Tech Directions - September 2007 - (Page 13)

Dome, Sweet Dome Geodesic Structures Teach Math, Science, and Technology Principles By Ray Shackelford and Michael Fitzgerald rshackelford@bsu.edu; mfitzger@doe.state.in.us ODAY, geodesic domes are found on playgrounds, homes, over radar installations, storage facilities, at Disney's Epcot Center, and at World’s Fairs. The inventor of the design, Buckminster Fuller, thought that geodesic domes could be used to cover large areas and even designed one to cover all of New York’s Manhattan Island. The activity we detail in this article gives students a great opportunity to explore the basic math, science, and technological principles related to the design and construction of structures. They will also investigate the advantages and disadvantages of dome construction. Ray Shackelford is a professor, Department of Industry and Technology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, and Michael Fitzgerald is a technology education specialist, Office of Career and Technical Education, Indiana Department of Education, Indianapolis. T The Geodesic Dome’s Many Virtues How would you like to live in a house that: ● Could be erected in hours; ● Generates its own power and heat; ● Could be built from steel, aluminum, or perhaps even glass; ● Would enable a person to take a 10-minute bath that used less than a quart of water; ● Automatically dusts its interior; ● Resists 180-mile-per-hour hurricane winds, earthquakes, and tornadoes; ● Includes a total environmental control system, ● Requires no exterior maintenance; and ● Oh yes, would be portable enough to be disassembled and moved from one location to another by truck or helicopter. Sound too good to be true or too futuristic? Not really—this house was actually designed and built over 50 years ago by Buckminster Fuller at a cost of less than one-third that of a traditional dwelling of the same square footage (Sutton, 2005; Baldwin, 2005; Henry Ford Museum, 2005). Buckminster Fuller has been referred to as “the first poet of technology,” an architect, a romantic pioneer, an engineer, a visionary, and an environmentalist (Time, 1964). But he is most commonly associated with the invention of the geodesic dome during the 1940s and 1950s. Fuller actually turned his personal philosophy into a personal trademark called “dymaxion.” It is said that dymaxion comes from compounding of the terms “dynamic,” “maximum,” and “ion,” and it means the “maximum gain of advantage from the minimal energy input” (Modern Living, 1964, p. 48). Fuller understood that people could control their living environments by designing efficient structures. With the earth’s air, water, and other minerals in limited supply, he www.techdirections.com CONSTRUCTION 13 A Peer-Reviewed Article http://www.techdirections.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tech Directions - September 2007

Technically Speaking Contents Direct from Washington The News Report Technology’s Past Technology Today Mastering Computers Dome, Sweet Dome—Geodesic Structures Teach Math, Science, and Technology Principles Help Students Become Wise Energy Consumers How Does FERPA Affect You? Camera Operator and Videographer e-gallery Product Central Free for the Asking More than Fun

Tech Directions - September 2007

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