Buckminster Fuller's dwellings: time, geometry and energy

Bartolomé Serra Soriano

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3491-5615

Spain

Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU image/svg+xml

Bartolomé Serra Soriano (Valencia, 1982). Cardenal Herrera CEU University, bartolome.serra@uchceu.es Architect by the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Doctor of Architecture by the Cardenal Herrera CEU University. Professor of Architectural Constructions. Department of Projects, Theory and Technique of Design and Architecture of the School of Technical Education of the Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU. Accredited by the ANECA as Assistant Professor Doctor and accredited by the AQU as Lecturer (Hired Doctor). 2 Sexenios of research 2010-2015 and 2016-2021 recognized by the CNEAI. He is currently Principal Researcher of the research group Architectural Theory and Technique of the Universiadad CEU Cardenal Herrera, directs a doctoral thesis and is Deputy Coordinator of the International Doctoral School CEU CEINDO.

Submitted: 2024-01-19

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Accepted: 2025-01-14

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Published: 2025-04-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/vlc.2025.21082

Copyright (c) 2025 VLC arquitectura. Research Journal

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Keywords:

prefabrication, sustainability, industrialization, relativity, synergetics

Supporting agencies:

This research was not funded

Abstract:

Fuller  researched  the  causes  of  obsolescence  in  architecture,  integrating  concepts  of  energy  and geometry into his designs, considering time as a fundamental dimension in architecture and basing his work on principles of efficiency and sustainability. His projects, such as the Dymaxion House and the Wichita House, reflect his focus on prefabrication, lightness, and structural efficiency. He developed concepts like vectorequilibriumand ephemeralization to achieve more with less, utilising modern and lightweight materials. Despite technical and financial challenges, Fuller continued to innovate, applying his criteria to various projects, from housing to automobiles, bathrooms, and temporary shelters. His holistic and multidisciplinary approach aimed to create efficient and sustainable systems, inspired by the principles of nature. The article highlights the relevance of Fuller’s ideas in Modern Architecture and his legacy in the pursuit of pioneering solutions in prefabrication and industrialisation.

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