Flood-proof and able to withstand gale-force winders, modeled after a tooth, this “Dome of a Home” stands up to a storm. Designed by a former dentist, his theory is that the molar is one of the strongest things in the human body, and he built the home with that thought in mind. Their former home was flooded three times in five years, and they watched their main floor of their previous home carried away by storms… that served as the inspiration for their design of their current home. They applied for a grant to rebuild from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and received it, one of only two accepted out of 11,000 applications. Three stories high, 72’ x 54’ long, the curved lines and round shell allow wind and water to move around and underneath the home rather than against it. Homes usually need walls to be 1-2’ thick to withstand wind pressure, but the walls of this home only need to be 3-4” thick. The ground floor is only used for parking. The main floor, the second story, has 3 bedrooms, split-level living room, and kitchen overlooking pool and hot tub. Master bedroom and bath and “honeymoon suite” featuring a deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico are on the third story. The owners have developed a business now around building similar structures. TIME magazine has stated that curvilinear architecture is one of the top one hundred advancements for this century, and have been used by Frank Ghery for the designs of his Guggenheim Museums. For more information see DRAGON SPEED HOMES.
