The Monolithic Dome Institute (MDI) advances the construction of the Monolithic Dome—a super insulated, steel reinforced, thin-shell concrete structure. Built worldwide for residential, commercial, and industrial uses the Monolithic Dome is beautiful, energy efficient, green, and strong.

Cutaway diagram of finished Monolithic Dome.
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David, Barry and Randy South switched on the inflator fans to construct the first Monolithic Dome in April 1976. It was for a potato storage in Shelley, Idaho—105-feet diameter by 35-feet tall, which was pretty ambitious for their first dome. It changed their lives. They patented the process and started changing the world, one dome at a time.

Today, there are Monolithic Domes throughout the United States and the world—from the Arctic to the tropics—used for schools, storages, churches, homes, gymnasiums, safe rooms and much more. There are domes as small as 8-feet to over 340-feet diameter with engineering for even larger structures. … read more

Above the Rest.
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Greg O’Toole’s company, O’Toole, Inc., in Letts, Iowa, has been in the business of supplying farmers with what they need since 1981. Iowa grows more corn than any other state in the United States, at 2.5 billion bushels of corn a year, and the United States leads in corn production across the world, at 13.7 billion bushels a year, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Greg chose a Monolithic Dome to contain the urea he supplies to keep that corn and other crops growing.  … read more

Renewed Facade.
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Round Tuit Ranch in Polo, Illinois, is for sale. The 2200 square foot, fully remodeled, Monolithic Dome home rests on 3.3 acres of park-like farmland. The home includes an open floor plan with a spacious kitchen and living room, four bedrooms, and two full baths. The acreage surrounding the dome provides a home for horses, too. There are fenced pastures, a 28-foot x 20-foot hay barn, and a 32-foot x 14-foot horse barn with three stalls.  … read more

Kauai Resilience Center Sketch.
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Planning and fundraising for the Kauai Resilience Center is underway. The three-dome disaster response center is designed to house a fire department, police, emergency medical personnel, and public shelters for up to 450 people. Up to 1500 people could take shelter in the center during an emergency. Jill Lowry, director of Anaina Hou Community Park, said that few structures on Kauai could survive winds stronger than a large tropical storm. She warns a hurricane could strike at any time, or a fire could rage, and she wants Kauai to be ready.  … read more

Tambrin Answers Questions.
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At about noon on October 14, 2023, an eclipse slid through the sky, and visitors stared upward, wearing special eyewear provided by Gary Clark of Monolithic. They came from all parts of Texas and from Southern states like Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Alabama. They spilled in from as far northwest as Washington state and from the Midwestern states of Oklahoma and Kansas. They arrived from the Buckeye State, Ohio; the home of the Hoosiers, Indiana; and the Rockies of Colorado. But they hadn’t come to see the eclipse, they came to tour the headquarters of the Monolithic Dome Institute. … read more

Shell House in Summer.
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Monolithic Dome homes are built to last; sometimes, they outlast their creators. The Shell House, designed in the Catskills by architect Seymour Rutkin, began 25 years ago as a light-filled sanctuary and as his dream come true. Since then, it’s become a place of incubation and inspiration for dozens of other dreamers. The Shell House still resonates with sparkling life. … read more

The Claddagh Dome.
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The Claddagh Dome, named for friendship, love, and loyalty, is a Monolithic Dome home for sale located near the DFW Metroplex. The energy-efficient house features 2,274 square feet of space, with an upper level of 1018 square feet and a lower level of 1256 square feet. The south-facing dome rests on two-thirds of an acre of gentle land in Azle, Texas. This suburban town of 13,712, only 14 miles northwest of Fort Worth, calls itself “the Gateway to Eagle Mountain Lake.” The reservoir includes swimming beaches, three public boat ramps, camping, fishing, and water sports.  … read more

First Dome in Typhoon Alley.
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When Typhoon Mawar hit Guam in May 2023, all of Stanley Hall and Linda Tatreau’s neighbors left the area, but Linda decided to stay at Tasi Dome. Stanley had traveled to San Diego, and Linda and her two dogs, Enzo and Thunder, rode out the strongest typhoon to hit Guam since 2002. The couple have been living in Tasi Dome on Guam for the past 11 years, and Linda feels safer there than anywhere else. “It’s strong in storms,” Linda said. “That’s why we built it.” … read more