Couple Brings Mexican Dome Architecture to Arizona
 Patricia Bathurst - azcentral.com
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| | Craftsmen reproduce a Rocky Point symbol | | |
Magdalena Otělora and her husband, Paul Waterman, were in the midst of another casita renovation and development in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, when he had an epiphany for a small business the two could develop in Phoenix.
If you've been to the beach town most Arizonans call Rocky Point, you've no doubt noticed the bright white domes, large and small, that top many homes, bringing a touch of Moorish Spain to seaside Mexico.
The domes are also an architectural hallmark in the city of Guadalajara and throughout the state of Jalisco. Waterman and Otělora had made them a hallmark of their housing renovations and new construction in Rocky Point.
When the elegantly crafted domes proved to be a major selling point with American clients, Waterman decided there could be a commercial and residential market for them in Arizona.
With a career solidly grounded in commercial development focused on shopping centers and offices, combined with more than 15 years of residential experience in Mexico, Waterman felt confident in assessing potential for a value-added product. Besides, "We really wanted a kind of niche business that Magdalena could focus on growing here in Phoenix," he said.
That was more than three years ago. Brick-dome construction in Jalisco is a well-established craft, and like many crafts, is facing a decline in the number of apprentices and new masters. Besides needing a crew willing to work in the United States, they needed to work with U.S. immigration authorities to secure appropriate visas for their crew.
"You need to demonstrate that the workers you're bringing in aren't replacing American workers in any way," Otělora said.
It took more than two years for all of the hearings, meetings and paperwork to be approved. However, Brick Dome Arizona now has five craftsmen from Jalisco with all appropriate visas and work papers.
"We didn't know until well into the process how difficult it might be," Waterman said. "But you absolutely have to do it the right way. Our guys are legal."
"Two are master craftsmen, and three have varying degrees of expertise."
They also needed to secure a contracting license. "No one could decide what type of construction the domes are," Waterman said, "so they (the state Registrar of Contractors) decided we needed a general contracting license."
Since Magdalena would head the company, she needed to take the commercial and residential courses and pass the general contracting exam.
She took the classes ("I was the only woman taking those courses!"), and was one of three in her class to pass the licensing exam on the first attempt.
Brick Dome Arizona was ready for work.
In Phoenix, the domes are always "hidden" construction, with a standard roof fitted over them. But it's inside that the beauty of this construction is seen.
Hand-fired, "soft" bricks are placed in variegated patterns, creating unique, rounded ceiling structures that add lovely texture, pattern and color to foyers, dining areas, corridors, stairwells - anywhere inside that the ceiling is sufficiently high to house the dome.
"Inside, we also do wine cellars and art niches. Our craftsmen also create patio and terrace roofs, unique ramadas, garden niches, and we'll even do creative brick walls," Waterman said.
"It takes our guys about a week to do a dome," he said. |
Vallarta Weddings
Puerto Vallarta Real Estate | February 2008 
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