I just received a couple more pictures of the form work in progress.  This is the house taken from where the garage will be.

As I look at the preparation from this angle, I envision what is to come:

My new dome home!

Basement Walls

The forms for the basement walls arrived this week.  We are using Logix ICF (insulated concrete forms).  There are a number of companies making ICF, but none of them have an easy system for non-regular corners.  They all seem to be set up for 90 or 45 degree corners, but nothing to handle any other angle.  Another company, ARXX showed me a system, but when it came to the final planning stage, I was told that they no longer make that block.  So, we will stay with Logix.

They look like man-sized (grunt-grunt) Legos and I still have another week of teaching before I can go.  They will be all done before I get to the sandbox job site...*sigh*

Pictures coming when I get them.

At long last, the building has started.  

Well, at least there is a hole in the ground...

and some 2X4s in the hole...

and monster machines dumping...

mud between the 2X4s...

The footings are a bit slow at getting finished.  We have a lot of experience in construction.  However, this is the first geodesic dome any of us have worked on...what did our geometry teacher say about angles x and y being congruent adjacent hypnosis if the square is made of steel...?  There are no square corners!

Speaking of experience, (around 100 years worth, one of us with many years working with concrete, the rest general construction) we have seen what the cold winters will do to houses built on the recommended footings sizes up in the soils and climates of northern Minnesota.  So, we decided to beef up the footings by about two inches in each dimension.  We have a healthy respect for Mother Nature and we know that no man-made object can defeat her, but we hope to at least show that we can put a good fight.