The Monolithic Dome Institute (MDI) advances the construction of the Monolithic Dome—a super insulated, steel reinforced, thin-shell concrete structure. Built worldwide for residential, commercial, and industrial uses the Monolithic Dome is beautiful, energy efficient, green, and strong.

Larry Byrne, Designer.
30 Photos 30

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, we laid to rest our friend and colleague, James Laurence Byrne, in the Sutton Cemetery near Rexburg, Idaho. Larry was a family man, church and community leader, farmer, former Air Force Captain, and a pioneer in the Monolithic Dome industry. For three decades, Larry served as chief designer at Monolithic, where he designed everything from houses to giant storages, developed standardized design elements still used across the dome industry, and consulted with engineers and architects as they worked to become familiar with dome design. … read more

Cutaway diagram of finished Monolithic Dome.
7 Photos 7

David, Barry and Randy South switched on the inflator fans to construct the first Monolithic Dome in April 1976. It was for a potato storage in Shelley, Idaho—105-feet diameter by 35-feet tall, which was pretty ambitious for their first dome. It changed their lives. They patented the process and started changing the world, one dome at a time.

Today, there are Monolithic Domes throughout the United States and the world—from the Arctic to the tropics—used for schools, storages, churches, homes, gymnasiums, safe rooms and much more. There are domes as small as 8-feet to over 340-feet diameter with engineering for even larger structures. … read more

Larry Byrne, Designer.
30 Photos 30

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, we laid to rest our friend and colleague, James Laurence Byrne, in the Sutton Cemetery near Rexburg, Idaho. Larry was a family man, church and community leader, farmer, former Air Force Captain, and a pioneer in the Monolithic Dome industry. For three decades, Larry served as chief designer at Monolithic, where he designed everything from houses to giant storages, developed standardized design elements still used across the dome industry, and consulted with engineers and architects as they worked to become familiar with dome design. … read more

Above the Rest.
7 Photos 7

Greg O’Toole’s company, O’Toole, Inc., in Letts, Iowa, has been in the business of supplying farmers with what they need since 1981. Iowa grows more corn than any other state in the United States, at 2.5 billion bushels of corn a year, and the United States leads in corn production across the world, at 13.7 billion bushels a year, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Greg chose a Monolithic Dome to contain the urea he supplies to keep that corn and other crops growing. … read more

Renewed Facade.
32 Photos 32

Round Tuit Ranch in Polo, Illinois, is for sale. The 2200 square foot, fully remodeled, Monolithic Dome home rests on 3.3 acres of park-like farmland. The home includes an open floor plan with a spacious kitchen and living room, four bedrooms, and two full baths. The acreage surrounding the dome provides a home for horses, too. There are fenced pastures, a 28-foot x 20-foot hay barn, and a 32-foot x 14-foot horse barn with three stalls. … read more

Kauai Resilience Center Sketch.
6 Photos 6

Planning and fundraising for the Kauai Resilience Center is underway. The three-dome disaster response center is designed to house a fire department, police, emergency medical personnel, and public shelters for up to 450 people. Up to 1500 people could take shelter in the center during an emergency. Jill Lowry, director of Anaina Hou Community Park, said that few structures on Kauai could survive winds stronger than a large tropical storm. She warns a hurricane could strike at any time, or a fire could rage, and she wants Kauai to be ready. … read more