Buckminster fuller was born in 1895 and died in 1983 in Los Angeles. He was a prolific designer / inventor. A check of the world-wide-web after typing in ’Dymaxion’ will provide a large resource of information about his efforts, successes and failures. He has been involved in everything from houses and cars to his most famous ‘association’; the ‘geodesic’ dome.
The dome was patented in 1954 and was the embodiment of the principle that a sphere encloses the maximum volume for its given surface area – and perhaps foreseeing the world’s concern over the efficient use of energy – the structure provides the least heat loss. Other designers have used the interlocking structural device in machines like early aircraft but Buckminster-Fuller’s dome is an invention that will remain with us for centuries.
The ‘Witchita House’, made from
aluminium, needed no skilled labour
to erect it – and as a consequence
was of great interest to the military
– and of course the union representatives of those in the building industry. With a rotating top the house effectively contained its own air circulation system and
Had it not been for B-Fuller’s
Insistence on perfection the
design may well have trans-
Formed housing of today -
backers pulled out after
lengthy pre-production delays.