Amazing sun dome you can build!

Popular Science, May 1966

Dad subscribed to several science magazines, and had a comprehensive collection of Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, Science and Mechanics, and assorted others. The library spanned several decades (allowing a wartime gap), and it followed him from Pilot Mound to St. Charles to Bourkevale Drive. It pained me to recycle them when Dad moved to Sturgeon Creek II, but I saved a few for good measure.

The dome was one DIY project Dad actually built. I suspect the geometry intrigued him. As the author explained, "The principle that gives this dome its remarkable strength was discovered by Buckminster Fuller. It's a patented design of interlocking tetrahedrons and icosahedrons that distributes forces evenly throughout the entire framework so that tension and compression forces are balanced. You could say that mathematics holds it up. That's why you can build it with slim sticks and plastic film."

"you can build it with slim sticks and plastic film"

The article claimed a large dome (25 or 30 feet across) could be built for as little as $60, and plans were available for $5.

Murray Fraser astounds the neighbours, 1969

The dome was a curiosity in the neighbourhood. Folks driving by would slow down to gawk, and a few would stop to ask about it.

As interesting and unique as it was, it wasn't that practical. It was not used as a greenhouse, and our insistence that it needed a pool (like in the magazine!) went unheeded.

Cousins Teddy, Brian and Aunt Phyllis. That's Susan Montagnon exiting the dome.

And because it didn't have enough vents, it was stifling hot in there. I recall the thermometer going off the scale, approaching 140 degrees F. The humidity rose likewise, and the panels were fogged with condensation. A mean trick was to slap a panel above the head of your sibling, who would be showered. A meaner trick was to leave quickly and bar the door!

We did put a ping pong table (made by Dad, of course) in there at one point. It suffered in the heat and humidity, though, and there wasn't much room for vigorous play. But the table did provide protection from drips when we slept out in the dome the odd night.

Alas, the Popular Science editors did not anticipate Winnipeg winters, and the plastic was brittle and prone to damage. The structure was dismantled in the summer of 1970. I remember earning a meagre but welcome amount for collecting the pulled staples. The overgrown grass was cut and soon there was no sign that the dome had ever existed.

Our pleas for a pool like this one fell on deaf ears.

The article illustrated how the entrance could either be a hinged panel or one with no plastic,
and showed how a staple gun made assembly quick and easy.

To see the original magazine article, go to: http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=zikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=111&query=geodesic%20dome