“Innovators live here.” That’s what Leo Gillis said about his neighborhood. This is the Geodesic Dome House. It stands near the old Michigan Central train depot in Detroit. The Geodesic Dome House is unique. It is an unusual building.
The Gillis family built this double geodesic dome home. Parkii Helene Gillis, her husband Leo, and friends created it. The playful structure looks like a giant igloo. It’s painted a bright blue. The Geodesic Dome House stands out in a neighborhood. Nothing else is modern here.
Leo Gillis is Jack White’s brother. Jack White is a musician from the White Stripes, the Dead Weather, and the Raconteurs. The Gillis family home is famous. It’s partly due to his brother’s work. Mostly, it’s because the Geodesic Dome House is hard to miss.
The Geodesic Dome House may be the strongest structure in the city. It is made of steel-reinforced concrete. Domes can withstand fires and earthquakes. They can handle winds of 150 miles per hour. The wind has nothing to catch on its rounded surface. Dome company literature says you could stack four cars on a dome. It wouldn’t even leave a dent.
The Gillis family bought a kit from American Ingenuity. They had to dig trenches and footings. They used heavy machinery to put the triangles in place. There were legal and political challenges too. They needed permits from Detroit politicians. Banks didn’t give loans for dome houses. Parkii Helene Gillis found funding from other sources.
The main dome is 45 feet in diameter. A side dome is 35 feet in diameter. The two domes offer about 4000 square feet of living space. It cost less than $90000 to build. The Geodesic Dome House is cheap to maintain. Plastic tubes pump hot water through the floor. This keeps the inside temperature high at a low cost.
After building the house in 2000 the Gillis family gave tours. Hundreds of neighbors and tourists visited. Leo Gillis loved sharing his home. He wanted to show that innovators live in this neighborhood.
The Gillis family sold the property in 2012. It changed hands again in 2018. As of March 2019 the domes are no longer bright blue.
From Johnson Street you can see the Michigan Central. It is a great view near the houses.
The Geodesic Dome House stands as a testament. It shows what creativity and determination can achieve. It also embodies a spirit of innovation. It is a unique piece of Detroit’s architectural landscape.