Ordinary Maine

Back in College while studying biochemistry, I had the pleasure of learning about Buckminster Fuller the American architect. At the time I was in school the first real big advances in the study of Carbon 60s was really taking off and of course one of Fuller's greatest theories was coming true. Fuller made a career out of geodesic domes and was convinced that Carbon molecules had the ability to bond in nature into geodesic domes. Of course many scientists disagreed with him, until two years after his death in 1985 when his theory was proven right.

As a Student at the University of Maine I was a big fan of the Pizza Dome in Orono and spent many a dollar on their pizza. The business still exists today, but the geodesic dome that housed the business has been gone for quite some time. I remember lamenting the loss once and being reminded of perspective when an undergrad once informed me that the Pizza Dome was still in Orono.

Students and teachers at Lincoln Middle School, in Portland, Maine recently built a geodesic dome as part of their school year. Here is a link to the Portland Public Schools press archive on the story. Geodesic domes have great acoustic, heating and strength properties. They also allow the user to gain maximum space for the surface are they cover. Below is a picture of the Lincoln Middle School dome.