Sarah's last week!

Goin up fast

Tom gets worker of the day!

Getting closer!

View from the road

Progress...

Random details

Here are the curved tops of the window forms.

Here's our first rough door frame and arched door form installed. This is the doorway into the kitchen from the larger main dome.

We built the wall that I am sitting on in order to buttress the straight wall and vault in the entryway. It will also make a set of steps for climbing to the top of the domes.

These short bags keep the entry way wall straight instead of curved like the rest of the exterior walls. This way the vault over the front door will have something to rest on.

Form for a 12 inch porthole window made from a 5 gallon bucket and with some 2 by 4s attatched.

Visitors! June 2007

We have been very glad to have some people come out and lend a hand recently...

Here's Uncle Rich and Sue getting a lesson.

This crew of Cal Earth apprentices helped us throw down a lotta bags one Sunday morning. Thanks guys!

Jason kicks ass!

Eli and Z

Below grade waterproofing- June 2007

This series of photos shows how we finished plastering the part of the dome that will be below natural grade (underground) and then applied a coat of asphalt emulsion for waterproofing.

Beautiful summer sunrise -- the early hours are the best time to work now that the desert is heating up. The white line marks one foot above natural grade.

Next we put on a smooth coat of plaster using steel trowels.

Coat of asphalt emulsion.

Looks cool...

With that completed we were able to get a machine to backfill all the area surrounding the dome.

Plaster- May 2007

This photos show our first two coats of plastering, which we decided was necessary to start now because the bags are beginning to deteriorate. A big thanks to the folks at Cal-Earth and their apprentices for putting the entire first coat on the exterior!