War Bonnet Construction-- Alaska

By Freda Grones

According to Ray Ansel, founder of War Bonnet Construction in Soldotna, Alaska, the number one advantage to building a Monolithic Dome in Alaska is a shaky one — earthquakes! "Alaska is in the highest earthquake zone," Ansel says. "We have at least one, somewhere in Alaska–very often." (Officially, Alaska averages 80 earthquakes a month.) "Monolithic Domes successfully survive those shakers."

Ansel ought to know. In his sixteen years in Alaska, Ansel's War Bonnet Construction completed some fifty-one domes, as homes, churches and shops. One of those churches is Trinity Christian Center, a beautiful Monolithic Dome complex, which Ansel pastors.

"I'm an ordained minister," Ansel explains. "That's my primary vocation, and the calling that brought us to Alaska in the first place. Construction is my second vocation." But he believes the ministry and the construction complement each other.

Through pastorates of churches in Utah, Ansel established a reputation as a hands-on pastor — one able to coordinate a construction project and work with the crews. But when an official from the Assembly of God Churches telephoned, proposing the Ansels move to Soldotna — a community in need of a pastor and additional structures — Ansel was not persuaded, but he did agree to visit.

"Soldotna was in the middle of a building program," Ansel says. He describes Soldotna, located 150 miles south of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula, as a beautiful area, with a mild climate similar to that of Salt Lake City. Warm Japanese currents flowing into Cook Inlet create its moderate temperatures.

Currently, some 8000 people live in Soldotna. Its main industries are tourism, king salmon fishing on the Kenai River, offshore oil drilling on 17 rigs in Cook Inlet, and some timber.

Yet, in 1982 when Ansel first visited Soldotna, there were fewer people and less activity. However, growth potential and need were there. "I came to feel it was the Lord's will that we move."

So Ray and Sharon and their four youngest children moved. Their first church was in an unfinished structure that Ansel helped complete. Trinity Christian Center became their second.

"I felt we were called to do something unique in Alaska," Ansel says. "I knew we needed a large, multipurpose structure for our church, but the traditional just would not fly — would not flow. Designs were either impractical for Alaska or far too expensive to build there."

Meanwhile, yet another idea struck him. "I began thinking about a special prayer place," Ansel remembers. "Somewhere quiet, peaceful, warm and secure, where people could go and pray. I had visited such special prayer places — one in a cave, another on a mountain. "But we didn't have a cave and our mountains were too cold," he says. The solution of building a Prayer Village occurred to him, and Ansel began experimenting with urethane foam cut and assembled into small, 8' diameter, igloo-like structures. That worked, but the domes had to be constructed within another structure because of the weather.

Then Ansel learned about Monolithic Domes. Their Airforms and process of interior spraying practically eliminated Alaska's weather as a construction obstacle.

"The Monolithic Dome worked so well for smaller structures, we decided to use it for a much larger one — Trinity Christian Center, 80' diameter, 27' height," Ansel says. (see Roundup, Sept.-Oct. 1994).

In 1995, with its congregation of 100 standing in worship and singing, the church successfully endured a significant earthquake. "We felt the floor move," Ansel recalls, "but no heaving or any serious structural damage." (see Roundup, Sept.-Oct. 1996)

While Ansel may list earthquake survival as the numero uno advantage for constructing Monolithic Domes, rather than traditional, cornered structures in Alaska, he certainly does not see it as the only one.

"Monolithic Domes do not have shingled roofs—therefore no roof damage," Ansel says. "In Alaska, there's a problem with snow and ice damming roofs on traditional buildings. The snow melts, forming giant icicles on the eaves and blocking water flow. Water backs up under and displaces shingles. That's one roof problem. Another is snow loads actually caving in a roof. These situations simply don't exist with Monolithic Domes."

Ansel lists the energy-efficiency of Monolithic Domes as the third advantage. He cites Trinity Christian Center as an example: "Trinity has 8000 square feet. Our natural gas heating averages $72 per month. That's all. Heating a traditional building of similar size would cost $1000 or more per month. We're paying less than one-tenth of that!"

Finally, Ansel gives "an exterior requiring little or no maintenance" as the fourth advantage of Monolithic Domes. "We have no problem with yellowing," Ansel says. "The Airforms stay fresh and clean."

Are there any disadvantages? Ansel hesitates, then says, "I see only one and it's really a design problem. Windows that are set too low get covered with snow, requiring constant shoveling. So, if we want windows in a Monolithic Dome here in Alaska, we have to place them up higher."

War Bonnet Construction's future plans center about a 12-story Titan Hotel, with a swimming dome and convention areas; a village of Monolithic Domes for tourist rental on an 18-acre site; and a subdivision of Monolithic Dome homes on a 5-acre site.

Don't Be Scared — Be Prepared

Alaska's state motto is Don't be scared—Be Prepared. Chuck and Louise Snyder, both Native Alaskans, must have had that motto in mind when they began talking with Ray Ansel and War Bonnet Construction about the Monolithic Dome Home they wanted.

Ansel says, "The Snyders were among our first customers. They bought one of our small igloos, way back when." But the home completed for the Snyders in December 1998, at an estimated construction cost of $185,000, is no small igloo. Overlooking the Kasilof River, it consists of two domes—house and garage—each with a 36' diameter, for a total of 3000 square feet.

The dome home, built with a 9' stem wall, has two stories. Its primary heating system is an oil-fired furnace that heats the water for in-floor, radiant heat. But with thoughts of Y2K, the Snyders had a supplementary heating system consisting of a generator and wood stove placed between the domes that should heat them both.

Fortunately, the Snyders have not had to test this supplementary system, and, quite possibly, may never have to. In January 1999, temperatures plummeted to minus 30 degrees, bringing with them a wind chill of minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit. One evening, Chuck noticed that the water was not as hot as it usually was. But Chuck simply thought they had temporarily overtaxed their hot water supply. The next day, however, they had no warm water. Chuck checked the furnace and discovered they were out of heating oil. At that point, their Monolithic Dome had been without heat for two days. But had it not been for the water going cold, the Snyders still would not have known it.

177 Dome Park Place - Italy, TX 76651
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