From: IN%"[email protected]" "List for the discussion of Buckminster Fulle
r'
s works" 10-DEC-1992 12:21:49.36
To: Howard Lawrence <[email protected]>
CC:
Subj: RE: Rest in Peace?
Message-id: <[email protected]>
Received: from JNET-DAEMON by PSUARCH.Bitnet; Thu, 10 Dec 92 12:21 EDT
Received: From PSUVM(MAILER) by PSUARCH with Jnet id 4530 for HRL@PSUARCH; Thu,
10 Dec 92 12:21 EDT
Received: from PSUVM.BITNET by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 7373;
Thu, 10 Dec 92 12:15:18 EST
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1992 10:55:00 EST
From: Bill Long <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Rest in Peace?
Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works
<[email protected]>
To: Howard Lawrence <[email protected]>
Reply-to: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works
<[email protected]>
>in a vain attempt to kick the old mongrel back into life, i pose the question:
>
>why (whilst i was in the US recently) could i not find even *one* Californian
>residential property boasting geodesic architecture -- given that it is IMHO
>generally acknowledged as one of the most domehome-ridden corners of the earth
>?
>andre.
Well, I don't know about California but I live in Upstate NY (Clinton
County) and there are a few Dome Homes in this area. The nicest one is a
huge home located on Dunn Rd. in the hamlet of Ingraham (Town of Chazy).
There are probably more than a dozen others nearby...one being a stacked
wood dome built by Rob Roy on Murtaugh Hill Rd. (off the Military Trnpk-190
in West Chazy). Following Rt. 9 either north or south from Plattsburgh
will take you past smaller, but still nice, dome houses.
There are also some small dome storage buildings...even a horse dome on
Macomb St. in Plattsburgh...and I've just added to the list by building a
storage dome about a month ago. Actually what I built is an icosahedron
with five struts removed to provide a five-sided base. I used some s.s.
sheet metal to make (11) joint pieces shaped like stars. On each leg of the
star I drilled (2) 3/8" holes. Then I cut (25) rough 2X4's to 8' lengths
and drilled (2) 3/8" holes in them. The frame was then bolted together
using carriage bolts and the sides wrapped in heavy plastic sheet. (5)
sheets of chip-board went on the top to provide support (for all the snow)
and then those sides were covered with felt-paper and tarps (yeah I know,
but I used what was handy...and CHEAP). For a little over $100.00 I've got
a structure with a floor area of about 138 square ft. (equivalent to a
square stucture 11.75' per side...and have you priced those little metal
storage buildings lately?) with enough head room that I'm seriously
considering putting in some joists to create a loft area for additional
storage space! I think the next dome I build will be smaller and have
hinged top sides that can be opened so I can use it as a telescope dome for
cold weather stargazing...and then maybe a BIG one...you know, a REAL dome.
Anyway, sorry to hear about your disappointing trip but if you're ever on
the east coast come on up! Someone mentioned about banks being reluctant
to finance archetecturally inovative homes and I agree that this is
probably a large factor in why we don't see more domes...I know people in this
area who've had a hard time getting financing for homes that weren't hooked
up to public electric utilities (you know, solar or wind powered) and that
discourages more of this type of construction. I'm sure it's a plot by the
banks and public utilities to keep the $$$ flowing in...maybe McElwaine
would like to dump a large file of "evidence" to this list for us to review
(please don't forget the :^).
Bill Long
p.s. to the guy who joined the list to find out who Bucky was: take a trip
to your local library and look him up. There have been several biographies
written about him and there is much to be gleaned from reading his own
works.
r'
s works" 10-DEC-1992 12:21:49.36
To: Howard Lawrence <[email protected]>
CC:
Subj: RE: Rest in Peace?
Message-id: <[email protected]>
Received: from JNET-DAEMON by PSUARCH.Bitnet; Thu, 10 Dec 92 12:21 EDT
Received: From PSUVM(MAILER) by PSUARCH with Jnet id 4530 for HRL@PSUARCH; Thu,
10 Dec 92 12:21 EDT
Received: from PSUVM.BITNET by PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 7373;
Thu, 10 Dec 92 12:15:18 EST
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1992 10:55:00 EST
From: Bill Long <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Rest in Peace?
Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works
<[email protected]>
To: Howard Lawrence <[email protected]>
Reply-to: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works
<[email protected]>
>in a vain attempt to kick the old mongrel back into life, i pose the question:
>
>why (whilst i was in the US recently) could i not find even *one* Californian
>residential property boasting geodesic architecture -- given that it is IMHO
>generally acknowledged as one of the most domehome-ridden corners of the earth
>?
>andre.
Well, I don't know about California but I live in Upstate NY (Clinton
County) and there are a few Dome Homes in this area. The nicest one is a
huge home located on Dunn Rd. in the hamlet of Ingraham (Town of Chazy).
There are probably more than a dozen others nearby...one being a stacked
wood dome built by Rob Roy on Murtaugh Hill Rd. (off the Military Trnpk-190
in West Chazy). Following Rt. 9 either north or south from Plattsburgh
will take you past smaller, but still nice, dome houses.
There are also some small dome storage buildings...even a horse dome on
Macomb St. in Plattsburgh...and I've just added to the list by building a
storage dome about a month ago. Actually what I built is an icosahedron
with five struts removed to provide a five-sided base. I used some s.s.
sheet metal to make (11) joint pieces shaped like stars. On each leg of the
star I drilled (2) 3/8" holes. Then I cut (25) rough 2X4's to 8' lengths
and drilled (2) 3/8" holes in them. The frame was then bolted together
using carriage bolts and the sides wrapped in heavy plastic sheet. (5)
sheets of chip-board went on the top to provide support (for all the snow)
and then those sides were covered with felt-paper and tarps (yeah I know,
but I used what was handy...and CHEAP). For a little over $100.00 I've got
a structure with a floor area of about 138 square ft. (equivalent to a
square stucture 11.75' per side...and have you priced those little metal
storage buildings lately?) with enough head room that I'm seriously
considering putting in some joists to create a loft area for additional
storage space! I think the next dome I build will be smaller and have
hinged top sides that can be opened so I can use it as a telescope dome for
cold weather stargazing...and then maybe a BIG one...you know, a REAL dome.
Anyway, sorry to hear about your disappointing trip but if you're ever on
the east coast come on up! Someone mentioned about banks being reluctant
to finance archetecturally inovative homes and I agree that this is
probably a large factor in why we don't see more domes...I know people in this
area who've had a hard time getting financing for homes that weren't hooked
up to public electric utilities (you know, solar or wind powered) and that
discourages more of this type of construction. I'm sure it's a plot by the
banks and public utilities to keep the $$$ flowing in...maybe McElwaine
would like to dump a large file of "evidence" to this list for us to review
(please don't forget the :^).
Bill Long
p.s. to the guy who joined the list to find out who Bucky was: take a trip
to your local library and look him up. There have been several biographies
written about him and there is much to be gleaned from reading his own
works.