See that stylish motherfucker right there? That's R. Buckminster Fuller, one of the most brilliant visionaries ever to live. These days Tesla is all the rage, and I don't mean to take away from that but the history of our species is replete with geniuses of his caliber, and arguably my man Bucky here was one of 'em.
His contributions were many, from the Dymaxion house and Dymaxion car to his philosophies concerning the universe and the future of work. But what he's best known for is naming and popularizing the geodesic dome/sphere, a structure which represents the strongest enclosure possible for a given volume while using the least possible materials.
Even on the molecular level, this arrangement is ideal with respect to enclosed volume vs strength and material consumption. You may know it better as the "buckyball", a carbon nanosphere with remarkable and promising properties that was everywhere in the news some years ago.
What does this mathematical perfection mean for the home owner? A dwelling which is uniquely resilient against hurricanes, tornados and other strong winds. Which holds up well against earthquakes, which passively heats and cools itself provided points of circulation at the peam and lower rim, and which looks like something out of Logan's Run:
With modern materials, dome houses can look quite attractive while retaining the architectural and environmental benefits mentioned earlier. There was a surge in the popularity of dome houses during the 1970s, accordingly most of the pre-existing dome houses on the market have a somewhat less modern aesthetic to them:
These days one can even purchase geodesic tents, which do a better than average job at heat retention and offer more structural support against wind than the standard backpacker's tent or traditional A-frame. Some ski resorts now offer insulated geodesic dome tents as lodging, with little wood stoves, the exhaust pipe passing up through the membrane.
Geodesic domes are not to be confused with monolithic domes which, while equally handsome, are built in a fundamentally different way. Monolithic domes are erected by inflating a huge dome shaped balloon, then spraying concrete onto it, which is then allowed to dry.
When the concrete finishes drying, the balloon is removed and doorways, windows, and openings for utilities are cut into the hollow concrete shell. One well known monolithic dome house in Florida has survive two hurricans now which demolished every conventional wooden home around it. You'd think the neighbors would learn something from it, wouldn't you?
Whether you fancy geodesic or monolithic, isn't a dome house a more suitable dwelling for the century we live in? You only get one life, why not make it unusual? Something to write home about? Every time we have a decision to make, we can go with what is safe and familiar, or we can forge our own path.
When I'm in a position to seriously consider home ownership, you can bet your ass that I'll "think outside the box", and look for a dome or build my own. Domes are the future of containing things, myself included! :)
