Lessons from the Dymaxion House

This week, we discussed the building envelope, environmental performance, energy efficiency, and the integration of innovative architectural technologies. In the reading The Politics of the Envelope by Alejandro Zaera, he suggests that “the envelope is the primary actor in the complex process of maintaining homeostasis in the building,” which reminded me of a project Buckminster Fuller proposed in the mid-twentieth century, called the Dymaxion House. The building envelope exemplified forward-thinking sustainable strategies aimed at enabling a home to be self-sufficient, storm-resistant, and flexible as well as lightweight, durable, and practical, which made it easy to manufacture and transport. The home would rely on natural means for heating and cooling, require little to no maintenance, and be composed of recycled materials to help reduce its environmental footprint. The building envelope fulfilled a complex set of performances and challenged the way in which homes were conventionally constructed. This poses the question: how might embracing the principles, as seen in projects like the Dymaxion House, inspire the way we approach sustainability in architecture today?