A Solid Start: Florida’s Latest Orion-Style Monolithic Dome
We’re back at it in Florida, putting up another Monolithic Dome—this time using an Orion-style design with a stemwall.
Rather than inflating the Airform directly from the ground, we first constructed vertical reinforced concrete walls and added a transition beam before beginning the inflation process. The Orion construction method results in a flat surface for installing windows and doors while also adding some extra height to the structure.
The Airform takes shape atop the sturdy stemwall. The plywood forms will be removed after the dome home’s concrete cures.
After inflating the Airform, the next steps are spraying polyurethane foam on the interior, installing rebar, and then applying the final concrete layer. We’re also using a Transverse Airform on this build, which means fewer seams compared to the traditional polar design.
It’s always exciting to see these domes come together, and this one is shaping up to be a solid, efficient, and beautiful build.
The Airform is fully inflated and secured atop the stemwall, ready for the next phase.