In 2003, my grandparents visited my aunt in Canberra. Tragically, her house had been burnt to the ground. On the drive back to Sydney, my grandpa turned to my grandma and asked, "How is it that the Eskimos, who live in an equally harsh and fiery environment, manage to deal with it more successfully than Australians do?" (My grandma was an architect, and my grandpa was a master builder). Shortly after that, the concept for Figloo—a "fire-igloo" family fire shelter—was patented. It was later presented at the Royal Commission’s fireproof building competition, but it did not attract attention.

In 2009, the Fiproshell (fire-proof shell) design was developed and patented, promoted as a fireproof school building. Representatives from the Victorian Government’s education department expressed interest in ordering 20 fireproof school buildings during their first meeting with my grandparents. However, a minor administrative issue made the deal impossible: they required a fire certificate. In 2009, there was no approved bushfire regulation in Australia to comply with. Since then, my grandpa has worked on newer, more advanced versions. Besides the Cool Dome Home, he has designed the Cool Dome School and Cool Dome Motel, which are currently on his computer's drawing board. He is delighted that my cousins and I are helping set up this web page. Approaching 80, he is eager to see the first Cool Dome type building erected.

Last November (2023), we presented our concept and a 3D-printed model of the Cool Dome Home, including the Cool Dome School design, to a panel of six professors at the University of Canberra. The idea not only passed their evaluation but was highly praised. We are now preparing to move forward to the next phase. Once we assess the response, we plan to work with the university to develop the prototype engineering plans and documentation, including obtaining government-required certificates, such as CSIRO's fire certification.

This next stage will require financial support, and we plan to launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the design and production phases. We are committed to seeing DomeHome through to completion and hope to gain the support of individuals and communities who share my grandpa's vision.