Skyview Dome House- Harold J. Bissner, 1968

Built in a starkly beautiful desert location, this home by famed architect Howard J. Bissner is a futuristic dwelling that is high drama from the moment it appears on the horizon. It sits, or rather has landed, on a 150 ft. cinder cone where it surveys 60 acres of wild, untamed desert-scape. The house is a dome with slender legs that hug the top of hill. As you snake your way up the drive that spirals around the hill, making your way to the top, your first views of the house are impressive, but not nearly so awe-inspiring as the views of the desert landscape that surround you. Once you reach the top of the hill though, the architecture takes on a more prominent role in your experience. The 2500 sq. ft. structure is composed of massive curved timber beams that form a dome, all open-beam wood on the inside, and covered with a smooth stucco shell on the outside, with arched openings around the entire perimeter of the house. The shell-like dome reaches beyond the outer wall of the house, which is an uninterrupted 360 degrees of glass, to create a deep overhang that shades the interior from the brilliant desert sun. From the interior, these arches frame 360 degrees of breathtaking desert and mountain views, as well a private 4 acre lake and gorgeous sunsets. The rooms of the open-plan interior radiate out from a central service core of natural stone that contains the 2 bathrooms and storage areas. Carved out of the stone cylinder, a fireplace surrounded by a sunken conversation pit is a focal point of the living area. Partial block walls create the spaces for a hallway and two large bedrooms, while leaving the space overhead completely open, emphasizing the loft-like openness of the home. There is also a fully-equipped kitchen, open to the living space, that features original wood cabinetry matching the built-ins that surround the conversation pit. More than a beautiful, comfortable place to live that provides a feeling of shelter and security, this home is a means to transport the occupant to endless views of the mountains, lake, desert floor and hills of ancient volcanic rock. It is fitting then, that it should resemble a space ship. From any of the 18 sliding glass doors, from the 600 sq. ft. sundeck, or from the observation deck at the very top of the dome, the views that this home affords are otherworldly.