DIY Network

Sedona Dome-House: Introduction From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-101

A unique owner-designed dome house near Sedona, New Mexico.

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Each episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes introduces viewers to dreamers and do-it-yourselfers who oversaw the building of their own vacation home and hear about the challenges that they faced.

In this episode of we meet homeowners David Walske and Rick Goldstein and get a first-hand look at their unique geodesic-dome house in Sedona, Arizona.

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David Walske is a computer software designer/developer and lecturer on the topic. Additionally, he is a published fiction author. However, David left those endeavors behind to pursue a new career as a professional magician. Rick Goldstein is a film editor who works primarily on Hollywood studio-film trailers and television spots. They typically make two to three trips a year to their vacation spot and rent the house out the rest of the year.

Homeowner and avid do-it-yourselfer David Walske.

Homeowner Rick Goldstein.

The house they built is on a visually stunning piece of land that borders a national forest. This particular house and location presented quite a building challenge in terms of the geography and slope of the land. In fact, the slope was deemed by some who saw it as "unbuildable." Ultimately, the skeptics were proven wrong (figures A and B).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

"There are several reasons why I wanted to be my own contractor on this home," says David Walske. "First of all, to fulfill the lifelong desire to build my own shelter is kind of a primal desire. There are some very practical reasons as well. What was more important to me was to that in each and every phase of the construction, I was presented with the opportunity to make choices."

And make some serious choices he did. In fact, during the majority of the construction David lived in trailer onsite (figure C) so he could supervise every phase of the project. He undertook some substantial portions of the building himself, and even on portions of the construction that were subcontracted he worked side-by-side with the contractors. That arrangement was something that he had to work out in advance with the companies that were hired.

While David was more involved with the physical building of the dome, Rick Goldstein handled hiring the sub-contractors and dealing with the paperwork -- while still working full-time in Los Angeles as a film editor.

	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Spectacular views of the red-rock formations are a drawing card to this area about two hours drive north of Phoenix, AZ.

Geodesic-dome houses first gained wide popularity in the 1970s. A common perception is that they are easy and inexpensive to build. In some cases that can be correct, but David and Rick took on their project with the intention of building a showplace. The interiors were elaborately planned out and furnished, and the finished design provides for a great sense of interior space (figures D, E and F).

David and Rick did considerable research to find out as much as they could about dome construction before they began building. They found a provider from Minnesota that had a vast amount of experience and resources for this kind of building. "It's very important," says David "to have somebody with the specific knowledge of this specific type of construction -- knowledge that you can't find in books, that you can't just go to the local hardware store and ask about."

In fact, they actually travelled to Minnesota prior to building to finalize their plans and go to "dome building school." This knowledge, and video shot by Rick, helped later as David actually began to piece together the dome structure itself.

In the segment that follows, the do-it-yourselfers discuss preparation of the building site and the foundation.

RESOURCES :

More information on dome houses:

Natural Spaces Domes
Website: www.naturalspacesdomes.com

American Ingenuity Domes
Website: www.aidomes.com

Monolithic Domes
Website: www.monolithic.com

sedonadome.com
Website: www.sedonadome.com

GUESTS :

David Walske and Rick Goldstein
Homeowners
Sedona, AZ
sedonadome.com
Website: www.sedonadome.com