By Lou Gathany for AL.com

There are many, many options when choosing a house plan. Building a monolithic dome home may be one of the more unusual choices; however, an insulated reinforced blown concrete structure can become a very custom, very cool space.

Chuck Peters of Menlo, GA designed "Cloudome," his 2400 square foot passive solar living space to perch above the pond on his 54 acres atop Lookout Mountain near Mentone, AL.

Chuck chose to design his dome with the front "cut off" to create an open feeling to bring in natural light and space. Oak siding used to face the front was milled from trees on the property and the interior pine poles also came from his land.

The large central chimney in the great room was created from metal culvert pipes and holds two wood burning stoves. The stacked stone shards of Cherokee slate that surround the chimney were found in Dunlap, TN and it took four people six weeks to install.

There are seven levels inside this dome. Windows and doors are thoughtfully placed so that there is no need to turn on interior lights until the sun sets. Doors and windows can be opened to create cross ventilation for cooling. LP gas is used for cooking and supplying hot water. A small Jotel wood stove in the kitchen is useful for both cooking and heating.

While the cost to build a dome home is approximately the same as building a stick built house, utility and maintenance costs are substantially lower. Chuck's monthly utility bills range from $30 to $60. Another advantage to dome structures is the fact that they meet FEMA standards for protection against natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes. Domes also resist fire, termites and rot.

The basic construction techniques used to create dome structures are pre-set; however, the purchaser may learn techniques to customize the interior spaces by attending a Monolithic Dome workshop. Domes are also practical choices for church, school and business applications. The world's largest monolithic dome structure is the Faith Chapel Christian Center's 61,000 sq. ft dome in Birmingham, Alabama.

Chuck Peters has spent years in advertising, graphic design and for a while operated a distributorship for Italian farm equipment. Currently, his company Cloudland Stained Glass creates custom stained glass commissions working in a 30 foot diameter yurt on his property and he also produces professional videos.

A man of many talents, Chuck, his two Arabian horses and two dogs live comfortably in the tranquility and solitude of this very cool monolithic dome high in the clouds of Menlo, Georgia. The dome is a comfortable, cool and smart choice for creative building design.

For more information on monolithic dome homes and buildings, check out the Monolithic Dome Institute's website.