Buckminster Fuller was especially reputed for his geodetic domes which can be observed as a part of civic buildings, exhibition attractions and military radar stations. Their construction is dependent on the extension of the basic principles of constructing simple structures such as octahedron, the close sphere package and tetrahedron. When built in such manner, they are extremely stable and lightweight. He won a patent for his geodesic domes in 1954 which was a part of his effort in the exploration of constructing principles of nature for finding design solutions. 

Previous to his world famous “geodesic dome” design, Fuller built and designed prototypes which he had hoped to be an aerodynamic and a safer Dymaxion car. In order to that effect, he tried out with a fundamentally new approach. Right from 1932, Fuller worked with professional colleagues over a period spanning three years. Based on the aircraft designs, the three prototype cars were all completely different from those in the market. The first point of difference was that each of these vehicles included three and not four vehicles. It included two wheels in the front and one at the rear for steering purposes. Even the engine was situated at the rear part of the vehicle.  

Both the body and the chassis were original designs. The tear-shaped and aerodynamic body was large enough for seating as much as 11 people. Somehow, it resembled the melding of a wingless light aircraft and a 1950s vintage Volkswagen van. In each of its three trial incarnations, the car was essentially a mini-bus. 

Other Significant Contributions: 

Also included in Fuller’s ideas was the Dymaxion map of alternative projection. It was designed for displaying the continents of the earth with minimum possible aberration while printed or projected on a flat surface. 

Although the low-cost and energy-efficient Dymaxion house managed to gather much interest, it never went into production. The term “Dymaxion” is used for signifying a light tensegrity and a radically strong structure”. 

His Dymaxion House is on display in Dearborn, Michigan at “The Henry Ford”. Developed and designed in the mid 1940’s, it is a round structure and has a shape of a flattened bell of jellyfish. In addition, it has numerous innovative features which comprises of a fine mist shower reducing water consumption and a revolving dresser drawers. 

Philosophical Views: 

Fuller was an early ecological activist. He was well aware of the earth’s finite resources and hence, advertised a principle of “ephemeralization” which essentially meant doing more with less. In addition, Fuller also inaugurated the term “synergetics” which is the language used for conveying experiences with the help of geometric concepts long before the term gained popularity. 

Also, Fuller was the first in disseminating “systematic worldview” and researched the principles of material efficiency and energy in the fields of engineering, architecture and design. He stated that the cost of petroleum from the point of view of replacement came to more than a million dollars. Hence, he was of the view that using petroleum as a transportation fuel would result in a huge net loss, when compared to the actual earnings of those people and the net profits of the firm who travel using gasoline. 

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