Geodetic objects use curved surfaces resembling the Earth’s curvature. Geodesic dome structures, popularized by Buckminster Fuller, are strong, efficient, and eco-friendly. They require fewer materials, save energy, and withstand extreme weather. Fuller’s goal was to consider the environmental cost of construction and use resources wisely.
Geodetic objects are based on a geometry of curved surfaces often resembling the curvature of the Earth, with the root term deriving from the Greek and referring to a method of subdividing the earth. Structures such as greenhouses, houses, sports arenas, and so on were built in the geodesic dome shape as an efficient method of capturing sunlight and being structurally sound against wind and storms. Chemical compounds such as buckyballs, a polyhedral carbon molecule, also naturally take on a very strong spherical geodesic shape.
Buckminster Fuller is known for popularizing the idea of geodesic shape value when, as an American engineer teaching at Black Mountain College in the US state of North Carolina in 1949, he built his first geodesic dome structure. Later in the 1980s, when pure carbon molecules were found to resemble the geodesic structure in both cylindrical and spherical shape, they were named Fullerenes after Buckminster Fuller. One molecule in particular, C60, received its full name, being officially named Buckminsterfullerene by its discoverers in 1985. Fullerenes in general are now known to exist naturally in nature, not just in the chemist’s laboratory, as well as being detected in space .
One of the advantages of a geodesic sphere or standard geodesic planes is that the structure of the dome is based on a series of interconnected arcuate triangles, making it an extremely strong natural form. Spherical shapes also have unique advantages over other types of human buildings, in that their internal square footage increases by a factor of four when the diameter of the dome is doubled, and the free flow of air and energy in a domed structure makes it easier to heat and cold compared to conventional buildings.
Fuller was a researcher in the improvement of human forms of shelter, and his discovery of the benefits of the geodesic form has led to the construction of over half a million geodesic dome structures worldwide to date. Some of the major benefits of the design over conventional buildings are that it requires fewer building materials, as the floor space is used more efficiently, offers heating and cooling energy savings of 30% compared to traditional structures, and can withstand high winds. and extreme temperatures. Domes have now been built for shelter in remote places such as the polar regions of the Earth.
The ultimate goal behind Fuller’s design of geodesic housing, and now responsible for their widespread use, was that the environmental cost of a house should be considered during its construction. This included both the cost of building materials and the cost of maintaining it, as well as climate control of the interior. It was an eco-friendly, or Earth-friendly, approach to using the planet’s limited resources in a wise way that was not a part of popular culture at the time, but has since become increasingly prominent in the modern era.
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