By: Alexandra Sarimsakci for The Dirt
Life at the Domes certainly looks idyllic. But what many don’t see behind the bubbly homes is all the hard work required to keep the funky, cooperative living space what it is. Even residents often have no idea what they’re signing up for.
The Baggins End Domes—designed, proposed, and built by students in 1972—stand in stark contrast to their immediate surroundings as blocky apartment complexes and gray asphalt give way to lush grass, trees heavy with fruit, and the unmistakable Domes. Fourteen in total.
Residents, or “Domies” as they call themselves, are their own landlords. They’re responsible for land stewardship, financial management, event planning, recruitment and more—purely for the benefit of the collective. All that is truly required of them is rent: $962 per month, per resident for a Dome that houses two.
The Domes are cramped; people share bulk foods, washing machines, and major responsibilities. All of this sounds like a recipe for disaster—a bunch of college students suddenly responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a co-operative living facility. And sometimes it is. But throughout the last half century, Domies have found a way to come together and turn what began as a barren lot into a small slice of paradise.
“I feel very confident in saying that living at the Domes has changed the way I see friendships and relationships. The Domes have made me get closer to people in ways that I never really thought of. Since you’re spending so much time with your neighbors, you get to really start to appreciate their presence in many capacities,” Adriana Arvizu said. “I really value casual, organic interactions, which the Domes were kinda designed for.”
The Domes, built as a five year experiment, have cultivated roughage and relationships for more than fifty years. Both need tended to.
“I didn’t realize before I started living here how much of what you do is just for yourself. Even when you do help others out, you expect reciprocity,” Ryan Wade, UCD class of 2025, told The Dirt. “You can’t have that attitude living at the domes.”
Wade has been a resident for more than two years. A lot of people sign up to live in the Domes because they want friends or because it seems like a cool place to live, he said, without understanding how much work it’s going to be.
Part of the problem facing the Domes right now is new applicants. Without enough strong candidates, the Domes could close. But the Domes also require extensive repairs that need funded. The Domies believe they’ll have a clearer picture of their future by the end of February.
“At the Domes, a key component of success is helping people unlearn the individualistic values absorbed growing up,” Wade said.
One thing that greases the wheels of this process is focusing on developing meaningful relationships with each other. When Domies come together for weekly meetings, rather than having a dry sit-down discussion about all that needs to get done, they hold a potluck dinner. The meals become an opportunity to share important parts of their identities, and get to know each other better.
That’s why Arvizu applied to move in as a freshman.
“I think that overall I changed to really care about spending time with people,” Arvizu said. “I now prefer to share meals instead of eating alone. I love hanging out with people outside on the lawn playing games, listening to music, eating, etc.”
In co-operative living, conflicts do arise. Most often, from misunderstandings. As Domies get to know one another, those conflicts dissipate. Collaborative work is easy when you’re helping friends rather than strangers, they say.
“It’s definitely made me a better person; less spiteful. I always hear about people being annoyed at their roommates for taking their food or leaving the kitchen messy. Here, I want people to have my food—I don’t finish it all on my own anyway,” Wade said. “Giving without expecting reciprocation just makes you happier.”
The Domes are part of the Solar Community Housing Association, a nonprofit in Davis that provides cooperative housing for low-income people.
