Underground dome house of the family who led geese to fly home

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Published 2019-08-17

Paula and Bill Lishman spent many winters in a poorly-insulated A-frame cabin before realizing they needed to go underground to use the earth’s energy to stay warm, so they knocked the top off a hill, dropped in ferro-cement domes, and covered it up again with dirt.

Thanks to skylights cut into every dome and the white-powdered marble that covers the interior, their earth-sheltered home is naturally well-lit despite being below the frost line.

Fifteen feet below ground, the soil temperature remains about equal to the annual average temperature of the area’s surface air so earth-sheltered homes use sod’s constant temperature to stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Bill Lishman believed in rethinking not just the conventional home, but also how we live. He reimagined his home’s refrigerator by building a round appliance that pops up out of the countertop so the heavier cool air stays inside when opened (via compressed air).

In 1986, Bill Lishman began training Canada Geese to follow his ultralight aircraft and to "teach" the birds migration routes to avoid a threatened extinction. His work on "Operation Migration" brought him popular recognition with the 1996 movie Fly Away Home starring Jeff Daniels.

Paula Lishman also believes in rethinking convention. In 1979 she began her fashion label reinventing the fur trade by using spun fur to knit her clothing.

williamlishman.com/
www.paulalishman.com/

On *faircompanies faircompanies.com/videos/underground_dome_home_fam…

All Comments (21)

@kevinmatthews8980 4 years ago

This lady would make an excellent teacher, I will probably never forget that this house is Earth integrated and below the frost line, at 12-14 inches
@SaltyINnewyorK 4 years ago

Just in case anyone was confused, its earth integrated
@justaleafinthewind8858 3 years ago

That is the coolest fridge I’ve ever seen in my life.
@gopisottomayor 3 years ago

I already thought this was the coolest house in the world and then... she opens the refrigerator!!! Amazing.
@r0ck0nlcrss16 4 years ago

This lady has the world's most interesting house, most interesting fridge, AND most interesting hair-do.
@mcooper9024 4 years ago

I think this house’s architecture deserves some sort of award or recognition for several reasons. Construction, innovation, creativity, who knows how many other; then again what do I know. I think it’s amazing.
@ittybittykittyrescue4843 2 years ago

Can we just talk about the fridge and how after all these years and after her husband has been gone all this time the fridge is still in perfect working condition? Someone needs to bring that fridge to market. What an interesting and inspiring woman she is. What it would have been like to grow up with a mother like her. Simply Amazing! Thank you for sharing her story.
@margaretthompson8694 3 years ago

Am I the only one who loves that interior door? It's so beautiful!
@valeriavagapova 4 years ago

Imagine spending your childhood in a place like that... It must be pure magic.
@StillUp2Date 4 years ago

Gets told that it is earth-integrated 10 times, names the title of the video " underground dome house "
@OnlyLivingOnPurpose 3 years ago

This house is like the The Flinstone meets The Jetsons 😍 her husband had a brilliant mind.
@Sarakate601 3 years ago

Aww, hearing that he died really upset me. Such a creative man. Sad to hear.
@lidwiskadiaz3720 4 years ago

The top reminds me like the teletubies kids show
@youmakeitreal 4 years ago

Fridgerator is the show stealer for me. Absolutley brilliant!
@erinnheintz 3 years ago

The design of this house makes me think of the Lars Farm where Luke grew up in Star Wars. I love it.
@LikeSomeDude 3 years ago

As a construction superintendent for a home building company, Often you guys feature homes that seem cool but are truly a little suspect when it comes to design and utility and make little sense as a place to live. BUT THIS HOUSE is a REAL winner! Maybe the coolest home I’ve ever seen. Bravo to this family!
@bramwellprice8833 4 years ago

This would be the perfect house for people who live in tornado alley
@evobe 4 years ago

the fridge looks straight out of star wars, I like it
@deannaknightmusic 2 years ago

The Lishman family is filled to the brim with love, openness and great creative spirit. I have had the unique pleasure of celebrating life, dining, laughing, dancing, sleeping and even performing in this magical space. Bill and Paula were both such brilliant visionaries who gave the world 3 beautiful children who continue to carry their individual spark of genius into the world. I will be forever grateful for their love and support when we met back in 1999. I live in BC now and miss connecting more often with the whole family in this beautiful sacred space.
@tonyasurman1296 1 year ago

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Lishman before he passed. He toured me around this amazing home and into his metal workshop too. His sculptures are as amazing as his home. He was absolutely infectious, full of energy and ideas. Truly one of the most creative, innovative and tenacious people I have ever met. If you can dream it, you can do it. There was no sense of limitation or negative thinking. He was all about solutions!