A Collection of Architectural Review Materials

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Buckminster Fuller & the Space Frame

Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller (/ˈfʊlər/; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983)[Wikipidea] was an American neo-futuristic architect, systems theorist, author, designer, and inventor.

Fuller published more than 30 books, coining or popularizing terms such as "Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and synergetic. He also developed numerous inventions, mainly architectural designs, and popularized the widely known geodesic dome. Carbon molecules known as fullerenes were later named by scientists for their resemblance to geodesic spheres.

Buckminster Fuller was the second president of Mensa from 1974 to 1983.





Space frame, Three-dimensional truss based on the rigidity of the triangle and composed of linear elements subject only to compression or tension. Its simplest spatial unit is a tetrahedron having four joints and six members. A space frame forms a very strong, thick, flexible structural fabric that can be used horizontally or bent to a variety of shapes. The beauty of its open latticework web of lightweight tubular diagonals is only surpassed by its structural purity. R. Buckminster Fuller used this technology for some of his Dymaxion projects; in his Union Tank Car warehouse, Baton Rouge, La. (1958), a space frame reinforces an enormous geodesic dome.



Montreal Biosphere

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