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The Monolithic Dome Institute 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

Overhead View of Gothic Arched Inflated Membrane.

Construction blog and stories from the field, including behind-the-scenes coverage of projects in our Fabric Architecture Plant, Airform inflations, site work, construction photo journals, renovations, how-tos, and more. … read more

The Dome is Almost Fully ReCovered.
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Monolithic has teamed up with Duro-Last Roofing to create a new method for renovating Monolithic Domes. ReCover by Monolithic replaces deteriorating or damaged roofing membranes and restores your investment. When the River Bend Ag domes needed renovation, they received beautiful results with a ReCover by Monolithic facelift. … read more

The Airform Laid out on the Site.
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“…That was an ugly dome. There was no doubt about it. But to me, it was beautiful, sitting there, just off the side of the road in Shelley, Idaho. It meant that the Monolithic Dome was born.” —An excerpt from the autobiography of David B. South, “Think Round: The Story of David B. South and The Monolithic Dome.” … read more

Applying Shotcrete.
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A brain surgeon, an opera singer and a doomsday prepper sit at a table. It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s actually lunch at a Monolithic Dome Builders Workshop. The opera singer wanted something sustainable, the brain surgeon wanted something practical, and the survivalist wanted to know how far back to cut the trees around his property so he could protect it from invading forces. … read more

Sedona Landmark.
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On the edge of Sedona, Arizona, greeting travelers driving the Red Rock Scenic Byway, is Sedona Domes, created originally as “Xanadu of Sedona” in the early 90s. The Arizonan landmark has taken on a new identity with its current owners, Laura Lee and Paul Robear. The couple updated the historic Monolithic Dome home and share it with others via their highly-rated, popular Airbnb. … read more

A National Landmark.
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Turkiye’s new Presidential Symphony Orchestra (or CSO) Concert Hall in Ankara, Turkiye, officially opened in 2021 and has since hosted hundreds of performances by artists from every artistic genre and every corner of the world. It features two Monolithic Domes and has become a symbol of Turkiye’s rich and ever-evolving cultural landscape and is the country’s artistic epicenter. … read more

Embedding Electrical Conduits.
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Electrical wiring is more than power for lights, air conditioning, and toasters. It’s also phone calls, surfing the web, fire alarms, and a surround sound theater—any system where an electrical circuit is needed. With proper planning, wiring a Monolithic Dome—whether it’s a home, school, storage, or storm shelter—is straightforward. … read more

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