With housing prices going the way they are, families may begin to see communites of Omni-Sphere ?(R) portable domes popping up in the not so far future. Today, World Shelter Corporation of Los Angeles, CA, the provider of the domes, markets the inexpensive, high tech, modular structures as temporary shelter for people of the world. Chris Chamberlain, a student of Architect Buckminster Fuller, was the inventor of the product.

The domes combine the flexibility of a tent with the strength of a building while maintaining structural integrity in a portable, frameless enclosure. Each dome is constructed from 1/8 inch thich concave panels that can be put together by three people in less than four hours. They can be disassembled in two hours. The only tools required for assembly are a wrench, a screwdriver, and a step ladder. Constructed of fiberglass, Lexan or other modern recycled plastics, the domes are also ecologically sound. Basic dome sizes for shelter are available in 14', 17', and 20' diameters, with the 20' dome selling for about $6,500, varying depending on configuration and amenities.

Currently, the domes are used as temporary transitional housing, giving homeless people the stability to access social service, and as emergency shelter for disaster victims. Soon, they will be used as basic shelter for people of emerging nations. The most famous project is the Genesis 1 project in Los Angeles, CA, a temporary, transitional village designed by Jones, & Martinez Architects, Inc., also of Los Angeles. With the homeless now given the shelter and the responsibility that goes along with taking care of the facility, the village has been stated to have created a "safe zone" in the downtown area. Neighboring hotels and other businesses, who originally did not support the project, have changed their minds after seeing how the surrounding area has cleaned up.

Look out for these shelters. Recently, Omni-Sphere ?(R) domes was accepted by the California State Parks for a pilot project in a camp ground near Sacramento, CA. World Shelter is also in the architectural design stage for a spin-off to Genesis 1, with the development of parks in the City of Los Angeles, where homeless individuals will be allowed overnight accomodations, hot showers, and access to social programs. These alternatives that the city will provide will allow them to enforce the laws prohibiting sleeping in the streets and so on, and also offer Landscape Architects another opportunity to beautify our inner cities.

Imagine the possibilities. In addition to the current social benefits that these temporary shelters provide, these structures may one day be the residences of entire communities or an individual's sanctuary on a secluded beach. Today, in the Genesis 1 project of Los Angeles, the residents are the landscapers, with their own gardens and trees and planters enhancing the project and its surroundings. LA's should be adding these shelters to their array of options to make a better tomorrow for us all. LASN