First Monolithic Dome Home
A rainbow echos the curvature of the Monolithic Dome home. Overlooking the Snake River, the home sees many wildlife visitors including moose and bald eagles.
The first Monolithic Dome home was built in 1977-1978 by David, Barry, and Randy South for their mother, Marjorie South in Menan, Idaho. The home is 50-feet (15.25 m) diameter with 2700 (250 m²) square feet.
The house has an unusual design. The main entrance is right into the kitchen sink so you can wash up after being outside. A capacious modern island anchors the kitchen, providing plenty of counter space for baking and projects. Having the kitchen at the entrance leaves the living room free to completely embrace the view of the Snake River. An expanse of fourteen windows looks over the river. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a laundry room. The loft increases space for family gatherings. The dome garage is 60-feet (18.3 m) in diameter for three cars. Furthermore, the garage has a large cool room for food storage and additional storage in a loft.
The Menan Buttes are unique volcanic cinder cones, called basaltic tuff cones, formed when hot magma connected with cool fresh water from the Snake River flood plain. Moreover, the Snake River cottonwood forests and waterways support the premier diversity of birds in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. It is not uncommon to see as many as 30 bird species from the home in one day.
An array of windows looks out on the Snake River. This home sees an abundance of wildlife from countless numbers of bird species to mule deer and moose.