An architect has decided to do his bit for the Oxford skyline by building a seven-metre-high green copper dome by his riverside home.

Adrian James raised eyebrows in west Oxford in 1997 with his construction of a striking steel-framed house in Mill Street, along the bank of the Thames, on the site of a former builders' yard.

Adrian and domeHis latest addition to the house is designed to accommodate the offices of his com- pany, Adrian James Architects, which specialises in unusual, one-off buildings.

The ground floor of the six-metre-square building will be used as a car park and the company offices will occupy the upper floor, under the dome.

The design is space-efficient with a brick staircase to the upper floor winding around a shower. Temperatures under the metal dome will be controlled with a retracting roof and insulation.

Mr James, 38, who lives with his wife, Sarah, and two children, Florence, six, and Barney, five, said Oxford was a natural home for unusual buildings.

"There is a great tradition of domes, spires, and towers in Oxford - this is just another to add to the collection," he said.

"There will be a very special space inside the dome, but, from the outside, it had to be space-symmetrical from all sides and relate to the main house."

The award-winning architect added that the construction costs for his unusual building compared well with those for a more straightforward garage.

Mr James also criticised "unimaginative" architecture.

"It's much more tricky for the carpenters to make something like this but I think modern buildings are often far too banal," he said.

"The Said Business School has a nice square in front of the station but the building is a disappointment - it's very mean and functional.

"People like imaginative buildings and I think my neighbours are rather excited and intrigued by this one."