METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home

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With its double pane, glass block is extremely strong and energy efficient. The shape of the curved wall increases its strength as well. When the wind hits the glass block wall, it is dispersed around its curves, reducing resistance and damage factors. Pittsburg Corning has even developed a glass block specifically for coastal areas and hurricane strength winds. It‟s encouraging to see companies develop products that address specific safety concerns. Pittsburgh Corning‟s THICKSET® 90 Glass Block and our KWiK‟N EZ® Rigid Track Installation System has passed hurricane impact tests recognized by the International Building Code and Dade County in coastal areas. Which makes it the perfect solution if you want beauty and function that will weather most any storm. THICKSET® 90 Glass Block Functional Benefits � Greater face thickness than standard glass block � Graffiti-resistant, damage-resistant and easy to clean � Noise-resistant � Offers a range of visibility and privacy, depending on pattern chosen � Allows varying degrees of light transmission � Greater security than conventional windows For technical service support and a copy of test reports and approvals, call 1- 800-245-1217 ext. 900. Code Approvals � Meets large missile impact tests referenced in the International Building Code, in accordance with ASTM E-1886 and ASTM E-1996 � Dade County Approval � Texas Department of Insurance Approval Panel Size and Design Pressure Rating � 4 ft. x 4 ft. = 100 PSF Design Pressure � 4 ft. x 8 ft. = 80 PSF Design Pressure � 6 ft. x 6 ft. = 68 PSF Design Pressure Note: Dade County approval for panel size of 4 ft. x 4 ft. at 70 PSF „/.CHILLIN‟ OUT The most complicated issue requiring the most vigorous exertion of mental energy was the heating/cooling system in the dome. Our overall design utilizes solar energy, geo-thermal energy and the 500 tons of thermal mass inherent in the shell that acts as an energy battery. Utilizing knowledge from the last home he remodeled, Mark designed the openings in the dome according to the movement of the sun across the heavens. The openings and windows in the dome are designed to receive solar gain during the winter. But, during the summer months there is no direct sunlight in contact with the windows to introduce unnecessary heat into the dome. Because of the intense humidity on the beach, the duct work in our previous home was a constant source of mold and mildew. Wanting to avoid that dilemma again, we researched and found the Hydro-Air System. Unlike conventional systems that heat or cool by forcing air 71
through large, bulky ducting, hydronic air systems deliver total comfort without any ducting whatsoever. Instead of ducting, insulated Pex plumbing pipe delivers 42 degree chilled water to our 9 individual Hydro-Air units. Hydro-Air utilizes small, efficient hydronic fan coil wall units in each room that distributes cooling energy from a geo-thermal unit or a standard outdoor air conditioning unit. Hydro-Air‟s owner, Tom, was very helpful in our unusual endeavor in marrying the Hydro-Air units with a geo-thermal system. www.bio-radiant.com For its energy saving qualities, we chose to use a Florida Heat Pump geo-thermal unit. Florida Heat Pump was founded in 1969 with the goal of producing the finest water source heat pumps to conserve the Earth‟s energy and to protect the environment. Florida Heat Pumps can reduce your heating and cooling costs by 30% to 60%. An added plus – it could be designed to heat our in ground swimming pool. Unlike other systems that have to create heat to warm the pool, this system takes the same excess energy from the house or earth and transfers it to the pool. A thermostat regulates the temperature of the pool, making this one of the most efficient and effective ways to heat a swimming pool. In the nine years we have lived on Pensacola Beach, we have bought 4 air-conditioning units. Storm surges and salt air reduce an outdoor unit‟s lifetime significantly. The system we installed has the unit‟s components in the ground or inside the house. Adverse environmental conditions will no longer affect the longevity of the unit to such a dramatic extent. The design also reduces outdoor noise and air pollution – always a plus! Florida Heat Pump developed the Vertical Energy System (Closed Loop) that we used. www.fhpmfg.com This system utilizes the natural thermal properties of the earth by circulating water or an antifreeze solution through a closed loop network of plastic pipe that is inserted into vertical wells. The loops cool the water or Freon in the Florida Heat Pump. The Florida Heat Pump then chills the air that is run through the Hydro Air units. We required 7 wells at a depth of 250‟ to run the nine-loop Hydro-Air units. The nine Hydro-Air units cool using 6 zoned thermostats. The ground at 250‟ is a fairly constant temperature of 70 degrees. Because we live on the coast and have a tide each day, any warmth accumulating in the ground is dispersed as the tide arrives. So even when it gets really hot here in the summer, the ground stays cool constantly. Conventional air units use a fan to move ambient temperature air across the condenser coils of the air-conditioner to cool the Freon from a hot gas to a cool liquid. Alternatively, geo-thermal units use the constant ground temperature to bring water or antifreeze across the condensing coils to change the Freon from a hot gas to a cool liquid. Because air temperature can exceed 105 degrees and ground temperature remains a fairly constant 70 degrees, GEO-THERMAL IS 300 TIMES AS EFFICIENT THAN THE CONVENTIONAL AIR UNITS. To grasp the significance of the difference between chilled water‟s and chilled air‟s ability to cool, imagine standing in a pool of 70 degree water. You would lose your body heat quickly. But, a person can stand in 70 degree air all day and not be chilled to the extent of being in the water for just moments. An expected consequence of living on the coast is the permeating odor of mildew and fishiness. Beach structures over a couple of years old have that distinct odor I have come to recognize as hiding mildew. In our conventional house, the duct work always had gunk coming out of the vents even with a bi-annual professional cleaning. Since the Hydro-Air units use plumbing pipe to move the chilled water instead of duct work to move air, another source of the mold and mildew growth is eliminated. In a dome‟s shell, there are limited options for hiding a duct system. We maintained more opportunities for interesting angles and curves in our wall and ceiling designs. One of the avenues for sound travel was eliminated when duct work was not required by the Hydro-Air design. The rooms were virtually sound proof with the polyurethane foam between the walls, concrete floor above and below, and no reverberating duct work transmitting muted conversations. 72
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Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ..
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Our mission is to help reduce the s
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2 HURRICANE IVAN Surviving the Stor
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Fortunately, before I had left for
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ack on the island in our homes; end
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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
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3 Mother Nature's Influence in My L
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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 36 and 37: I compiled our wish list into a sev
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 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
Page 86: The Skybird Lodge would address the
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METAMORPHOSIS: Building the Dome of a Home

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