Could a blend of prefabricated steel buildings and ancient technology be the answer to constructing hurricane-proof structures in Florida?

A Central Florida architect looked at everything when seeking protection against the violent storms that hamper the Sunshine State, and pondered everything on the market - from prefabricated metal building techniques to bunkers.

His choice was a new application of age-old technology. He settled on a steel building conformed into a monolithic dome, a structure favored by Roman architects hundreds of years ago.

"The dome is the structure that is least wind-resistant," he said. "It is strong and it provides the maximum amount of interior space because there are no columns or beams holding up the roof."

The architect is building six of the steel domes.

Miami-based Golden Sands Construction, a building contractor which specializes in disaster recovery, has been around for decades.

The company had an especially busy year in 2004. After the pieces left by four major hurricanes were picked up that year, architects were left with the question: "Why did all the disaster recovery stuff come from Atlanta?"

Clients responded that they had nowhere safe in Florida to store the needed equipment and supplies. One set out to remedy the deficiency.

That raised another question: Where should he build the metal storage buildings? What location would be ideal?

Ultimately, the choice was Lakeland, because from here, they can respond in many directions. It's also on high ground and the average wind speed in a hurricane is the lowest in the state. Moreover, the domes can withstand speeds up to 300 miles an hour.

Golden Sands Construction has disaster recovery relationships with Bank of America, Citibank, Wachovia, BankUnited and Riverside Bank.

Monolithic domes can be designed for a wide range of uses, such as offices, schools, churches, theaters, airplane hangars, factories and residences.

After the steel building frame is erected, workers spray on insulation and concrete from inside the dome. Concrete used is twice the normal strength and reinforced with steel rods.