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Domes for Haiti

This is a grassroots effort in New York to bring geodesic domes to Haiti, built using metal conduit and recycled vinyl. The group is fabricating portable geodesic domes made out of recycled and donated materials from NYC's entertainment & construction industries. The geodesic domes are 17' in diameter, 9' tall in the center, and are large enough to house a family of five.
Open to volunteers: YES
Contact: Lopi LaRoe, info@domesforhaiti.org

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Project Update
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped on this project so far: Serra, Larken, Allyse, Dena, Olivia, Will, Janna, Zach, Margaret, Jim, Christopher, Laura, Duncan, Elizabeth, David, Renee, Catie, Brett, Angie, Margie, Joe, John and Ryan. Thank you so very much.

I met with the owner of a large company whose factory is in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. He is a very intelligent older man who supports the green movement to the utmost. He is dedicated to using the most innovative green technology that is available. They are building a huge green house in the navy yard. He supports artistic expression. He is cool. I think he likes my project. He gave his blessing for his Art Director to work with me on creating a prototype cover to see if it's economically feasible to fabricate the domes in his factory with his machines. I went the day before meeting with The Boss to the factory in BK NY and their RF Welder is enormous. They have auto cutting machines and huge printing machines. So now we have exactly what we needed for this project. An experienced builder and designer. Thanks! He will be working up our new pattern this week and we can hopefully get a dry run done on the prototype by monday, so that we can fabricate it, get all the kinks out of it, and then get a quote on what the job costs and start running it.

The frame struts for ten domes will be ready by the 25th of this month. I will be needing alot of help that week, packing stuff up to be shipped. If you have time on the 26th, 27th, 28th that would be a great help. Also, I am going to need a companion to drive the truck back from Miami for me after I bring the stuff down to be shipped.

I am also still looking for a Kreyol speaking film maker to document this journey to Haiti. We will pay your airfare and a small stipend in cash, if we raise enough at the benefits coming up.

So we are making the real prototype. The first one is, in all honesty, kind of a dud. Sorry! I wasted a whole week on this pattern that just didn't work at all. I feel like an idiot. I wish the learning curve were not so steep on this.

It just sets us back in the whole process. I am keeping my sights on May 1st.

In other news, Eric Klein from Can do called me yesterday and we had a great talk. He offered to ship my domes for me from Miami on a cruise ship! But this buys us back some time because shipping the domes from Yonkers was going to take 18 days. From Miami it takes 2 days. So if I rent a truck and drive the stuff to Miami, I can fly from there. That cuts out some time, some of the time that I lost.

Also, funding. We need donations to buy tools to bring with the dome kits to Haiti. If you donate money through paypal, you can know that your money is going to purchase tools to bring to the people who are rebuilding in Haiti. We have been receiving on average about 1 donation a week and that is not enough to sustain jack. Please send in a donation today, even 20 bucks helps.

Thanks for reading.

– Lopi LaRoe
info@domesforhaiti.org

http://domesforhaiti.blogspot.com

http://domesforhaiti.org

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