“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” Bucky Fuller.
The following is a guest post written by Cary O'Dell, a member of the "Bucky Board". He is one of a group of Architectural Enthusiasts working to restore Buckminister Fuller's personal home in Carbondale, Illinois.
In 1960, Buckminster Fuller accepted the only academic appointment of his career. He joined the design department of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale
Of course, that meant he and his wife, Anne, had to move to Carbondale and had to have a place to live.
So, in April of 1960, on an empty plot of land not far from campus, a small group of builders erected the Buckminster Fuller Dome Home. It is the ONLY dome Bucky ever lived in and the only home he ever owned.
It would be the home of Bucky and his wife for the next 12 years.
During his time in Carbondale, Bucky made the front cover of “Time” magazine and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He also produced some of his most influential writings and received more than a quarter of his 23 patents and nearly half his 48 honorary doctorates.
After the Fullers moved, the Dome was the property of a friend of Bucky’s and then, in 1999, was acquired by a not-for-profit foundation that set to the task of restoring and preserving this structure.
In February 2006, Fuller’s Dome Home was added to the National Registry of Historic Places and it is both a local and State of Illinois Landmark.
Though largely finished, the Dome is still in need of various “final touches” including the replacement of its iconic “Bucky Fence” that once surrounded the property. Long-term plans include the construction of a nearby Interpretation Center so that visitors to the Dome can learn more about Fuller, his achievements and his iconic dwelling.
Cary O'Dell
To learn more about Bucky's home, schedule a tour, or better yet to DONATE, go to: