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Content CAL-‐EARTH
DOMES

by

Sharis
Daneri
Delgadillo

A
Professional
Project
Presented
to
the

FACULTY
OF
THE
USC
GRADUATE
SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA

In
Partial
Fulfillment
of
the

Requirements
for
the
Degree

MASTER
OF
ARTS

(BROADCAST
JOURNALISM)

December
2011

Copyright
2011

Sharis
Daneri
Delgadillo

Table
of
Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………...…………iii

“Cal-‐Earth
Domes
Script”…………….……………..…………………………………………………………1

ii

Abstract

Bob
Lien,
Mark
Reppert,
and
Lisa
Starr
are
building
earth
domes
using
Super

Adobe
technology
in
San
Bernardino
County’s
Mojave
Desert.
It’s
a
building
method

that
uses
only
earth,
bags,
and
barbed
wire.
The
Super
Adobe
technique
was

developed
by
the
California
Institute
of
Earth
Art
and
Architecture,
a
non-‐profit

organization
in
the
City
of
Hesperia.
The
organization’s
original
focus
was
to

develop
a
way
to
build
emergency
and
semi-‐permanent
shelters
in
third
world

countries
for
people
who
have
little
access
to
resources.
But
it
has
now
become
a

recent
trend
for
alternative
housing
in
Southern
California.

The
documentary
will
explore
the
economic
and
environmental
incentives

that
drove
these
three
southern
Californian
residents
to
build
residential
domes.

Interviews
with
experts
such
as
the
San
Bernardino
County
Official
from
the

Building
and
Safety
Department
and
a
professor
and
structural
engineer
from
the

University
of
Southern
California
describe
how
the
owners
must
first
comply
with

California’s
rigorous
building
seismic
codes
for
the
construction
to
even
begin.

The
purpose
of
this
piece
is
to
document
the
first
Super
Adobe
domes

builders
in
the
United
States
who
have
been
successful
in
complying
with
the
United

States
and
California’s
building
codes.
It
also
touches
upon
the
economic
hardships

that
caused
these
American
owners
to
build
an
earthen
home
that’s
intended
to
be

used
for
third
world
refugees.

iii

“Cal-Earth
Domes”
Script

Opening
sequence
Double
Eco-‐Dome
establishing
shot.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

CG:
Dome
Builder

One
Camera

How
one
lives
in
here?
It’s
very
peaceful.
I
used
to
say
the

word
sacred
or
holistic
and
threw
those
things
around.

But
being
here
it
really
feels
wonderful.
The
external

environment
here
adds
to
that.
It’s
a
bit
like
crawling
into

a
rock.

VO:
Narrator

Wide
shot
of
the
desert

BOB
LIEN
LIVES
IN
LUCERNE
VALLEY,
A
SMALL
TOWN

LOCATED
IN
SAN
BERNARDINO
COUNTY’S
MOJAVE

DESERT.

VO:
Narrator

Bob
Lien
climbing

around
the
roof
of
his

house.

IN
2004,
LIEN
DECIDED
TO
BUILD
HIMSELF
AN

AFFORDABLE
HOME
AFTER
HE
WAS
LAID
OFF
HIS
JOB

AS
A
SOCIOLOGY
ADJUNCT
PROFESSOR.
BUT
IT’S
NOT
A

TYPICAL
HOUSE.
IT’S
MADE
RIGHT
FROM
THE
EARTH

BELOW
IT.

Sot:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

Now
picture
this.
It’s
myself,
my
29-‐year-‐old
son
Lewy

and
my
daughter
Sarah.
We
began,
it
was
hot,
it
was
July

hot.
We
began
with
a
shovel.
I
mean
I’ll
never
forget
these

apps
here
Sarah
and
I
were
literally
going
to
dig
out
by

hand.
After
we
finished
we
thought
we
needed
some
help

here.
We
went
to
get
a
fellow
with
a
backhoe.
And
in

about
three
hours
he
had
the
majority
of
this
footprint

excavated
or
at
least
loosened
up
so
that
we
can
do
the

rest
by
hand.

VO:
Narrator

Elijah
climbing
around

the
roof
of
their
dome

THEY
BUILT
THE
ENTIRE
STRUCTURE
USING
ONLY

EARTH,
CEMENT,
PLASTIC
BAGS,
BARBWIRE,
AND

PLASTER.

BY
2010,
BOB
LIEN
AND
HIS
TEN-‐YEAR-‐OLD

SON
ELIJAH
WERE
READY
TO
MOVE
INTO
THEIR

1

DOUBLE
ECO-‐DOME.

NATSOT:
Bob
Lien

Walks
into
his
bedroom

EACH
DOME
HAS
A
CENTRAL
LIVING
SPACE
WITH

THREE
SMALLER
PODS
THAT
CAN
BE
USED
AS
A

KITCHEN,
RESTROOM,
AND
BEDROOM.

NATSOT:
Bob
Lien

In
his
bedroom

I
love
my
little
room
here.
I
don’t
know
what
to
tell
you

about
it.
Look
how
tiny
it
is,
but
when
you
are
in
here,

these
little
dome
things.
I’ve
said
these
kinds
of
words
to

you
before.
Like
something
other.
Look
how
weird
it
is
up

there.
Like
it’s
funny
and
sensual.

VO:
Narrator

Outside
shots
of
the

windscoop

THE
LIEN’S
HOME
HAS
SOME
UNUSUAL
FEATURES.
FOR

EXAMPLE,
THE
DOME
HAS
NO
CENTRAL
AIR

CONDITIONING
SYSTEM
TO
PROTECT
ITSELF
FROM
THE

HIGH
DESERT
SUN.
INSTEAD,
A
WINDSCOOP
WAS

DESIGNED
TO
CAPTURE
THE
BREEZE
TO
CREATE
WIND

CIRCULATION
INSIDE
THE
DOME.

NATSOT:
Bob
Lien

The
‘windscoops’
allow
air
into
and
out
of
the
domes.
I

think
they
really
add
to
a
venting
effect
in
the
hot

summer
days
and
they
offer
airflow.
They
work
pretty

good.

VO:
Narrator

Inside
shot
of
the
dome

LIEN’S
HOME
LOOKS
A
BIT
LIKE
AN
IGLOO.
SIMILAR
TO

THE
ICY
STRUCTURES,
THE
CONSTRUCTION
CONSERVES

ENERGY
IN
EXTREME
ENVIRONMENTS.
THE
DOME’S

WALL
THICKNESS
INSULATES
IT
AGAINST
EXTREME

HEAT
AND
ALSO
KEEPS
IT
WARM
DURING
THE

DESERT’S
COLD
AND
SOMETIMES
SNOWY
WINTERS.

2

BUT
BOB
LIEN
DECIDED
TO
BUY
A
HEATER
ANYWAYS.

NATSOT:
Bob
Lien

Bob
Lien
next
to
heater

It’s
a
propane
furnace
and
how
much
I’ll
have
to
use
this

during
the
winter
I’m
not
sure.
I
do
want
to
try
a
friend’s

procedure
of
building
a
passive
solar
frame
to
see
if
I
can

pipe
in
heated
air
as
necessary
when
the
cold
days
of
the

winters
come
to
avoid
using
propane
heat.

VO:
Narrator

Shots
of
the
front
yard

A
COAT
OF
PLASTER
KEEPS
RAIN
FROM
SEEPING
INTO

THE
WALLS.
THE
RAINFALL
IS
DIRECTED
TOWARD
A

LARGE
PATCH
OF
ROCKS
IN
THE
FRONT
YARD.
THE

PATCH
ACTS
LIKE
A
DRAINAGE
SYSTEM,
ALLOWING

THE
WATER
TO
PENETRATE
DOWN
INTO
THE
SOIL

WHERE
IT
WILL
GET
REABSORBED.

VO:
Narrator

Inside
shots
of
double

Eco-‐Dome

THE
DOME
ALSO
HAS
CONVENTIONAL
FEATURES.
IT

HAS
A
SEPTIC
TANK,
PLUMBING,
RUNNING
WATER,
AND

ELECTRICITY.
THE
ENTIRE
STRUCTURE
COST
BOB
LIEN

65
THOUSAND
DOLLARS
INCLUDING
A
FIVE-‐ACRE
LOT,

BLUE
PRINTS,
AND
BUILDING
PERMITS.

VO:
Narrator

Sequence
shots
of
San

Bernardino
track

houses

THIS
COMPARES
TO
THE
CURRENT
AVERAGE
PRICE
OF

A
SINGLE-‐FAMILY
HOME
IN
SAN
BERNARDINO
COUNTY

AT
170
THOUSAND
DOLLARS.
A
HOME
AT
HALF
PRICE

COULD
BE
IMPORTANT
TO
AN
AREA
THAT
IS

SUFFERING
ECONOMICALLY.

IN
2011,
SOME
259
FAMILIES
LOST
THEIR
HOMES

3

DUE
TO
BANK
FORECLOSURES.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

The
Cal-‐Earth
building
process
was
at
least
my
idea
at
the

time
of
being
able
to
buy
something
that
was
affordable.

VO:
Narrator

Wide
shot
of
the
site

followed
up
with
close

ups
of
individual

structures

THE
CALIFORNIA
INSTITUTE
OF
EARTH
ART
AND

ARCHITECTURE
IS
A
NON-‐PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
THAT

DEVELOPED
WHAT
IS
CALLED
SUPER
ADOBE

TECHNOLOGY,
A
BUILDING
METHOD
THAT
REQUIRES

ONLY
EARTH,
BAGS,
AND
BARBED
WIRE.
THE
SITE
IS

LOCATED
IN
THE
CITY
OF
HESPERIA
AND
IS
FILLED

WITH
SEVERAL
ADOBE
STRUCTURES
USED
FOR

RESEARCH
PURPOSES.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

CG:
Chief
Financial

On
Camera

The
point
of
this
is
that
we
want
people
to
build
their

own
home
and
not
have
to
go
take
out
a
mortgage
from

the
bank
and
it
should
be
cost
effective
and
accessible.

VO:
Narrator

Sheefteh
Khalili
on
top

of
dirt
mound

overlooking

construction
process

SHEEFTEH
KHALILI
IS
THE
CHIEF
FINANCIAL
OFFICER

FOR
CAL-‐EARTH.
SHE
SAYS
THE
ORGANIZATION’S

FOCUS
IS
TO
TEACH
PEOPLE
HOW
TO
BUILD
A
SHELTER

FOR
THEMSELVES
USING
AN
ABUNDANT
AND

AVAILABLE
RESOURCE
–
DIRT.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Overlooking
workshop

process

People
need
to
realize
we
are
going
to
run
out
of

resources.
We
are
going
to
run
out
of
lumber
to
build

with.
Half
of
the
people
in
the
world
can’t
even
access

that
type
of
stuff.
We
can’t
always
continue
to
rely
on

that.
And
the
earth
is
the
most
abundant
resource
that
we

have.

4

VO:
Narrator

Wide
shot
of
workshop.

BEING
ABLE
TO
TEACH
THIS
TECHNIQUE
TO
PEOPLE

WHO
HAVE
LITTLE
ACCESS
TO
OTHER
MATERIALS
WAS

THE
ORIGINAL
IDEA
OF
CAL-‐EARTH’S
FOUNDER
AND

SHEEFTEH
KHALILI’S
LATE
FATHER,
NADER
KHALILI.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
Camera

He
was
thinking
about
it
one
day
and
he
said
“what
is

there
everywhere
in
the
world,
that
people
could
access,”

and
all
these
areas
that
I’m
talking
about
are
war
torn

refugees,
natural
disasters.
And
something
that
you
can

find
in
all
those
places
is
sandbags
and
barbwire.
You

know
he
would
say
utilizing
the
materials
of
war
for

peaceful
purposes.

VO:
Narrator

Picture
of
Nader
Khalili

IRANIAN
ARCHITECT
NADER
KHALILI
WAS
EDUCATED

IN
TURKEY
AND
THE
US.
IN
THE
1970’S,
HE
STOPPED

WORKING
AS
AN
URBAN
DEVELOPER
IN
IRAN
AND
SET

OFF
FOR
A
DIFFERENT
KIND
OF
JOURNEY.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Kahlili

Picture
of
Nader
Khalili

He
was
really
miserable
with
that
work,
the
rat
race
of
it

all.
So
with
that
he
closed
down
his
office
and
he
bought
a

motorcycle,
and
he
went
into
the
deserts
of
Iran
to
study

the
different
types
of
architecture.
So
he
spent
years
in

the
desert
studying
and
learning.
He
was
focused
on

adobe
architecture.
And
this
time
was
the
Iranian

Revolution.
So
he
knew
it
was
time
to
come
back
to
the

Unites
States.

VO:
Narrator

Picture
of
Nader
Khalili

ONCE
HE
RETURNED,
HE
BEGAN
WORKING
AS
A

PROFESSOR
AT
THE
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
INSTITUTE

OF
ARCHITECTS.
IN
1984,
A
WINDOW
OF
OPPORTUNITY

OPENED
FOR
HIM.
HE
SUBMITTED
A
PROPOSAL
FOR

NASA’S
“SYMPOSIUM
ON
LUNAR
BASES
AND
SPACE

5

ACTIVITIES
OF
THE
21
ST

CENTURY.”
NASA
PUBLISHED

HIS
PROPOSAL
AND
ASKED
HIM
TO
PRESENT
HIS
IDEA

AT
THE
SYMPOSIUM.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
Camera

1984
was
really
sort
of
an
epic
turning
point
in
what
was

eventually
going
to
become
Cal-‐Earth
because
there
was

a
call
for
papers
from
NASA
for
how
to
build
on
the
Moon

and
Mars.
And
he
decided
to
submit
a
paper
about
how
to

utilize
the
materials
that
are
on
the
moon
or
are
on
Mars

to
build
with
them.
To
pile
up
lunar
soil
and
bring
a
lens

and
use
the
Sun
to
melt
it
and
create
shell
structures.
Or

to
bring
tubing
and
just
suck
in
lunar
soil
and
to
Velcro
it

together
and
create
these
different
types
of
structures.

VO:
Narrator
Shots
of

Cal
Earth
structures

SUBSEQUENTLY,
KHALILI
WAS
INVITED
TO
WORK
WITH

ENGINEERS
AT
LOS
ALAMOS
NATIONAL
LABORATORY

TO
CONTINUE
HIS
RESEARCH.

VO:
Narrator

Shots
of
Cal-‐Earth

structures.

BUT
HIS
RESEARCH
WENT
BEYOND
HIS
IDEA
TO
BUILD

STRUCTURES
ON
THE
MOON
AND
MARS
USING
NATIVE

MATERIALS.

VO:
Narrator

Shot
of
the
Emergency

Shelter
Village

prototype.

THEN,
IN
2003
CAL-‐EARTH
BUILT
AN
“EMERGENCY

SHELTER
VILLAGE”
PROTOTYPE
FOR
A
DIVISION
OF

THE
UN.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Shot
of
Emergency

Shelter
Village

prototype

A
couple
of
years
ago
a
team
from
the
refugee
disaster

relief
portion
of
the
UN
came
here
and
helped
build
some

of
the
emergency
shelters
that
you
see
on
our
site,
and

that’s
why
that
shelter
came
to
be.
We
wanted
to
come
up

with
more
ideas
on
sleeping
pods
and
community
space.

VO:
Narrator

Picture
of
Pakistan

relief
effort

CAL-‐EARTH
ALSO
ORGANIZED
OTHER
INTERNATIONAL

RELIEF
EFFORTS.

6

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Picture
of
Pakistan

relief
effort

We
organized
a
disaster
relief
effort
in
Pakistan
in
2005

after
the
earthquake
that
happened
there.
And
I
think
a

hundred
shelters
were
built
in
Pakistan
at
the
time.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
Camera

The
difficulty
is
that
we
have
very
little
manpower
here

at
Cal-‐Earth.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Students
at
the
Cal-‐
Earth
workshop.

A
lot
of
students
come
and
go
and
we
really
need
the

people
that
we
have
here
to
come
and
teach.
And
that’s

why
we
don’t
necessarily
go
and
do
the
work
on
the

ground.
The
strength
of
the
organization
is
the
training

and
the
teaching
and
preparation.
We
prepare
the
blue

prints,
we
prepare
the
design,
we
prepare
the
techniques,

and
then
we
want
to
take
that
and
send
it
out
with
all

these
people
to
go
out
and
do
the
work.

VO:
Narrator

Emergency
shelter

building
sequence

THE
TRAINING
STARTS
AT
CAL-‐EARTH’S
MONTHLY

WEEKLONG
WORKSHOPS
HELD
ON
THE
SITE
THAT

PEOPLE
PAY
TUITION
FOR.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

You
know,
we
are
really
impacting
people
as
much
as
we

can
with
the
resources
we
have
right
now.
Our
work
is

researching
and
teaching
and
that’s
really
what
we
do.

We
are
not
here
for
people
to
hire
us
and
have
people
do

big
projects
and
make
money.
We
want
to
teach
as
many

people
as
we
can
so
they
can
build
for
themselves
and
for

others.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr
outlining
with

chalk

LISA
STARR
ATTENDED
A
CAL-‐EARTH
WORKSHOP.

SHE

IS
OUTLINING
A
PORTION
OF
BONITA
DOMES,
A
SOON

TO
BE
NINE
HUNDRED
SQUARE-‐FOOT
TRIPLE-‐ECO

DOME
IN
JOSHUA
TREE,
CALIFORNIA.

SOT:
Lisa
Starr

CG:
Dome
Builder

On
Camera

By
the
end
of
the
workshop,
I
was
so
convinced
by
the

end
of
the
week,
I
had
so
much
information
and
I
was

confident
that
I
was
able
to
project
and
commit
to
taking

my
entire
life
saving
and
doing
this
build.

7

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr
building

sequence

LISA
STARR
MAKES
HER
LIVING
AS
A
DRUM
MAKER.

SHE
CHOSE
TO
BUILD
HER
HOME
USING
SUPER
ADOBE

TECHNOLOGY
BECAUSE
OF
ITS
AFFORDABILITY
AND

SELF-‐SUSTAINABILITY.

SOT:
Lisa
Star

Lisa
on
camera

When
it
came
time,
I
had
to
make
come
decisions
about

how
I
wanted
to
live
my
own
life.
Well
I
could
stay
here
in

a
three
thousand
square-‐foot
house
and
have
a
mortgage

of
three-‐four
thousand
dollars
a
month.
And
that’s
a
lot
of

pressure
an
artist.

VO:
Narrator

Mark
Reppert

plastering
his
dome

MARK
REPPERT
ALSO
COMPLETED
A
CAL-‐EARTH

WORKSHOP.
HE’S
IN
THE
PROCESS
OF
BUILDING
A

DOUBLE
ECO-‐DOME.

SOT:
Mark
Reppert

On
Camera

I
needed
a
place
to
live
when
I
retire.
I
didn’t
really
think

how
much
it
would
cost
to
build
versus
a
traditional

house.
The
whole
idea
of
how
long
it’s
going
to
last,
what

I
think
is
a
smaller
impact
of
the
planet
is
what
made
the

decision.

VO:
Narrator

Cal-‐Earth
workshop

building
sequence

YET,
BEFORE
CAL-‐EARTH
STUDENTS
BUILD

ELABORATE
DOMES,
THEY
ARE
FIRST
TAUGHT
TO

BUILD
A
SMALL
SEVEN-‐FOOT
DIAMETER
EMERGENCY

SAND
BAG
SHELTER
THAT
SERVES
AS
THE
BASIS
FOR

MORE
ELABORATE
CONSTRUCTION.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

CG:
Technical
Director

On
Camera

We
are
utilizing
the
most
people
to
be
as
active
as

possible
to
build
a
structure
in
an
emergency
situation.

VO:
Narrator

Mark
Harmon

instructing
students

EIGHT
YEARS
AGO,
MARK
HARMON
WAS
A
CAL-‐EARTH

STUDENT.
NOW,
HE’S
THE
TECHNICAL
DIRECTOR
FOR

8

THE
ORGANIZATION
AND
HELPS
CONDUCT
THE

WORKSHOPS.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Wide
shot
of
students

working

It’s
pretty
simple.
The
idea
is
just
taking
earth
out
in
the

bags
and
constructing
in
place.
So
that
the
process

involves
starting
with
a
level
and
stable
surface.
Putting

the
bags
in
place,
compacting
them
is
key.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Students
digging
up
dirt

The
Earth
came
from
the
site.
We
scraped
it
up
from
the

surrounding
area.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Students
spraying
dirt

with
water

The
water
needs
to
get
at
just
the
right
volume
to
get
at

optimum
compaction.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Barbed
wire
gets
placed

on
bags

Then
we
use
a
piece
of
Velcro
or
barbed
wire
mortar

between
each
layer.
And
that
gives
like
a
Velcro
stick

connection
between
each
layer.
It
also
helps
resist

earthquakes
because
we
have
something
tensile
and

strong
that
you
can’t
pull
apart.

Nat
Pop:
Mark
Harmon
You
see
how
he
placed
the
plastic
in
the
barbwire?
Then

pushed
it
so
that
the
flap
keeps
tight.

VO:
Narrator

Students
using
chain

compass

THE
PLASTIC
BAGS
ARE
PLACED
IN
A
CIRCLE
THAT
IS

MEASURE
BY
A
CHAIN
COMPASS
INVENTED
BY
CAL-‐
EARTH.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Students
using
chain

compass

That
was
one
of
our
instruments
that
we
developed
here.

It’s
like
a
little
mechanical
computer,
very
basic.
One

chain
registers
the
profile
of
the
building
and
the
other

chain
measures
to
where
that
ought
to
be
and
symmetry

is
generated
from
the
center.

SOT:
Mark
Harmon

Almost
finished
shelter

getting
tampered

That’s
layed
down
and
then
we
lay
each
bag.
Each
little

donut
is
just
a
little
but
smaller
until
is
creates
a
dome.

VO:
Narrator

Wooden
frame
gets

taken
out

A
WOODEN
FRAME
IS
PLACED
TO
CREATE
AN

ENTRANCE.
IT’S
REMOVED
ONCE
THE
SHELL
IS

9

COMPLETE.

NATSOT:
Mark
Harmon

Inside
finished
dome

The
real
breakthrough
of
this
is
that
we’ve
been
able
to

build
a
dome
in
a
day
that’s
reproducible.
That’s
not
just

done
artistically
by
feel,
but
by
using
real
instruments.

VO:
Narrator

Completed
Shelter

THE
STUDENTS
COMPLETED
AN
EMERGENCY
SHELTER

IN
EIGHT
HOURS.
THE
FINAL
RESULT
IS
A
SEVEN-‐FOOT

DIAMETER
BEEHIVE-‐SHAPED
SHELL
MADE
OF
FIVE

HUNDRED
BAGS
FILLED
WITH
COMPACTED
EARTH.

THE
TOP
IS
MARKED
WITH
AN
OPEN
RING
ALLOWING

SUNLIGHT
TO
ENTER.

NATSOT:
Mark
Harmon
It’s
called
a
monolith.
And
it’s
all
the
same
geometry.
Say

we
didn’t
compact
the
earth
efficiently
and
there
was

some
part
of
the
ground
that
settled.
The
rest
of
the

building
would
absorb
that
and
it
wouldn’t
collapse.

NATSOT:
Mark
Harmon
Say
a
palm
tree
and
a
hurricane
came
and
hit
a
brick
wall.

A
building
that
is
curved
and
domed
has
a
chance
of

withstanding
it.
Because
when
it’s
hit,
it’s
not
just
that

point
that’s
taking
it,
the
whole
structure
takes
it
as
one.

VO:
Narrator

Completed
dome

THE
CONSTRUCTION
OF
AN
EMERGENCY
DOME
IS

INTENDED
TO
BE
A
QUICK
AND
EASY
SOLUTION
FOR

PEOPLE
IN
DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES.

VO:
Narrator

Establishing
shot
of

Henry
Roe
at
the

computer

BUT
THE
PROCESS
OF
CONSTRUCTING
RESIDENTIAL

DOMES
IN
SAN
BERNARDINO
COUNTY
IS
MORE

EXTENSIVE.
FIRST,
THE
OWNERS
HAVE
TO
COMPLY

WITH
THE
CALIFORNIA’S
BUILDING
AND
SAFETY

CODES,
SAYS
HENRY
ROE.

HE
WAS
THE
BUILDING

10

OFFICIAL
FOR
THE
SAN
BERNARDINO
COUNTY

DEPARTMENT
OF
BUILDING
AND
SAFETY
WHO
IS
NOW

RETIRED.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

On
Camera

Well
the
codes
are
adopted
by
the
state
of
California
are

enforced
by
the
local
jurisdiction,
which
is
the
safety
and

building
division
here
in
this
case.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

On
Camera

Cal-‐Earth
was
actually
subjected
to
very
rigorous

test
standards.
We
look
at
other
types
of
structures

that
is
non-‐standard.
For
example,
straw
bale
houses,

rammed
earth
houses,
tire
houses.
All
those
had
to
go

through
their
plan
check
evaluation
services,
and
have

their
dynamic
and
static
tests
produced
to
prove
that

they
would
meet
seismic
test.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

Lisa
Starr
triple
dome

construction

establishing
shot

So
in
that
case,
Cal-‐Earth
was
actually
subjected
to
a

higher
standard
than
what
these
types
of
building

have
been.
But
some
of
that
can
actually
be
attributed
to

the
fact
that
it
was
an
unusual
shaped
structure
that
not

too
many
had
experience
with.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
camera

We’ve
been
able
to
work
with
the
building
department

very
successfully
over
the
years.
You
know
all
it
takes
is
a

little
persistence.
Obviously
because
this
isn’t
a
standard

for
architecture
that
not
everyone
is
familiar
with.

VO:
Narrator

Hesperia
Park
Lake

ALL
OF
THE
PROJECT
PROPOSALS
HAVE
BEEN
GRANTED

PERMITS
IN
SAN
BERNARDINO.
CAL-‐EARTH
WAS
EVEN

COMMISSIONED
BY
THE
PARKS
DISTRICT
TO
FIX
THE

HESPERIA
PARK
LAKE
USING
SUPER
ADOBE

TECHNOLOGY.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Hesperia
Park
Lake

Here
in
Hesperia,
actually
in
the
mid
90’s
FEMA
hired
Cal-‐
Earth
to
put
edging
structure
into
the
lake
because
the

sides
of
the
lake
were
you
know
falling
apart.
And
it
was

difficult
for
people
to
stand
at
the
edge
to
fish
or
just

stand
near
the
edge.
So
we
were
able
to
create
something

11

like
a
levy
to
hold
in
the
water
and
the
flooding
never

happened.
You
know,
what
do
people
do
to
prevent

flooding,
they
put
sandbags,
and
that’s
exactly
what
this

is.

VO:
Narrator

Henry
Roe
looking
at

double
Eco-‐Dome

blueprints.

BOB
LIEN’S
DOUBLE
ECO-‐DOME
WAS
THE
FIRST
OF
ITS

KIND
IN
SAN
BERNARDINO
COUNTY.
THE
BLUEPRINTS

BECAME
THE
FIRST
SET
OF
STOCK
PLANS
FOR
THIS

TYPE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

Henry
Roe
looking
at

double
Eco-‐Dome

blueprints.

A
stock
plan
is
where
they
gain
the
approval
for
the

structure
and
it’s
not
plan
reviewed
every
single
time.

You
can
use
it
for
a
period
of
time
and
you
don’t
have
to

go
from
the
whole
plan
review
from
start
to
finish.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

Establishing
shot
of
Lisa

Starr’s
triple
Eco-‐Dome

construction
process

There
is
a
lot
of
stuff
that
has
to
be
done
on
a
vacant
lot

before
you
start
building
no
matter
what
kind
of

structure
you
are
going
to
build.
So
you
have
to
provide

for
fire
protections,
you
have
to
provide
for
water,
you

have
to
have
a
property
that
can
be
served
by
a
sewage

disposal
system
either
on
site
or
a
public
sewer
system.

You
can’t
start
building
the
house
and
start
looking
for

the
infrastructure
later.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr
triple
Eco-‐
Dome
construction

process

FIRST,
THE
BUILDING
DEPARTMENT
HAS
THE

BUILDERS
SEND
THEIR
SOIL
TO
A
LABORATORY
TO

MEASURE
ITS
CRUSH
STRENGTH.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

Lisa
Starr
triple
Eco-‐
Dome
construction
site.

They
had
to
meet
certain
standards
in
the
mix
that
fill
the

bags.

Things
have
to
meet
certain
crush
strength
to
make

sure
that
it
would
resist
earthquake
standards.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

We
went
through
that
process
and
it
took
some
time
after

that
to
get
a
particular
mixture
that
had
to
be
approved

by
a
soil
laboratory.
But
we’d
take
out
little
samples
of

soil
to
the
lab
and
they’d
say
that
it
wasn’t
working

because
this
soil
that
we
have
out
here,
as
one
local

grader
called
it,
‘poof
dirt.’
You
just
throw
it
up
and
it

12

‘poofs’
away.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

mixing
the
soil
with

cement.

So
we
tried
pea
gravel,
we
got
a
bucket
of
pea
gravel

mixed
that
we
got
at
our
local
hardware
store.
Mixed
it

and
added
cement
and
then
the
soil
lab
said
yeah.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

cutting
long
bags

ONCE
THE
MIXTURE
IS
READY,
IT’S
STUFFED
INTO

LONG
TUBE-‐SHAPED
PLASTIC
BAGS
THAT
CAL-‐EARTH

MANUFACTURED
TO
MAKE
THE
FILLING
PROCESS

EASIER.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

stuffing
the
long
bags

They
are
made
of
polypropylene.
We
sell
them
in
widths

from
12
to
26
inches
depending
on
the
size
of
your

building.
And
in
different
lengths
all
the
way
from
50

yards
up
to
150
yards
long.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

laying
down
and

tampering
the
bags.

People
say
“but
your
bags
are
not
eco
friendly,
they
are

made
of
plastic.”
And
yes
we
agree,
obviously
plastic
is

not
ideal.
But
it
worked
for
our
purposes
and
it
maintains

the
integrity
of
the
building
for
hundreds
of
years
really.

SOT:
Lisa
Star

On
Camera

We
went
to
Cal-‐Earth
and
we
bought
our
bags.
We
had

ordered
them
and
had
all
our
bags
ready
for
what
we

were
going
to
build.
And
we
took
our
Durango
there
and

all
the
bags
had
fit
in
the
back
of
our
car.
So
we
kind
of

drove
off
chuckling
that
my
entire
house
fit
in
the
back
of

our
Durango.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

using
the
large
metal

compass

LISA
STARR’S
PARTNER,
GABRIEL,
IS
THE
FOREMAN

FOR
THE
TRIPLE
DOME
PROJECT.
HE
WELDED
A
LARGE

METAL
COMPASSES
TO
HELP
WITH
THE

CONSTRUCTION
PROCESS.

NATSOT:
Foreman
The
nice
thing
about
this
is
that
we
don’t
have
to
deal

with
the
chain
on
the
interior.
It’s
all
a
solid
state.
So
it

just
rises
with
the
level
that
you’re
at.
And
then
you

would
stretch
the
height
compass
across.
Get
your

measurement
as
far
as
the
corbelling
is
coming
in.
And

13

you’d
set
it
and
you’d
just
walk
it
around
and
bag
that

layer.
And
I
think
we
really
increased
our
efficiency
and

accuracy
probably
by
as
much
as
twenty
to
twenty
five

percent.

VO:
Narrator

Wide
shot
of
Lisa
Starr’s

triple
dome

construction.

THROUGHOUT
THIS
ENTIRE
PROCESS,
THE
COUNTY

SENDS
SPECIAL
INSPECTORS
TO
PERIODICALLY
VISIT

THE
SITE.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

On
Camera

They
have
an
independent
person
who
verifies
that
the

hidden
parts
of
the
wall
are
constructed
as
the
design

called
for.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

Other
than
the
initial
thing
of
getting
the
plans
approved,

the
county
in
large
was
pretty
good
to
work
with.
The

inspectors
that
came
were
courteous.
I
think
they
really

wanted
us
to
succeed.
I
think
they
see
it
as
a
green

project.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr’s
stuffing
bags

THE
AMOUNT
OF
TIME
IT
TAKES
TO
COMPLETE
THE

LARGE
DOMES
DEPENDS
ON
THE
OWNER’S
FINANCIAL

ABILITY
TO
HIRE
LABOR.

VO:
Narrator

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

tampering
bags.

LISA
STARR
SAYS
SHE
EXPECTS
TO
INVEST
130

THOUSAND
DOLLARS
IN
THE
CONSTRUCTION
OF
HER

TRIPLE-‐ECO
DOME.
OF
THAT,
THIRTY
THOUSAND

DOLLARS
IS
INVESTED
IN
HIRING
A
FIVE-‐PERSON

CREW.
THEY
SLEEP
ON
SITE
AND
ARE
EXPECTED
TO

COMPLETE
TO
THE
SHELL
IN
TEN
TO
TWELVE
WEEKS.

SOT:
Lisa
Starr

On
Camera

Everyone
on
my
crew
has
been
an
alumni
from
Cal-‐Earth

and
they
have
a
passion
for
building
with
earth.
They
are

meticulous
and
they
pay
attention
to
detail.
I
mean
I
am

so
grateful,
and
I’m
so
confident
in
that
the
crew
that
I

have
hired
with
their
experience
of
building
with
these

14

domes
and
the
simplicity
of
it
and
the
intellectual

knowledge
they
have
been
able
to
grasp
by
with
this

technology
which
is
not
that
different
to
understand
and

comprehend.

VO:
Narrator

Inside
Mark
Reppert’s

Incomplete
double
Eco-‐
Dome

MARK
REPPERT
BEGAN
BUILDING
HIS
DOUBLE
ECO-‐
DOME
IN
2007
BUT
HAS
NOT
COMPLETED
IT.
THE

COUNTY
ENFORCED
A
REGULATION
THAT
CAUSED
HIM

A
FINANCIAL
SETBACK.
ACCORDING
TO
COUNTY

REGULATIONS,
A
STRUCTURE
MUST
BE
A
MINIMUM
OF

750
SQUARE
FEET
IF
THE
PLOT
OF
LAND
IS
LARGER

THAN
TWO
ACRES.

SOT:
Mark
Reppert

Inside
incomplete

double
Eco-‐Dome

I
didn’t
want
to
build
a
double.
I
had
to
build
more.
I

couldn’t
get
a
variance.
People
used
to
put
up
little
shacks

on
big
plots
of
land.
At
least
that’s
what
I
was
meant
to

believe.
They
said
if
you
are
going
to
build
it,
it’s
got
to
be

big
enough
for
people
to
live
in
it.
It
doubled
the
cost
of

building
the
place.
The
material,
digging,
the
whole
start

of
the
construction.
Pretty
much
doubled
what
I
was

planning
on
paying.

SOT:
Mark
Reppert

On
Camera

Of
course
we
started
out
at
a
bad
time
early
2008,

when
the
housing
market
was
taking
a
huge
dive.

It
was
impossible
to
get
a
loan.
I
had
the
money

to
start
the
construction,
I
was
hoping
to
get
a
loan,
finish

it,
and
turn
it
into
a
mortgage.
I
borrowed
some
money

initially
from
my
401K.
So
I’m
paying
that
back
in
5
years.

I
ran
out
of
that
money.
Of
course
I
have
an
income,
but

I’m
also
paying
off
the
loan,
paying
child
support
and

trying
to
live.
So
there
is
not
a
whole
lot
left
over
trying
to

spend
here.
So
when
I
get
a
couple
extra
hundred
dollars

I’ll
come
out
here
and
install
a
window
or
buy
a
load
of

cement
or
gravel.

SOT:
Mark
Reppert

Inside
incomplete

double
Eco-‐Dome.

I
was
thinking
that
maybe
we
could
do
it
for
$50,000.
We

didn’t
know
because
no
one
in
the
United
States
had
fully

15

completed
one
at
that
time.
Of
course
Bob
just
finished

his.
He
wasn’t
near
finishing
when
I
started.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

Labor
is
intensive
for
anybody
who
has
done
this,
for

anybody
who
would
like
to
do
this.
I
think
that
the
key
is

community.
I
think
that
the
key
is
having
people
in
your

social
environment,
people
who
support
you
and
work

for
you
for
free.
Otherwise
I
don’t
know
how
you
do
it.

Unless
you
have
a
lot
of
money.
I
think
it
does
work
very

well
with
family,
friends,
people
who
want
to
do
this
type

of
process
and
begin
to
put
something
like
this
up.

SOT:
Lisa
Star

On
Camera

So
this
is
not
a
type
of
technology
that
if
one
were
to

come
into
and
say
well
I
can
come
in
and
do
this

for
really
inexpensive,
you
know
I
can
just
build
a

pod
anywhere
or
a
super
adobe
earth
bag
house,

just
anywhere
for
a
little
money.
I
don’t
think
you

can
go
and
build
anything.
It’s
really
not
a
reality.

If
anyone
were
going
to
step
into
this
and
think
that

they
could
because
it’s
cheapest
way
to
do
it,
it’s

not
the
way
to
go.

SOT:
Lisa
Starr

Lisa
Starr’s
workers

stuffing
bags.

So
I
think
me
and
a
lot
of
folks
that
are
doing
this
and

have
a
lot
of
passion
for
this
type
of
construction
or

structure
technology,
is
that
we
see
the
value
in
building

the
structure
in
this
way
and
it
does
take
a
community
to

do
it.
And
so,
yeah,
I
feel
I’m
part
of
that
leadership
with

my
crew
and
everyone
else
in
this
way
that
we
are
the

earth
builders.

VO:
Narrator
Landscape

shots
of
San
Bernardino

mountains.

THE
SAN
BERNARDINO
DOMES
ARE
FOUND
IN
THE

MIDST
OF
A
RUGGED
DESERT.
THE
AREA
IS
FILLED

WITH
HIGH
WIND
ZONES
AND
SURROUNDED
BY
ROCKY

MOUNTAINS.

VO:
Narrator

Landscape
of
San

Andreas
Fault

THE
SAN
ANDREAS
FAULT
RUNS
THROUGH
A
POTION

OF
THE
DESERT
CLOSE
TO
WHERE
THE
DOMES
ARE

LOCATED.
THIS
MAKES
THEM
VULNERABLE
TO
HIGH

16

SEISMIC
ACTIVITY.

VO:
Narrator

Shots
of
the
tested

structures
on
the
Cal-‐
Earth
site.

IN
ORDER
TO
PROVE
THE
DOMES
CAN
STAND
AGAINST

AN
EARTHQUAKE,
NADER
KHALILI
AND
THE
CITY
OF

HESPERIA
PUT
SOME
OF
THE
DOMES
TO
THE
TEST.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

Shots
of
the
tested

structures
on
the
Cal-‐
Earth
site.

He
wanted
everyone
to
accept
this
not
as
alternative

architecture
but
as
a
solution.
So
he
decided
to
go

through
the
Building
Department
and
make
this
a

streamline
type
of
system.
And
for
years
he
fought
with

the
Building
Department
until
he
finally
convinced
a

private
company
to
come
here
and
do
seismic
testing

here
at
the
Cal-‐Earth.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
Camera

And
they
literally
wrapped
cable
beam
around
the

building
and
tried
to
pull
them
from
their
place
using

cement
trucks
full
of
tons
of
water,
trying
to
pull
them

from
their
place.
And
even
if
the
measuring
tool
had

moved
a
millimeter,
the
test
would
have
failed.
And
it

went
up
to
something
like
15,000
pounds
of
square
inch

of
pressure
and
it
got
to
the
point
that
the
building

equipment
began
to
fail.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

On
Camera

And
so
the
conclusion
was
that
it
met
minimum
code

standards.
And
that
part
has
not
changed.
And
although

the
codes
have
changed,
they
have
not
significantly

modified
the
forces
that
are
hypothetically
applied
to
a

building.

SOT:
Gregg
Brandow

On
Camera

Lots
of
buildings
that
have
been
engineered
don’t

perform
well
in
a
major
earthquake.
As
you
can

see
here
in
our
last
earthquake
here
in

Los
Angeles,
the
buildings
didn’t
perform
well.

In
every
earthquake
you’ve
got
to
learn
some

lessons.
Here
you
have
a
new
structural
system

that
has
never
been
tested
and
there
is
potential
that
it

won’t
perform
well
in
a
major
earthquake.

VO:
Narrator

Walking
through
USC

seismic
laboratory.

GREGG
BRANDOW
IS
A
STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER
AND

17

PROFESSOR
AT
THE
UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA.
HE
HELPED
TO
DEVELOP
A
SEISMIC

TESTING
LABORATORY
AT
THE
UNIVERSITY
AND
IS

ALSO
PART
OF
THE
ENGINEERING
RESEARCH

INSTITUTE,
AN
ORGANIZATION
THAT
STUDIES

EARTHQUAKE
DISASTERS
AROUND
THE
WORLD.

SOT:
Gregg
Brandow

On
Camera

The
building
code
makes
you
design
a
structure

for
a
certain
level
of
force,
which
isn’t
the
force

you
are
going
to
see
in
a
really
big
earthquake.
It’s
kind
of

the
force
you
are
going
to
see
in
a
moderate

earthquake.
I
think
a
single
dome
is
probably
a
safe

structure.
You
start
putting
domes
together
and
you
start

worrying
about
how
one
dome
is
connected
to
the
other.

And
if
you
have
an
earthquake,
how
is
the
relative

movement
from
one
dome
to
another
going
to
perform?

The
closer
to
the
epicenter
the
closer
the
up
and
down

motion.
The
up
and
down
motions
might
be
more
a

problem
to
these
structures
than
the
lateral
motions.

VO:
Narrator

Pictures
of
earthquakes

disasters

HE
SAYS,
HOWEVER,
THE
CURVATURE
OF
THE
SINGLE

DOMES
MAKE
THEM
RELATIVELY
SAFER
COMPARED
TO

THE
WOOD-‐
FRAMED
OR
BRICK
STRUCTURES.

SOT:
Gregg
Brandow

Pictures
of
earthquake

disasters

So,
I’ve
gone
and
visited
the
earthquakes
in
Greece,

Central
America,
Guatemala,
Chile,
and
around
here
in

Southern
California
and
Northern
California.
The
most

common
thing
is
that
the
structures
tend
to
pull

themselves
apart
in
an
earthquake.
Once,
things
start

coming
apart,
things
become
unstable
and
the
structure

collapses.
The
walls
separate
from
the
roofs
and
then
the

roofs
collapse
and
then
the
walls
fall
in.

SOT:
Gregg
Brandow

Bob
Lien
inside

The
curvature
uses
gravity
to
hold
the
structure

together.
So
as
long
as
that
earthquake
isn’t
strong.

enough
to
overcome
that
gravity
force,
then
they
are
very

18

stable
structures.

SOT:
Henry
Roe

On
Camera

We
are
very
careful
about
seismic
safety
here.
They
had

California
registered
engineers
that
were
working
with

them,
they
had
accredited
test
labs,
they
had
special

inspectors
that
we
generally
accepted
as
being
qualified.

It
didn’t
show
signs
of
distress
or
deflection
in
those
tests.

And
that
was
the
basis
for
the
county’s
approval
for
the

structures.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

Now,
can
anything
withstand
the
big
one?
I
think
that

remains
to
be
seen.
I’ve
actually
felt
a
couple
pretty
good

shakes
here.
And
you
kind
of
look
around
and
feel
when

the
earthquake
comes,
are
my
domes
going
to
hold
up?

My
sense
is
they
are
going
to
do
pretty
well.

VO:
Narrator

Playing
Video
Games

with
his
son.

BOB
LIEN
HAS
NOW
BEEN
LIVING
IN
HIS
DOUBLE
ECO-‐
DOME
FOR
CLOSE
TO
A
YEAR
WITH
HIS
SON.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

On
Camera

Even
though
we
are
in
the
United
States
and
it

costs
us
far
more
than
what
we
expected,
it’s
still

a
marvelous
alternative
to
ordinary
stick

houses.
That
point
is
brought
home.
When
you

drive
through
Cal-‐Earth
and
you
drive
through
the

little
track
area,
you
can
practically
reach
out
the

window
and
touch
the
home
next
to
you
and
these

little
tiny
boxes,
and
then
you
go
to
Cal-‐Earth
and

you
step
inside
their
Eco-‐Dome
or
their
Earth-‐1and

you
think
what
a
huge
difference
in
structure
and

feeling
and
you
begin
to
understand
in
a
deeper
way,

really
what
this
building
means
to
people.

SOT:
Lisa
Starr

On
Camera

Just
taking
the
earth
herself
and
actually
taking
it
and

manifesting
it
into
a
structure,
that’s
putting
a
dream
into

form
in
reality.
That’s
not
dimensional
and
esoteric.
We

are
literally
seeing
a
vision
and
make
it
out
of
you
know,
a

sustenance
of
the
earth,
her
skin.
It’s
really
a
sacred

element.

SOT:
Sheefteh
Khalili

On
camera

You
know
I’d
really
love
to
see
some
low-‐income

housing
built
this
way.
And
not
only
built
this
way

but
built
by
the
people
who
are
going
to
live
in
it.

19

I
think
it
would
become
an
economic
opportunity

for
people
to
become
trained
builders
and
build

their
own
home
and
provide
so
much
confidence,
and

you
know
really
empower
somebody
in
that
way.

And
they
are
not
going
to
get
stuck
with
the
bank

for
30
years
and
fear
foreclosure.
It’s
really

unfortunate.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

Bob
inside
dome
Eco-‐
Dome.

Hindsight
they
say
is
20/20.
Initially
I
talked
about

the
feeling
I
had.
And
now
that
I’m
here

And
have
done
the
headache,
done
the
work

being
here,
I
do
wonder
whether
I
felt
it
would
be

such
a
powerful
feeling
as
it
really
is.
I
do
use

terms
such
as
sacred
when
you
step
inside
a

dome
there
is
something
there
that
happens.

and
I
think
that
was
part
of
the
motivation.
There

are
alternative
structures
that
Cal-‐Earth
presents.

But
for
me
the
dome
just
feels
right.

SOT:
Bob
Lien

Tilt
up
to
sky
light.

It’s
a
light
lifting
experience.

20

Asset Metadata

Creator Delgadillo, Sharis Daneri (author)

Core Title Cal-Earth comes

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Broadcast Journalism)

Publication Date 12/07/2011

Defense Date 12/06/2011

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Cal-Earth domes,OAI-PMH Harvest,super adobe technology

Language English

Advisor Birman, Daniel H. (committee chair), Brandow, Gregg (committee member), Pryor, Lawrence (committee member)

Creator Email sharis.delgadillo@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-213625

Unique identifier UC11290496

Identifier usctheses-c3-213625 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Delgadillo-451-1.pdf

Dmrecord 213625

Document Type Thesis

Rights Delgadillo, Sharis Daneri

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Bob Lien, Mark Reppert, and Lisa Starr are building earth domes using Super Adobe technology in San Bernardino County’s Mojave Desert. It’s a building method that uses only earth, bags, and barbed wire. The Super Adobe technique was developed by the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture, a non-profit organization in the City of Hesperia. The organization’s original focus was to develop a way to build emergency and semi-permanent shelters in third world countries for people who have little access to resources. But it has now become a recent trend for alternative housing in Southern California. ❧ The documentary will explore the economic and environmental incentives that drove these three southern Californian residents to build residential domes. Interviews with experts such as the San Bernardino County Official from the Building and Safety Department and a professor and structural engineer from the University of Southern California describe how the owners must first comply with California’s rigorous building seismic codes for the construction to even begin. ❧ The purpose of this piece is to document the first Super Adobe domes builders in the United States who have been successful in complying with the United States and California’s building codes. It also touches upon the economic hardships that caused these American owners to build an earthen home that’s intended to be used for third world refugees.