HOUSTON -- Some engineers believe a massive dome over downtown could save Houston from severe weather and heat, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

It seems like an idea from science fiction, a comic book, or even The Simpsons movie -- a 21 million-square-foot dome encompassing a city and insulating it from hurricanes, humidity, and heat.

The Discovery Channel program Mega Engineering recently explored the possibility of a dome that would stretch out over downtown.

It would be made out of Ethylene Tetrofluoro-ethylene or ETFE -- a light, durable material that withstand winds up to 180 mph, which is well above the speed for a Category 5 hurricane.

ETFE is most familiar as the bubble-like surface that covers the Water Cube, the 2009 Beijing Olympic aquatic venue.

Air vents would regulate the temperature and massive doors would allow transportation in and out of the structure. But how realistic is it?

Dilip Choudhuri is a structural engineer with the local firm Walter P. Moore that has built huge projects such as the Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park. Choudhuri said now is the time to think about future solutions like a dome.

"I think it's a great thing," said Choudhuri. "You have to push ahead to the future."

But Choudhuri had his issues with the concept. He had questions about the material's ability to sustain long term damage such as acid rain and fluctuating temperatures.

Choudhuri estimated a project of this magnitude still wouldn't be possible for another half-century and would take billions of dollars to construct.

And Houstonians had their own qualms about living in a dome.

"Not all the time," said Lory Simmons. "It would be great if it was a retractable dome like a sports stadium."