Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley tagged along on a recent tour Grand Meadow's dome schools in southeastern Minnesota. The 96,000 square foot school is touted as the largest of its kind in the country and will serve about 365 students in preschool through 12th grade.
The domes' monolithic construction makes them tornado proof. With the exception of two sky lights the domes will be windowless. The design will help save money on construction and heat. The domes will also use geothermal heating and cooling using liquid pumped through 20 miles of buried pipe.
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LAUREL DRULEY: Until recently, Grand Meadow wasn't known for much more than farming. Now, school leaders all over Minnesota are intrigued by a new development in the bedroom community south of Rochester. Five white domes sit on a stretch of farmland on the edge of town. They look like giant mushrooms. When completed, a purple band will mark the base of each dome. Compared to nearby houses, the new school looks like a UFO that's landed in Grand Meadow.
A group stands in one of five dimly lit domes. Superintendent Bob Kelly tours the domes with members of the Triton School Board. At first, he wasn't sure what to think.
ROBERT KELLY: They quit building round barns in Minnesota. So why would we be doing this? And until you get down here and take a look at it, you don't realize that this is really a pretty neat concept.
LAUREL DRULEY: Grand Meadows school superintendent Bruce Klaehn has given many tours.
BRUCE KLAEHN: In each of the domes except the gymnasium dome, you'll see we're working with a core. This is also one of the ways that it uses space.
LAUREL DRULEY: Each dome is about as wide as half a football field and four stories high. One will house elementary grades, another secondary. The remaining three domes will have space for a cafeteria, a stage, a gym, a computer lab, and administrative offices. One by one, construction workers inflated the dome balloons last fall. Blowers kept the roof up while workers sprayed layers of insulation and concrete inside. Its monolithic construction makes them tornado-proof.
With the exception of two skylights, the domes will be windowless. Klaehn says this will save them money on heat. Often used to store grain or fertilizer, domes are known for their durability, low construction costs, and energy efficiency. Klein explains to his visitors liquid pumped through 20 miles of pipe buried 7 feet underground will provide geothermal heating and cooling.
The 9,600 square foot school is touted as the largest of its kind in the country. It will serve about 365 students in preschool through 12th grades. When Klaehn entered the first dome in its early stages of construction, he noticed an echo.
BRUCE KLAEHN: It was basically solid concrete from top to bottom. And I let out a hoot. And it bounced for 20 seconds. I timed it.
LAUREL DRULEY: Klaehn says carpeting and acoustical spray should absorb most of the echo. About four years ago, Klaehn had to make a decision about the current school building. The original school is 85 years old. The roof, heating, and handicapped accessibility problems were adding up. Like many superintendents across the state, Klaehn thought he had only two options, remodel or build another conventional school.
BRUCE KLAEHN: Everyone knew that we were still going to spend $6.5, $7 million on a project that was still going to leave some of our building 50 years old. And you'd really like to get more bang for your buck, if you will. And so we felt like it's just by far the best use of taxpayer dollar.
LAUREL DRULEY: Initially, he and the school board chose to remodel until a nearby resident inspired them to look into dome construction. Klaehn was skeptical. But after visiting four domes in Arizona, he became a believer.
BRUCE KLAEHN: When you get someone inside and they see how the program space is laid out and they see how well it uses space, then they get very excited.
LAUREL DRULEY: He was impressed with the use of space and the couple million or so dollars he'd save on construction and heat. His next task was convincing taxpayers.
BRUCE KLAEHN: Most of the skepticism and most of the negativity is based on a lack of knowledge. And I think once folks see them, understand how they're built-- and we told some people in the community, we wouldn't just go out and find something in the back of a magazine that we thought would save us a few dollars.
LAUREL DRULEY: Voters passed an $8 million bond issue by a 3-to-2 margin in 1998. The state helped out with a $3 million innovation grant. State leaders hope this may be a model for cheaper school construction. The Grand Meadow Dome School is scheduled to open this fall. Laurel Druley, Minnesota Public Radio, Grand Meadow.