by Freda
Parker
photos
provided by Jan Pregowski
He especially likes American projects because they provide a daily opportunity to use what Jan calls, "my not-so-good American English." He said, "I learned American English in school. I always liked American English -- not Oxford English. But then I not use it for eleven years, so I forget. But in three months, here, many words come back. So I start to talk in English more and more."
Born in Warsaw, Jan continued living in that beautiful capital until he married. Then, Izabela's aunt offered to sell them a house in Katowice, so the struggling couple decided to move. Making the move and adjusting proved stressful. Industrial Katowice, with its coal mines, steel works and soot-covered buildings is the very opposite of Warsaw, with its wide, immaculate boulevards and gracious architecture. Worse than that, Jan could not find steady work -- only short-term jobs.
When an American visitor told church administrators about Monolithic Domes, they became immediately interested, especially once they heard that the domes were structurally superior and quick to build. After returning to the States, their American friend contacted Barry South, who went to Katowice with even more information about domes.
But despite their wish to build, the church lacked funds. Nevertheless, a deal was struck. The church would finance and send workers from among its congregation to America if, in exchange, they could learn the Monolithic Dome process. The trained workers would then return and build a new dome church.
Once here, Jan worked on projects with Dome Technology and with Monolithic Constructors. He said that the more he worked, the more he learned and the more he appreciated "this new technology I could take back to Poland."
Recently, MCP completed a two-story dome with a 50-foot diameter and 2500 square feet of living space -- the beautiful new home of the Pregowski family. After getting the original plan through MDI, Jan had two of his Polish friends -- an architect and an engineer -- help with design alterations and engineering specifications. Result: a downstairs area encompassing a spacious living room, den, kitchen with storage, bathroom, sauna, laundry, guest room and office; an upstairs with four bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
Apparently, building the dome church did not stimulate much interest. Not so with the house. "People came by bus to see," Jan said. "I don't know how they heard. Some woman called from newspaper. That was the beginning. Many come and they know about the balloon (Airform). I was surprised. People came and they look at each part -- when we inflate, when we spray foam, when we spray concrete."
But getting local government approval for the dome's construction proved challenging. Fortunately, after completing the dome church, Jan had taken the time to show his local building official literature describing that structure. It impressed the official, who, a few years later, remembered Jan and the dome. Jan said, "I take all paperwork to him. Many details. It take few months to get all those details. Finally, only one point left -- I need approval from Building Institute. But to do it, would be mountain of money for me.
When Jan first told Izabela about his dream for a dome home, she was not enthused. She feared concrete would be just too unbearably cold to live in. Jan said that he basically talked her into it. But after just one typical Polish winter of subzero temperatures, Izabela needs no further convincing. Although they use only their fireplace for heat, the family stays cozy warm all winter. In the summer, they block unwanted sun rays by covering their windows, and the dome maintains a comfortable coolness.
Jan said that his family really likes their new home, and that makes him doubly happy, since he thinks of the dome as an answer to a prayer, a dream come true, and the end result of something he loves doing -- building Monolithic Domes.
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