METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home
METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home
I compiled our wish list into a seventeen page document. Implementing several principles of Feng Shui in the design was a priority for us. According to Terah Kathryn Collins, author of The Western Guide to Feng Shui, Feng Shui is "the study of how to arrange your environment to enhance the quality of your life." It is the ancient art of placing external items in a pattern that fosters inner harmony and reflects our desires. Different elements, colors, and objects draw and repel certain energies. In our other homes, we followed her advice and were amazed at the results. With the dome, we even placed the pilings according to their colors. Because I could only find square baqua maps in the books, I contacted Ms. Collins about the Dome of a Home project and she was kind enough to create a baqua map for my round home. Jonathan said he was open to learning about Feng Shui and was willing to let Mark be a cocreator with him on the design of the Dome of a Home. Jonathan was creative and brilliant --- both qualities that made him the best in the business, but also, well, temperamental at times. I say that with the greatest love and humor. Jonathan would repeatedly say to Mark, “I hate your idea, and you want to know why? Because I didn‟t think of it.” So the two of them bounced ideas back and forth with stunning results. With curves beckoning you to peek around the next bend, the house is enchanting and magical. When people walk in the door, I want their response to be one of immediate relaxation, a releasing of the tension in their shoulders, a peaked interest in their surroundings, and an overall sense of well-being and peace to flood their souls. I believe we have successfully achieved this goal. Children of all ages walk in the front door, look up, and then race around the first curved wall to discover what awaits them. They continue the exploration until they have investigated every nook and cranny. The curved spaces must be disconcerting because at least eight out of ten guests find themselves turned around and lost at some point. I think it adds to the magic. All that is missing are the secret passageways and hidden rooms of my childhood imaginings. 35
My adult wish list included bedrooms arranged for maximum privacy and a kitchen area expansive enough to accommodate a large group of people. We wanted the master bedroom to be designed as a sanctuary, not just a bedroom, but a true getaway. As a result, the entire upstairs is the master suite. The rooms are spacious enough to accommodate a king size bed, two couches, two chairs, reading areas, a wet bar, a hot tub, and a loft area with a queen size bed. Every man's dream of a huge garage is fulfilled by the 2000 square foot space underneath the dome. Because we are on the beach, the home has to be elevated. Usually, pilings are placed in a 10 foot grid underneath the houses, but the dome's design has 16 pilings around the perimeter of the dome. Except for the elevator shaft, a clear space exists to use as a party area, garage area, and outdoor kitchen. The walls in this area are painted in murals by a local artist, Thomas Jackson. From the party space, the outdoor swimming pool and hot tub are only steps away. A great way to have fun in the sun and shade! Serenity by the Sea is a magic castle in the sand. “Z” IS FOR VISIONARY We miss our friend, Jonathan, who succumbed to cancer in 2005. In a bizarre twist of fate, we were scheduled to fly to Jonathan‟s memorial on the day Hurricane Dennis hit Pensacola Beach. I can‟t describe how ironic it felt to cancel the trip to the memorial of our friend because we were preparing his “child” for yet another storm. I know he was an anxious architect as he waited for Hurricane Ivan to make landfall the previous year. But, would his perspective be different now he had passed over? I hoped he had “inside information” and would keep this “child” of his safe. Since we would not be attending the memorial service, we wrote our tributes to be read at the service. As a glimpse of the continuing synchronocities that signal milestones reached, I include them below. 36
- Page 2 and 3: Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ..
- Page 4 and 5: Our mission is to help reduce the s
- Page 6 and 7: 2 HURRICANE IVAN Surviving the Stor
- Page 8 and 9: Fortunately, before I had left for
- Page 10 and 11: ack on the island in our homes; end
- Page 12 and 13: for the entire house, so we all sta
- Page 14 and 15: They slept in the parking lot of th
- Page 16 and 17: esistant than its conventional neig
- Page 18 and 19: 3 Mother Nature's Influence in My L
- Page 20 and 21: The winds spawned an F-1 tornado th
- Page 22 and 23: Two hours before the intense impact
- Page 24 and 25: The kitchen trash. 4 HUMBLE BEGINNI
- Page 26 and 27: The cost of submitting the applicat
- Page 28 and 29: equired building codes for the coas
- Page 30 and 31: 6 METAMORPHOSIS The Dome Home would
- Page 32 and 33: In utter shock, I stopped my sobbin
- Page 34 and 35: 7 SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN The
- Page 38 and 39: VALERIE A Tribute to our Friend Jon
- Page 40 and 41: asked him to split his energy betwe
- Page 42 and 43: dangerous boats of debris. Not a si
- Page 44 and 45: 10 TO HURRICANE HELL AND BACK THE U
- Page 46 and 47: arrange for transportation to the n
- Page 48 and 49: SURVIVOR OR VICTIM As Katrina looms
- Page 50 and 51: trenches helping in innumerable way
- Page 52 and 53: I have learned to be mostly unattac
- Page 54 and 55: As I edit this book, I find there i
- Page 56 and 57: Although our counties are now suppo
- Page 58 and 59: Even with all of the heartache, tea
- Page 60 and 61: The SEAPILE piling is placed into t
- Page 62 and 63: The balloon created quite a stir on
- Page 64 and 65: that hold the balloons‟ pieces to
- Page 66 and 67: FLEX-C TRAC, solved our dilemma and
- Page 68 and 69: PRODUCTS SELECTED FOR THE COASTAL E
- Page 70 and 71: DENSGLASS GOLD® EXTERIOR GUARD Den
- Page 72 and 73: With its double pane, glass block i
- Page 74 and 75: Another significant advantage of ea
- Page 76 and 77: We used foam insulation throughout
- Page 78 and 79: frustrated with my family, I rememb
- Page 80 and 81: usiness to be managed." Never have
- Page 82 and 83: Architecture Magazine: Dome Home Su
- Page 84 and 85: 14 THE THUNDER ROLLS The thunder ro
I compiled our wish list into a seventeen page document. Implementing several principles <strong>of</strong> Feng<br />
Shui in <strong>the</strong> design was a priority for us. According to Terah Kathryn Collins, author <strong>of</strong> The<br />
Western Guide to Feng Shui, Feng Shui is "<strong>the</strong> study <strong>of</strong> how to arrange your environment to<br />
enhance <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> your life." It is <strong>the</strong> ancient art <strong>of</strong> placing external items in a pattern that<br />
fosters inner harmony and reflects our desires. Different elements, colors, and objects draw and<br />
repel certain energies. In our o<strong>the</strong>r homes, we followed her advice and were amazed at <strong>the</strong><br />
results. With <strong>the</strong> dome, we even placed <strong>the</strong> pilings according to <strong>the</strong>ir colors. Because I could<br />
only find square baqua maps in <strong>the</strong> books, I contacted Ms. Collins about <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dome</strong> <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Home</strong><br />
project and she was kind enough to create a baqua map for my round home.<br />
Jonathan said he was open to learning about Feng Shui and was willing to let Mark be a cocreator<br />
with him on <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dome</strong> <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Home</strong>. Jonathan was creative and brilliant ---<br />
both qualities that made him <strong>the</strong> best in <strong>the</strong> business, but also, well, temperamental at times. I<br />
say that with <strong>the</strong> greatest love and humor. Jonathan would repeatedly say to Mark, “I hate your<br />
idea, and you want to know why? Because I didn‟t think <strong>of</strong> it.” So <strong>the</strong> two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m bounced ideas<br />
back and forth with stunning results.<br />
With curves beckoning you to peek around <strong>the</strong> next bend, <strong>the</strong> house is enchanting and magical.<br />
When people walk in <strong>the</strong> door, I want <strong>the</strong>ir response to be one <strong>of</strong> immediate relaxation, a<br />
releasing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tension in <strong>the</strong>ir shoulders, a peaked interest in <strong>the</strong>ir surroundings, and an overall<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> well-being and peace to flood <strong>the</strong>ir souls. I believe we have successfully achieved this<br />
goal. Children <strong>of</strong> all ages walk in <strong>the</strong> front door, look up, and <strong>the</strong>n race around <strong>the</strong> first curved<br />
wall to discover what awaits <strong>the</strong>m. They continue <strong>the</strong> exploration until <strong>the</strong>y have investigated<br />
every nook and cranny. The curved spaces must be disconcerting because at least eight out <strong>of</strong><br />
ten guests find <strong>the</strong>mselves turned around and lost at some point. I think it adds to <strong>the</strong> magic. All<br />
that is missing are <strong>the</strong> secret passageways and hidden rooms <strong>of</strong> my childhood imaginings.<br />
35
Change language