Before she passed away, a woman in Winlock, Washington, asked her husband to build her a geodesic dome home. He didn't finished before she died and the land was re-acquired by Cheryl and Steve Streitz, who went to great lengths and expense to complete the orphaned dome.

Today, the Streitzs are selling the six-acre property at 884 N Military Road for $668,000.

From the driveway, you'll see new landscaping and then a cluster of structures with the rounded roof of the dome popping up. Open the front door and your eyes rise to the ceiling. Following along, from one triangular section to another, you'll see skylights assembled into a pentagon.

Geodesic domes were popularized in the U.S. by architect R. Buckminster Fuller after WWII, when a middle-class housing crunch had builders scrambling for new ways to produce affordable homes quickly.

Although wood post-and-beam construction won out, domes continue to be made, most often as temporary shelters with fabric propped up by a metal frame.

Detractors says that although permanent geodesic domes use conventional materials, there is more building material waste. The homes have fewer interior wall lengths of usable space and they typically need customized window and doors or modifications to accommodate standard sizes.

Fans of the shell-like structures spout the benefits: They're energy efficient and offer curves and unconventional living.

"It's a true 'wow factor' when you walk-in," says Cheryl Rosso-Streitz of her two-story dome topped by a cupola that offers 360-degree views of farmland and Mount St. Helens

"When you live in a round house with a modern design, you will soon realize that every room has a view and that the view is always changing," she says. "There is a front door and yard, but there is really no backyard."

The Streitzs' dwelling is a half dome with an open floorplan and 3,190 square feet of living space. The ground floor includes the great room, dining area, kitchen, master suite and two bathrooms. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and another bathroom under 16-foot-tall ceilings.

Large windows, skylights and sliding glass door make the house open and airy.

The galley-style kitchen has granite counters, energy-efficient stainless-steel appliances and custom wood cabinets. Nearby is a breakfast nook and a wet bar with another refrigerator and sink.

Expensive light fixtures and Swarovski crystal doorknobs and pulls are custom. One style of kitchen and bathroom knobs cost $100 each, says Rosso-Streitz.

George Andrews, the construction coordinator who worked on the original design and the upgraded final version, encouraged the Streitzs to add a covered walkway, asphalt and gravel driveways, and cement parking area.

"It all is really functional and looks great," says Rosso-Streitz. "The additions really helped with the exterior to make the dome feature more interesting on the property and now it is more like a compound."

About a third of an acre is devoted to water-saving xeriscape landscaping. A rock yard and planters with low-maintenance plants circle the dome.

The property, which is in Evaline, closer to Napavine than Winlock, also has a three-car garage with a loft that could be an additional apartment.

Rosso-Streitz rented the dome as a vacation getaway through AirBnB last summer and fall.

The reason Airbnb guests were happy, beyond the novelty of the dwelling, she says, is the property is centrally located to Seattle and Portland, as well as Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mount Rainier National Park.

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



