Building a house is no easy task, especially in a foreign country and especially with unusual materials. But that didn’t scare Kathrin from Austria, who moved to Montezuma, Costa Rica, in search of a quiet life and solitude with nature.
Some time ago she set out to build a domed house, which she said had to be «unusual, unique and stunning.» Well, she succeeded.
Construction began with clearing and marking out the site for the foundation of the future domed house.
«No one here knew about the material I wanted to use or how to build the dome, let alone combine one and the other. I remember the first time I met my contractor, he was wearing dirty work boots and a leather hat. I was fascinated by his personality and humor. When I told him about my project, he laughed and said I was a little crazy. But he was interested in the idea and agreed to help me. My architect friend went to the workshop to learn this construction technique to teach me and my workers.»
«We made all the blocks for the domes ourselves, using a special mixture of concrete and foam from dishwashing detergent, as well as molds we made ourselves.»
«I bought out all the detergent supplies to make the foam and inject it into the concrete mixture.»
«Getting the foam density right was one of the most difficult tasks, so there was a lot of weighing, mixing, destroying blocks and sprouting mold.»
«But in the end it all worked out and we set out to make the 1,200 blocks needed for construction.»
«Most days I got to work with the workers at six o’clock in the morning and often worked alongside them.»
«We ran into a lot of problems, but the guys impressed me with the creative ideas they came up with to improve the process.»
«My heart always starts pounding a little faster when I think of them. They were so dedicated to the project and worked incredibly hard. They weren’t just building a house, they were creating magic.»
«It took longer than expected, I spent more money than planned, and it worked harder than I thought it would. But I really enjoyed it.»
«We were building something outstanding and rumors started flying around town about a strange Star Wars house being built on a hill.»
«A lot of people came up to me and inquired about our construction. These domes definitely got a lot of attention, respect and admiration in the neighborhood.»
«I really enjoyed coming up with design elements and decorations for the house.»
«I’ve done a lot on my own, but I’m also happy that some friends have contributed to the creation of beautiful works of art.»
«Friends helped create the paintings, the wrought-iron doors and windows, and my extraordinary roof that opens to admire the stars at night right from my bed.»
«And now we’re done! I’m overwhelmed with pride and happiness and I still can’t believe what an amazing place we’ve created. And I have so many stories about this project that I just want to tell.»
Catherine named her domed house Green Moon Lodge
Interior of a bedroom at home with wrought iron bars on the windows
Living room of a domed house
Beautiful wrought iron doors
Dome house located in the middle of the jungle, just 3 minutes from the beach
Under the stars of the night sky
