3. Ideas and Concepts behind the Geodesic Dome

One of the main ideas that led to the design of buckminster’s geodesic dome was the difference between the strength of a triangle and a rectangle. When pressure is applied to both, the rectangle folds where as the triangle withstands the pressure and stays rigid, as well the triangle is shown to be twice as strong as the rectangle. This idea aimed his studies toward creating a new architectural design, the geodesic dome, based also upon his idea of “doing more with less.” Fuller discovered that if a spherical structure was created from triangles, it would have enormous strength. The geodesic sphere incorporates the most volume of interior space with the least amount of surface area thus saving on materials and cost. As well, when the diameter of a sphere is doubled it will quadruple its sq. footage and produce eight times the volume

There are many advantages with geodesic dome, some include:

• Its decreased surface area requires less building materials.
• Exposure to cold in the winter and heat in the summer is decreased because, being spherical, there is the least surface area per unit of volume per structure.
• The concave interior creates a natural airflow that allows the hot or cool air to flow evenly throughout the dome with the help of return air ducts.
• Extreme wind turbulence is lessened because the winds that contribute to heat loss flow smoothly around the dome.
• It acts like a type of giant down-pointing headlight reflector and reflects and concentrates interior heat. This helps prevent radiant heat loss.

But as per some critics, there are many disadvantages to geodesic domes as well

• The shape of a dome house makes it difficult to conform to code requirements for placement of sewer vents and chimneys
• Windows conforming to code can cost anywhere from 5 to 15 times as much as windows in conventional houses
• Privacy is difficult to guarantee because a dome is difficult to partition satisfactorily. Sounds, smells, and even reflected light tend to be conveyed through the entire structure.
• Dome builders find it hard to seal domes against rain, because of their many seams. Also, these seams may be stressed because ordinary solar heat flexes the entire structure.
• As with any curved shape, the dome produces wall areas that can be difficult to use and leaves some peripheral floor area with restricted use due to lack of headroom. Circular plan shapes lack the simple modularity provided by rectangles. Furnishers and fitters usually design with flat surfaces.

It is very interesting to see how the mind of a real innovator and inventor really works. In a time when the words efficient and green had no meaning, there were people who thought about more about the future then the current. It makes me wonder if some ideas that we may pass on now, thinking they are just plain unneccessary will one day be the latest and best. I think it’s neccessary to learn from people like Buck and try to always think outside the box but as well not straying too far from it.

Bibliography

“Geodesic Domes.” The Buckminster Fuller Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.bfi.org/about-bucky/buckys-big-ideas/geodesic-domes&gt;.

“Geodesic Dome.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome

Baldwin, J. Bucky Works: Buckminster Fuller’s Ideas For Today. USA. 1996. Print