Our new project is a 45 foot diameter 3 story 3600 square foot 6 frequency dome home. We initially started the project about 6 months ago. having already built a 4 frequency 49’ dome we knew that we wanted the triangles to be much smaller. By using smaller triangles labor was easier (the weight of each triangle was substantially less) and the plywood covering on each tiece could be made from one sheet of plywood rather than necessitating 2.

   As with our first dome our main problem, at least initially was getting the plans through the building department. We had decided to do a double dome, one a 45ft diameter residence and the other a 25ft diameter garage. Our first plans were to have the garage unattached. In other words, as a separate building. All the plans were drawn and surprisingly were approved by the building department almost easily. After contracting with out concrete, electrical and plumbing subcontractors we began laying out the foundations for both domes. After all, the plans were signed and stamped by the Duval County Building Department as being approved for a “Residential Dome and Unattached Garage.”

   The plans were for footers to be dug with appropriate rebar. This was done for both domes and an inspection called. The next day the inspector arrived and passed the footer inspection for the residence but failed it for the garage stating that he did not see the foundation plans on the paperwork that was provided to him at the site. I then called the inspector and told him that the full drawings were included in the drawings that he had seen and started on Page 6 titled “Garage Foundation Plans.” He said that he was sorry and that he must have missed them and would be back in the morning to look them over and inspectg the garage footings. We arrived at the site at 7:20 AM with the drawings in hand and sat at the site until noon. The inspector had not appeared. When we called him he stated that he did not see the plans at the site and failed the inspection again. When I informed him that we were there way before his supposed visit and remained there throughout the morning he quickly changed his tact and stated that he failed it because the garage was a separate building and therefore needed a separate permit. I exlained that the permitting department specifically approved the plans as “Residence and Unattached Garage.” He, however remained adamant and would not budge so another trip down to the building department. Here we were told that we now needed to have a separate permit for the unattached garage even though the original permit clearly stated that both had been permitted. Not wanting to waste more time in vain, nor angering the building department even more I asked for a second permit. I was given the proper papers and filled them in. They now looked at the papers and promptly stated that the building was too tall. “Why too tall?”, I asked. There answer was, a Duval County Code states that an unattached garage cannot be higher than 15’ 9”. I explained that due to the dome’s geometry, any round dome height is equivalent to it’s radius (Platoic geomtry) adding the dome to the riser wall would crate a dome that was well over the maximum height of the code. I was then told that I could ask for a variance. THis gave me a glimmer of hope. I asked about the steps involved. Of course, it meant more money. This was not, however the problem. A variance must go in front of a panel of people and the next meeting of this panel was to be in 8 weeks, with no guarantee that they would approve the variance.

   So I went home considering what it would be like to build such a magnificent home and not have a garage. An idea came to me. An attached garage. I quickly redrew the entire project using Autocad and added a 10 foot long 6 foot wide corridor attaching the house to the garage. After several more contortions with the building department this plan was ultimately approved.     (next page)