Triangles! Yes, how anti-climactic.This whole post is dedicated to the beauty and genius of the Geodesic dome, which was designed in the 1940's by a man with a wonderful name- Buckminster Fuller.
Buckminster was a cool guy. Funny thing is that he wasn't a very good student, and struggled to grasp concepts in geometry when drawn out on a chalkboard. This is a tad ironic considering his genius in geometry is how he became famous. Kinda reminds me of my bestie Madelyn's blog post on failure..., but back to Mr. Buckminster.
After studying at Milton Academy in Mass., Fuller upgraded to the Harvard experience, which apparently didn't suit him so well. He was expelled from the institution twice: he said himself that he was a nonconforming misfit in the fraternity environment. Only years later did he go back and finish his education. (and receive a total of 47 honorary doctorate degrees)
Fuller created his Geodesic dome while teaching at Black Mou
ntain College in North Carolina. He wasn't the first to think of the concept, that had been done by a Dr. Walther Bauersfeld thirty years earlier. Fuller improved and patented the dome, which is why he receives the recognition.Beyond beauty, the geodesic dome's design is what made it so practical. It was made out of straight slabs of glass of whatnot and put together in the shape of a circle- the circle is important because it is the shape with the least amount of surface area and most volume. This allows for the most enclosed space with in the least amount of materials making it economically and environmentally friendly.
Buckminster also engineered the term "spaceship earth"...he was a cool dude.
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