In 1954, an architect and inventor by the name of Buckminster Fuller received a United States patent for what would become his legacy: the geodesic dome. While he technically didn't invent the concept (that would be a German engineer in the 1920s), Fuller is credited for popularizing the building technique, one that uses substantially fewer materials to build a strong, lightweight, and easily assembled structure. While nowadays we see them primarily as planetariums and aviaries, in its heyday the geodesic dome spawned alternative housing communities, housed displaced civilians after World War II, and starred in James Bond films. In the past few decades they've been considered icons of Cold War-era futurism—a geodesic dome immediately and simultaneously summons an air of Space Age efficiency and 1960s communes. Still, with the sudden interest in alternative housing (microdwelling and off-the-grid living, for example), it's possible the rebirth of the geodesic dome may be on the horizon. In any case, dome dwelling is unambiguously fascinating. Here now: all about the rise and evolution of the dome sweet dome:
· All Dome Sweet Dome posts [Curbed National]
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