The domes are fully portable (see “A Celebration of Compassion Tour—Pep Rallies for the Human Race!” texts), self-sustaining, models of environmental integrity. They sit approximately five to seven feet above the ground on columns and/or scaffolding to provide an air plenum for heating and/or cooling and to reduce any disruption of the land beneath them. Upon their removal, all that need remain would be footprints and memories. They are constructed entirely of non-flammable materials to ensure the safety of all attendees. Simple, strong and flexible, they can accommodate a wide range of uses from housing to performance and presentation facilities including extensive indoor pyrotechnic displays (see “Theatrical Engineering Notes”).The glazing (a clear, “glass-like” surface) technologies responsible for maintenance of a comfortable environment inside the domes are based upon a single, or double layer, clear polycarbonate plastic, combined with a choice of an electrochromic film assembly, a thermochromic gel assembly or a thermally conductive, electrochromic fluid assembly. (Mechanical, reflective, louvered blind or shade systems are also possible.) The electrochromic and thermochromic assemblies are designed to vary in opacity by either an applied voltage or by a temperature differential, respectively. Each technology has its own advantages and capabilities:
The electrochromic film would require only a single layer of glazing and would be the most precise in terms of control.
The thermochromic gel assembly would be the simplest and would be the best choice for use as a projection surface, but would require two layers of glazing.
The thermally conductive, electrochromic fluid would maintain the glazing at a consistent temperature, thus controlling expansion and contraction. The fluid could be used to transfer the accumulated heat to storage tanks where the heat can be used as a source of energy. Such an assembly would be more complicated in terms of the necessary plumbing and would require two layers of glazing.
The opacity regulation that these choices offer would allow for control over the illumination and solar gain levels inside the facilities: Increasing the opacity of the glazing would reduce the transmission of solar energy, thus reducing cooling requirements as well as reducing interior levels of sun and ambient light. A semi-opaque gel or fluid (or even the polycarbonate itself) could be illuminated by light sources containing dichroic filters thus allowing each panel to be transformed into any color. Finally, by making the glazing opaque, it could be used as a projection surface for presentations and events.
The domes are monuments to both the human condition and the human potential. The intention has been to create the thinnest possible membrane between interior space and exterior world so that an awareness of our essential connection to our loving planet may be recognized and honored. They are designed as resonant chambers that focus, amplify and accelerate transformational and healing energies within the human form through sympathetic and harmonic frequencies and vibrations (see “The Libraries and Research Centers”). These structures, their technologies and their surrounding environments are intended to assist individuals in realizing that our reality is not fixed and immutable, but rather is the result of our belief systems. Thus the available options for the realities we choose to experience are limited only by our imaginations and our dreams. As we change our beliefs, we will see our world change around us.
