Odd, Giant Ball Greets Drivers Entering Superior
SUPERIOR — Those who slow down as they enter Superior frequently notice an odd-looking structure on the south side of the road, right in Ally Hing’s backyard. It’s made of steel girders and reinforcing rods, has stood in the same place for almost 20 years, and resembles a giant ball with lumpy sides or an unfinished geodesic dome. It is neither.
Giant Ball Near Superior. Photo Credit: Sam Lowe
Hing says it’s a prototype for the way all new housing should be constructed. He erected the structure to illustrate the use of the basic triangle in building. It stands 20 feet high and centers on the use of tetrahedrons, which Hing says makes the finished product stronger, cheaper to heat and cool, and less expensive. He has patented the procedure and other methods of construction, but is finding limited financial support for his idealistic process.
Potential backers and the curious can see the big black open-air ball on the south side of U.S. 60 on the west edge of Superior.
How is this design different than Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome from the 1950s? There are (or used to be) several geodesic dome homes in New River. I remember a real estate agent telling my father, in 1961, that all new home construction would be in this style within 20 years. Come to think of it, he was also the agent who told Daddy that Phoenix would have a valley-wide freeway system within 10 years, too…. 😉
that’s what I was thinking too, SaraD…it’s a BuckyBall!
It’s HING, not Hinn, Ally Hing, he owns half of Superior, you’d think you guys could get his name right
Well we’re very sorry Jeri. There are humans behind this blog, and occasionally we make mistakes. If you’ve ever made a mistake, I’m sure you can understand. We fixed the typo. Thanks for reading.