The American Institute of Human Relations and Aging (AIHRA) is a non-profit organization aimed at raising awareness of the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of daily life in old age. One of the institute’s goals is to develop cognitive and social programs for the elderly with various interests and capabilities. (Continued…)

Another big milestone is in store for the St. Mary and St. Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church in New Jersey. It’s the week church officials go before the local zoning board for the fourth time to seek approval for a new Monolithic Dome youth center. (Continued…)

The Roundup — presenting the latest Monolithic News – January 2012 (Continued…)

Keith Wortman’s Monolithic Dome home in Fairplay, Colorado has made a lot of headlines over the years. The Denver Post, the Colorado Springs Gazette and even USA Today have featured the home, which has been christened Bristlecone Dome. In 2010, the home received so much publicity before the annual dome home tour that more than 700 people turned out to see the unusual property. (Continued…)

Bobzio.com is a website where travelers can find vacation rentals or home exchanges. It recently started publicizing homes that have green building designs and construction techniques. Not surprisingly, a Monolithic Dome home made the list. (Continued…)

An Oklahoma school district is hoping to receive a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to supplement a $1.7 proposed bond issue needed to fund new construction. Hulbert Public Schools in Hubert would use the federal money to finance a new Monolithic Dome elementary school and cafeteria that would double as community disaster shelters. (Continued…)

Knowing that a Monolithic Dome would make an ideal fertilizer storage, in 1978 I sent information to a fertilizer magazine. They wrote an article, featuring the Monolithic Dome as a new product, and I received a call from Bill Matthews in Chandler, Oklahoma. Bill wanted a fertilizer storage dome on a site just off America’s famous U.S. 66. (Continued…)

It’s 2012, and you’ve no doubt heard one or more of the various prophecies about the changes that this year is expected to bring. Some interpret the 2012 Mayan prophecies to mean that the world as we know it will end this year. But others see the prophecies instead as foretelling the end of violence, jealousy, hate and disharmony. (Continued…)

Because of their disaster-resistant qualities, Monolithic Domes are ideal for storing critical data and other essential records that must be protected in case of a tornado or hurricane. That’s why American Business Continuity Domes (ABC Domes) has dedicated its business to building disaster-resistant Monolithic Dome data storage facilities. (Continued…)

Are you looking for a home that can stand up to the strongest of winds and the most devastating of earthquakes? You’ve come to the right place! Mother Nature Network just ranked Monolithic Domes among the top five of the world’s most indestructible homes. (Continued…)

American Free Press (AFP) bills itself as a no-nonsense, uncensored, independent weekly source for important news about the pressing issues facing our nation and the world today. As such, its staff writers take the time to meet the people and explore the ideas that point towards a brighter future. That’s according to Mark Anderson, who made a recent road stop at the Monolithic Dome Institute in Texas and later wrote about our structures. (Continued…)

In 2000, Catalytic Software, a global enterprise, began the construction of a massive, self-sustaining complex of domes, that would include attractive, safe areas for living, working and socializing. Located on 50 acres in Hyderabad, India’s hi-tech hub, this city of 4000 domes, mostly EcoShells, is called New Oroville. (Continued…)

Thanks to a new window, developed by Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, the windows in a Monolithic Dome can now be as tornado-safe as the dome has always been. (Continued…)

The Roundup — presenting the latest Monolithic News – December 2011 (Continued…)

For some time now Monolithic has been processing orders for the Just Water Ceramic Drip-Filter designed by the Texas Baptist Men’s Water Ministry. That group travels to war-torn and disaster-devastated areas all over the world, bringing filters with them that provide potable water. Now a pressure system option is available for this filter that makes it faster and better. (Continued…)

The Revolve XeMilo is a hybrid battery charger that can charge just about any device.  Its a hybrid charger because it gets its energy from either the USB charge port, an A/C outlet, or the on-board solar panel.  Before we just throw things online, I like to test them.  This article is my first impression, since I got it last night, I have been able to charge my iPhone, my iPad, and my verizon card. (Continued…)

Dr. Arnold Wilson doesn’t credit human ingenuity for the invention of a dome — he credits the egg. Wilson, who retired after completing a 40-year career as Civil Engineering Professor at Brigham Young University, says, “The egg has always fascinated me. You can see that it’s the shape and structure of the shell that gives it its strength. Much the same is true for a dome, and I think we borrowed from nature when we began building domes.” (Continued…)

Bruco, Monolithic’s Airform factory, is now more energy-efficient than it has ever been! Reason: A silent wind generator installed atop Bruco not only captures the wind and makes electricity, but does it silently. This video, made with a camera equipped with a high-quality shotgun microphone, demonstrates the quiet. When outside, the microphone captures the sounds of both the wind and the freeway. But inside, all is quiet – no noise or vibrations produced by the wind generator. (Continued…)

After reviewing the FEMA requirements for a structure capable of providing a safe shelter for people in areas where hurricanes and tornados represent a real danger, the Monolithic Dome, because of its very nature, heads the list for economy and strength to resist extreme loads. (Continued…)

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but the Monolithic Dome comes close. The original cost of a Monolithic Dome is generally less than that of a similar- size conventional building. Often it is much less. Then there is cost recovery. Generally, over a period of twenty years, savings in energy costs will equal the full cost of a Monolithic Dome facility. So, in effect, it becomes free. (Continued…)

We’re learning how to use wind to generate electricity. As challenges go, this is a giant! It’s not easy to harness wind so that it makes electricity. We’re putting an electricity-generating windmill on the greenest of all buildings: the Monolithic Dome. (Continued…)

A home comes in two parts; the first part is the investment. With the investment comes its value as a family domicile, a place of refuge (if it is strong enough to be a refuge), and a place for the family to gather, work, struggle and grow together. The second part of the house is the money pit. That’s the cost of maintenance, fuel, electricity and manpower it takes to maintain and operate a house. The money pit is where you throw hard-earned cash that’s never seen again by you, the homeowner. (Continued…)

As a young man, I recall sitting in church and looking at a large painted mural at the front of our chapel. It depicted the parable of the ten virgins – five wise and five foolish. I knew that the five foolish ones had arrived without sufficient oil while the five wise ones had plenty. I also knew that when the bridegroom showed up, the smarties who came prepared were allowed to go in with him; the others were not. At the time, I didn’t understand that; it all seemed a bit cruel to me. As I matured, I realized that preparedness definitely has its rewards. (Continued…)

Bruco the caterpillar – a.k.a. our Airform manufacturing facility – has been attracting curiosity seekers for decades. “What is it?” they ask. Now that we’ve installed a giant wind turbine on top of one of the caterpillar domes, the questions are sure to come fast and furious. Here are some answers. (Continued…)

Currently, Italy, Texas lacks a pharmacist. If you are a licensed pharmacist and ready to make a serious change in your life, please consider Italy, Texas – home of the Monolithic Dome Institute and a great place to live. (Continued…)

For Nanette South, David B. South’s daughter, years of study and work have culminated in a thesis titled, “A Finite Element Analysis of the Monolithic Dome.” Its ten chapters, figures and tables discuss the history of thin-shell and Monolithic Domes, shell theory, finite element analysis, comparisons of shell theories and a buckling analysis. (Continued…)

When David South founded Domes for the World in 2005, he envisioned the construction of safe, low-cost dome homes for the poorest people on the planet. His vision has turned into reality as EcoShell domes have been built in countries like Indonesia, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Bolivia (Continued…)

Chris Zweifel, now 41 and successfully operating ZZ Consulting, said that he always wanted to be an engineer. The question was what kind since engineering encompasses many branches. “I couldn’t make up my mind – had a hard time figuring it out,” Chris admits. Finally, about the time he began working on his bachelor’s degree, he decided on Civil Engineering. (Continued…)

Monolithic Dome walls are not only good for our environment, safe from natural disasters and cost effective, they’re easy and fun to decorate. Yes, curved walls are finally coming into their own. What decorators used to puzzle over and dread now has them cheering and praising. (Continued…)

Thanksgiving is still a few days away, but we are already giving thanks that HGTV is planning to feature the beloved Hobbit House of Montana on the show Home Strange Home on Thursday, November 24 at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time. Host Chris Grundy will take viewers on a tour of the “magical shire in mystical Montana.” (Continued…)

In 2004, Monolithic designed a dome for DuPont. They wanted a structure that could survive a category 5 (155+ mph winds and 18+ foot surge) hurricane, for their plant in DeLisle, Mississippi. It got tested by Hurricane Katrina. (Continued…)

The Roundup — presenting the latest Monolithic News – November 2011 (Continued…)

With the end of the Mayan calendar just a little more than a year away, The Huffington Post is reporting that interest in doomsday shelters is on the rise. Those who fear the end of the world will occur on December 21, 2012 are also helping bring attention to the Monolithic Dome’s features that make it virtually indestructible. (Continued…)

On their website and with a touch of humor, Major Pandemic describes itself as “not Pandemic” and “not a Major.” What it does do is evaluate products and programs and publish impartial, honest, full reviews of them. Read their comprehensive review of the Just Water Ceramic Filter. (Continued…)

Since early childhood I have felt total awe to the magnificence and splendor of God’s wild elements. (Continued…)

In 1943 Abraham Maslow published his eye-opening paper, A Theory of Human Motivation, that featured a pyramid of human needs. Shelter,, a universal human need fell into the second longest level of this pyramid. But just what was shelter for the average American in 1943 and in the years that followed? For most of us it meant having a roof over our heads – a reliable one that could protect us from the rain, wind, cold and heat. That, however, is no longer true. (Continued…)

St. Mary and St. Mercurius Coptic Christian Church in New Jersey may soon be the first congregation in the state to build a Monolithic Dome. The new structure, which is pending approval from the Belleville Zoning Board, would serve as a youth center. (Continued…)

Hooray! They’re still cheering at Monolithic. Thanks to the cooperation and work of domers scattered across America and a healthy media response, this year’s Tour was a big success. Here’s what we’re hearing from our participants: (Continued…)

Monolithic’s David B. South traveled to South Texas recently for the dedication of the new Eagle Dome at the Woodsboro Independent School District. The new Monolithic Dome, which was financed in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is being billed as a prototype for shelters of last resort in coastal areas, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. (Continued…)