Buckminster Fuller's house, world's first geodesic dome home, to be restored, preserved

On April 19 there will be a groundbreaking near Southern Illinois University to celebrate the restoration and preservation of the world's first geodesic dome home, originally built by Buckminster Fuller and his wife, Lady Anne, in 1960. The ceremony at the Fuller Dome Home in Carbondale will be open to the public, free of charge, and will include a tour and the opportunity to view rare artifacts. There will be fundraising events throughout the weekend benefiting the dome's restoration. Buckminster Fuller was, until his death in 1983, a renowned architect, designer, inventor, author, philosopher and futurist who had a vision of safe, strong, efficient homes that could be manufactured cheaply and assembled quickly. The original geodesic dome was assembled in 7 hours out of 60 wooden triangle panels, though Fuller initially envisioned using more advanced materials not available in his day. The home, which became student housing after Fuller's death and has fallen into disrepair in the last 30 years, was purchased by Bill Perk in 2001 and donated to a non-profit that had the home added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. According to a press release, "When completed, The Fuller Dome Home Museum will open to amplify the positive message of hope for the success of all humanity that was at the core of Fuller's philosophy."