What Is a Geodesic Dome Home And How You Can Build One?

History of the Geodesic Dome

The journey of geodesic domes begins with Walther Bauersfeld, an engineer at Carl Zeiss optical company, unveiling these marvels right after World War I. Initially designed as a planetarium, these domes quickly became the talk of the town.

Fast forward to the creative hub of Black Mountain College, where Buckminster Fuller and artist Kenneth Snelson were cooking up architectural wonders. It was here that Fuller coined the term "geodesic" to describe these futuristic structures, leading to his patent for the geodesic dome in 1954. One of his crowning achievements was constructing a geodesic dome in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, alongside his students, which still stands as a testament to their ingenuity.

Not one to stop there, Fuller showcased a 42-foot paperboard geodesic structure in Milan, Italy, at the 1954 Triennale architectural exhibition. To everyone's delight, he walked away with the first prize, solidifying the geodesic dome's status as an icon of innovation and sustainability.