BYU students’ Triple Dome Home is unexpected stop along parade of homes

PROVO, Utah – This year’s Utah Valley Parade of Homes features an unexpected stop among the 31 homes: the campus of Brigham Young University.

That’s where students have built an unconventional residence called the Triple Dome Home.

“This unique home features three interconnected monolithic concrete dome structures, which provides unparalleled durability and energy efficiency,” reads the home’s description.

The students embarked on the project nearly two years ago so they could enter competitions for solar power and sustainability, including the 2023 build challenge that’s part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon.

“It is designed to reduce its carbon footprint, decrease water consumption, and minimize life cycle costs through sustainable design principles and passive construction techniques,” the description goes on to say.

The home totals 850 square feet and has a family room, dining area, full kitchen, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms spread out among the three domes.

“I had been interested in sustainable architecture for a while so when I found out about it I just kind of jumped on it,” BYU student Christian Schimmelbusch said.

The home has been in the works for nearly two years and taught students what they couldn’t learn in the classroom.

“There were countless opportunities for every student on the team to be involved in a really meaningful way,” Schimmelbusch said. “We definitely couldn’t have done it without people, lots of different students and professors stepping in and going above and beyond.”

Schimmelbusch said they never expected to be in the parade of homes.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for people to consider alternative construction methods and also to kind of give us some feedback,” he said. “It feels incredible to have it finally come through.”

Those who stopped by told KSL-TV they were impressed by the unique home and said that it added variety to the home show.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Stephen Wilhite. “I love seeing innovative ideas.”

“I think it was very well organized,” Sandi Wilhite said. “In a tiny amount of space, they managed to get everything in there and that’s impressive.”

The home is transportable and won’t stay on campus for long. Later this year, the three domes will be separated and sent to Southern California for a sustainability competition. After that, it will be sold.

The Utah Valley Parade of Homes runs through June 24. The Triple Dome Home is parade home number 10.