OUR PICK: Fairplay Dome Home

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in the round? Well, you can take a gander at a triple-dome home in Fairplay Oct. 16 or 17.
Monolithic Dome homes all across the U.S., including the home in Fairplay, will be open for tours as part of the 10th Annual Fall Dome Home Tour. Admission is free.
Monolithic Domes are steel-reinforced concrete structures known for energy efficiency, durability and strength.

The tour, sponsored by the Monolithic Dome Institute in Texas, is designed to raise awareness about these green buildings.

Fairplay’s 4,000-square-foot home, nestled among trees at 2066 Platte River Drive, consists of a central 47-foot-diameter dome with two 36-foot-diameter domes on each side.

Christened Bristlecone Dome, it resembles a Mickey Mouse hat when viewed from above, set in a nicely treed area with an open view to the mountains and a pond in front.
“People’s first words (when they see the house) are ‘Oh, my gosh,’” says Keith Wortman, owner of the home.

“But then they say it is like stepping into a cathedral, and you get a feel of peacefulness and grandeur — the feeling of comfort will surround you.”

One of the major advantages of Monolithic Domes is their energy efficiency. They can cost as much as 50 percent less to heat and cool than a traditional structure of the same size.
They also meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s criteria for near-absolute protection from tornadoes.

Since Monolithic Domes are made of concrete, they have the added advantages associated with the concrete’s thermal mass, according to the Monolithic Dome Institute.
When the interior of the dome is heated or cooled, the concrete warms up or cools off, and then maintains that temperature for a long time. That means the interior temperature stays relatively constant.

 
With its insulation on the exterior of the building, the dome becomes more immune to temperature swings, and therefore is more energy efficient.

IF YOU GO

See for yourself by taking a tour of Bristlecone Dome with owner Keith Wortman CQ from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 16-17. From Fairplay, go north approximately 1 1/2 miles CQ on Colorado Highway 9 CQ. Go left on County Road 14 CQ. (You will see the domes in front of you as you come down the hill.) Cross the river and turn left on Platte River Drive. Stay left at the fork in the road. Just past the end of the pond, the driveway is on the right between two large boulders.

 
For more information about Monolithic Dome homes and details about Bristlecone Dome, visit www.monolithic.com, or call 1-972-483-7423.

Joy harper, the gazette