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They Huffed and They Puffed, But They Couldn't Blow This House Down

How one dome house survived two hurricanes

[Editor's Note: This press release was submitted by Deborah Razete-Elkins and Glady Fazio. Since this was written, Hurricane Jeanne has visited. According to Deborah, all is well. Although the winds were fierce and there was plenty of flying debris, the dome weathered the storm perfectly -- no denting, tearing or damage of any kind. They have received several invitations for television appearances and other media attention.]

October 13 , 2004

(Stuart, FL -- September 16, 2004) - When they began construction of it two years ago, Deborah Razete-Elkins and Billy Elkins had little idea that their Monolithic Dome house in central Florida would be put to the test so frequently or so thoroughly. Yet, the project, aptly called, "Safe Harbor Dome," has already withstood the wind and rain resulting from Hurricane Charley and a direct hit from Hurricane Frances, and is now ready to face Jeanne, which is currently gathering force in the waters southeast of Florida.

Although the home's interior was not yet fully completed when Charley and Frances blew in, homeowner Deborah Razete-Elkins says 10 members of the couple's extended family gathered there for safety during Hurricane Frances.

"Even though the winds were blowing in excess of 125 miles per hour outside," says Deborah Razete-Elkins, "the dome was quiet inside." As the eye wall was passing over the dome, the guests were enjoying a movie in the dome's home theatre.

The couple designed the dome with the help of a state certified structural engineer, and began construction of it in late 2002.

The construction process included creating a steel-rebar reinforced concrete foundation, upon which was placed a fan-inflated Airform. Three inches of polyurethane foam were applied to the Airform's interior surface, and steel reinforcing bars were attached to the foam. A spray mix of 14,000 psi concrete called, "Shotcrete" was applied, embedding the reinforcing bars and creating a steel-reinforced concrete structure.

"Not only does this process create a structure that's disaster-resistant," says Deborah Razete-Elkins, "it also creates a structure that's energy efficient."

The 3000 square foot home features 10 rooms, including a luxury home theatre that seats 10, a gourmet European kitchen, guest bedroom and home office, guest bathroom, living room, dining room for 12, and a sumptuous 1000 sq ft master suite upstairs. The entire first floor is ADA accessible. There is a 20-foot tall Jamaican waterfall under construction, as well as a pool/spa and outdoor kitchen entertainment screen dome enclosed area. The dome features high tech appliances and an automatic, whole-house generator system with a supply of 8 weeks of off-grid power.

A similar Monolithic home, situated in Pensacola, Florida, survived potent winds and driving rain when Hurricane Ivan made landfall along the Gulf Coast on September 16, 2004. Safe Harbor Dome will be featured in an upcoming national dome tour, which takes place on October 9 and 10, 2004. Deborah Razete-Elkins says she expects more than 5,000 people to visit the home during the two-day event. For more information on that tour, as well as on Safe Harbor Dome project, go to SafeHarborDome.

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