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Many of our guests have asked about it since it's such a unique property. So we thought we'd give some reference information. The home was built by my dad and mom about 1990. They purchased the three acres the dome sits on in order to build their mountain getaway and eventually retired to live there full time.

My dad was a PHD mechanical engineer, so he absolutely loved the idea of geodesic domes as invented by Buckminster Fuller. The family first built a geodesic dome in Las Cruces in 1980. Then my dad decided we would build another one for their retirement home.

My mom had polio as a child, and when she got older she had trouble navigating the stairs. So my dad designed, built and installed an elevator that goes between all three floors. It still is in operation, but is shut down since guests would need an operating manual just figure out how to use it!

There are many other unique features about the property, as well. It is run entirely on electricity generated from the solar array. There is a 400' well which provides wonderful water. My dad also installed a waste-oil boiler in the basement that for many years provided heat and hot water both from old car oil.

Domes are shipped in "kits" of 60 prefab triangles. There are 30 of one size which make up the six pentagons (5 sided) and 30 of a bigger size which make up five hexagons (6 sided). The triangles in a pentagon are bolted together and then stood up with bracing and then the next pentagon is raised. Then three hexagon triangles are bolted between these two "pents". Then the next pent is raised and three "hex's" and so on until it goes all around the circle. This is called "ringing in" and the structure starts to gain much more stability. That is usually the end of the first day and then the next day the rest of the hex's are bolted in leaving an open pentagon at the top. Lastly, the final five triangles are carefully bolted in place. The triangles are all manufactured on carefully controlled jigs with very tight tolerances - otherwise that last triangle won't fit!

See slideshow of dome construction here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vR2DnumOeVXCWbvqZ6mtw1gt6VaHmxHM9SxuqBEHASU2JhHaWrAyiopDwO0C8cWC-xQqHzWFxNu-RZX/pub?start=true&loop=true&delayms=10000

Another out-of-the-ordinary feature of the house is the walk-in jet tub/shower combo in the master bathroom. This cost more than $5,000 to install. It is unique in that you can walk in, close and secure the door and fill the tub portion for a sit down bath. This was another thing added specifically for my mom's benefit. It can also be used as a traditional shower. It takes a little getting used to, but works well.

Another out-of-the-ordinary feature of the house is the walk-in jet tub/shower combo in the master bathroom. This cost more than $5,000 to install. It is unique in that you can walk in, close and secure the door and fill the tub portion for a sit down bath. This was another thing added specifically for my mom's benefit. It can also be used as a traditional shower. It takes a little getting used to, but works well.

My parents enjoyed restoring old tractors and engines. In fact, you can still see a lot of the old parts they had for different projects when my dad passed away scattered around the property. Slowly but surely we are cleaning all that up - they probably had enough projects to last ten lifetimes! The workshop was amazing with milling machines, lathes, grinders and every other imaginable tool all designed to build impossible to find parts from scratch.

Please don't forget to sign the guest book.