West Campus structure gets
covered in just 20 minutes
Samantha Douty
Editor-in-chief
Crews inflated the roof of the FEMA Dome at the Del Mar College West Campus on Friday afternoon.
Inflation was temporarily delayed while workers removed excess water from the roof. Crews also had to monitor the wind to make sure the roof didn’t rip during inflation.
“There are so many things that you can change in your life that you make mistakes on, but a building is forever,” said architect Brad Cutright. “That’s why all the time and effort put into the project is worth it in the end.”
The entire process, which was supposed to take 5-15 minutes, took nearly 20 because of the complications.
More work is needed before the structure is usable, Cutright said.
“The current roof is only a thin piece of membrane with no structure,” he said. “To create structure a primer will be put on the underside of the roof and reinforced with rods. It will be finished off with pool concrete, shotcrete, and at that point the building is structurally complete.”
Other inside modifications are also needed.
“I most look forward to seeing after construction is the satisfaction of the people using it,” Cutright said. “You go through all this trouble putting this unique building together, and the people make it worth it.”
Click here to see the roof take shape.
