Monolithic Man Cave featured on Amazing Spaces

Robot Ranch. — Al Schwartz’s 4,144 square-foot earth-sheltered Monolithic Dome dream home, built into the side of a hill, featured on “Amazing Spaces.”

When George Clarke of “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces” and master craftsman, Will Hardie, took the UK-based reality show on a road trip across Texas in search of some interesting, unique, unusual spaces, they found a truly “Amazing Space”—Al Schwartz’s Robot Ranch.

Monolithic Domes: Surviving Bullets, Projectiles, Tornadoes

The rifle used in this test was a Ruger 10/22, using a very standard 40 grain projectile. Damage from this rifle was minimal.

As they say on TV, “Don’t try this at home.” Don’t shoot holes in your home with a 30-06 caliber rifle. To test the bullet-resisting strength of a Monolithic Dome, Gary Clark, our VP of Sales, fired at our Monolithic Dome storage buildings.

Lumberton ISD FEMA funded dome in the news

Channel 12 News Now of Beaumont, Texas featured the new FEMA funded monolithic dome being built for the Lumberton ISD by Dome Technology in a recent news report. The news article describes the monolithic dome as a disaster dome that will allow first responders and people who are unable to evacuate during emergencies to safely ride out storms like hurricanes.

KMOV of St. Louis news article features Valley R-6 School District’s domes

A recent news article at KMOV-St. Louis features a video interview with Valley R-6 officials in Caledonia, Missouri. Quoting, ‘At first glance the five domes that make up Valley R-6 Elementary School in Caledonia, Missouri look odd, but school officials say they are the safest buildings in the face of a tornado. “They are tornado proof – hurricane proof – fire proof and so our kids are very safe,“ says Valley superintendent Brad Crocker.’

Peggy Atwood’s Monolithic Dome Construction Slideshow

In 2006 in Shokan, New York, work began on Peggy Atwood’s Monolithic Dome home, that has two intersecting sections: 40′ × 23′ and 30′ × 18′. Now Peggy has a slideshow of that construction – and a lot more. If you’ve ever wondered what all goes into the building of a dome-home, watch this slideshow. It begins with the clearing of the site to a completed, furnished, beautiful Monolithic Dome home.

Video: Monolithic Dome Schools

This video presents comments and information from superintendents, principals and teachers of Monolithic Dome schools in several States. Some talk about the advantages of going Monolithic because of significantly lower construction costs that influenced voters to pass bonds. Others comment on the energy-efficiency, affordable maintenance, and lower insurance premiums that Monolithic Dome schools enjoy. Still other comments focus on the dome’s ability to meet FEMA standards for near-absolute tornado protection, the design flexibility of a Monolithic Dome, and its use for community as well as school events.  

Tornado Tamer: A Tornado-Resistant Door

The Tornado Tamer – It’s been tested by Texas Tech Wind Science University, and it meets FEMA 320 Guidelines for a unit that can resist a wind force of up to 250 mph.

For several years Monolithic has been searching for an affordable door whose ability to resist tornado-force winds matched that of a Monolithic Dome. “We did not have a problem finding doors with the integrity we wanted,” said David South, president of Monolithic. “We found them, but they were in the $5000 to $7000 range. Put a few of those on a building and they really skyrocket the price of a project. We needed a door with two advantages: tornado-resistant strength and affordability. About a year ago, we found both in the Tornado Tamer.”

Robert Bissett’s New Design Book

Authored by architectural designer and artist Robert Bissett, this book takes the reader through all the stages required to produce a functional and attractive set of working drawings. The prospective home owner will learn how to start with a pencil-drawn floor plan, build a 3D computer model and produce and publish a complete set of house plans.

Monolithic Dome Suffers Slight Scorching In Oklahoma Wildfire

Dome in Marlow, OK survived a 3000 acre wildfire.

For 16 months, the construction of Jerri and Darrell Strube’s new Monolithic Dome home, 50 feet in diameter and 23 feet high, in Marlow, Oklahoma went relatively smoothly. Once Andy Barnes, owner of Alpha Omega Builders in Kingston, Oklahoma, completed the dome shell, Jerri and Darrell began doing the finishing. And all continued going rather well – until January 12.

Fertilizer Blend Plant Video

You can’t successfully operate a blend plant in any structure. It takes a building specifically designed for that job. This ten-minute, easy-to-follow and understand video explains and illustrates the advantages of a Monolithic Dome designed and constructed as a blend plant. The video describes the technologically sophisticated process and formula used in Monolithic Dome construction. It also details Monolithic advantages, many of which simply are not available in other structure types. They include: disaster resistance, super insulation that prevents interior temperature fluctuations, strength and durability.

Equipment Video

This is a very detailed but easy-to-follow and understand video about our Mudslinger EHP 1500 pump and its complementary equipment. It’s narrated by Blaine Green, Equipment Division Manager (retired), who played a key role in its design and development. The video displays and describes our EHP 1500 premier pump, designed specifically for the Monolithic Dome building process, shows how its used, how attachments are assembled and disassembled, and how to keep all parts clean and functional.

Monolithic Ecoshells in Developing Nations

Check out this video describing the Monolithic Ecoshell and why it is the choice for housing in developing nations. They are strong structures that can withstand natural disasters, fire, termites and rot. In underdeveloped areas with hot climates, EcoShells make affordable, low maintenance, sturdy housing.

Tour of Monolithic Headquarters

This video illustrates and explains all you can see and learn during a tour of our headquarters in Italy, Texas. It briefly explains Monolithic’s company goals, company structure and the unique technology used in the design and construction of Monolithic Domes as homes, schools, churches, sport and business facilities, etc. The video takes you on a tour of several actual dome-homes, our office complex, training center, Airform manufacturing plant and rental units.

A New Way of Life

This is a video featuring the project by Domes for the World in New Ngelepen, Indonesia. The New Ngelepen project included 77 houses, 6 MCK’s (bathroom, shower facilities), 6 wells, 6 septic systems, a church, and roads.

Dome Sports Facilities

Click below to watch our Introduction to the Monolithic Dome Sports Facilities video.

Modern Day Homes

Click below to watch our Introduction to the Monolithic Dome Homes video.

Video by Erika and Hannah

Two of my nieces made a video about Monolithic Domes while they were on Christmas Break. They really did an awesome job. Check it out.

Video of Paxis 10 Scaffold

You will hear a lot more about our new Paxis Scaffold in the future on Monolithic.com, but in the meantime I will post some raw video clips. It’s hard to describe how nice this scaffold is, but with the new drive motors and the 10′ stance, this scaffold makes one of the sturdiest, safest platforms I have ever seen.