children’s Reading Center (CRC) — On its 11-acre site, CRC built a facility with five Monolithic Domes, funded primarily through a USDA loan.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b4e/medium/crcflorida1.jpg)
Children’s Reading Center (CRC) — On its 11-acre site, CRC built a facility with five Monolithic Domes, funded primarily through a USDA loan.
![Five Monolithic Domes — Largest dome has a diameter of 132 feet and encompasses 10 classrooms surrounding a library; multipurpose dome has a diameter of 75 feet; three remaining domes each have a diameter of 44 feet and serve as administrative area, staff area and lab.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b4f/medium/crcflorida2.jpg)
Five Monolithic Domes — Largest dome has a diameter of 132 feet and encompasses 10 classrooms surrounding a library; multipurpose dome has a diameter of 75 feet; three remaining domes each have a diameter of 44 feet and serve as administrative area, staff area and lab.
![Affordable and Practical — Cost for Monolithic Domes ran between $135 to $145 per square foot of finished floor space. That was a 25% savings over the $186 per square foot that the Florida Department of Education currently considers reasonable for school construction.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b50/medium/crcflorida3.jpg)
Affordable and Practical — Cost for Monolithic Domes ran between $135 to $145 per square foot of finished floor space. That was a 25% savings over the $186 per square foot that the Florida Department of Education currently considers reasonable for school construction.
![Worth the Effort! — Although it took CRC three years to comply with all of USDA’s requirements for a loan, administrators, teachers and parents feel that the campus they now have was worth the effort.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b51/medium/crcflorida4.jpg)
Worth the Effort! — Although it took CRC three years to comply with all of USDA’s requirements for a loan, administrators, teachers and parents feel that the campus they now have was worth the effort.
![Hurricane Safe — CRC’s Monolithic Domes provide what FEMA calls “near-absolute protection” from hurricanes, a feature the adults wanted for the children.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b52/medium/crcflorida5.jpg)
Hurricane Safe — CRC’s Monolithic Domes provide what FEMA calls “near-absolute protection” from hurricanes, a feature the adults wanted for the children.
![Classrooms — CRC’s largest dome features an easily accessed, open library at its center and ten classrooms.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b53/medium/crcflorida6.jpg)
Classrooms — CRC’s largest dome features an easily accessed, open library at its center and ten classrooms.
![Multipurpose Dome — It includes an assembly area, cafeteria and two kindergarten classrooms.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b54/medium/crcflorida7.jpg)
Multipurpose Dome — It includes an assembly area, cafeteria and two kindergarten classrooms.
![Design and Construction — LPDJ Architects, LLC of Salt Lake City, Utah did the design and South Industries, Inc. of Menan, Idaho constructed the domes.](/vault/img/2011/05/10/4dc92b85c29e068473000b55/medium/crcflorida8.jpg)
Design and Construction — LPDJ Architects, LLC of Salt Lake City, Utah did the design and South Industries, Inc. of Menan, Idaho constructed the domes.