Buckminster Fuller Institute

Programs: The buckminster fuller challenge completed its ninth cycle awarding grants for the purpose of finding a solution to transform impoverished coastal communities in the developing world whose livelihoods depend upon increasingly diminished supply of fish and other marine life which forms the basis of their diet. The challenge program continues to receive a significant amount of press coverage, in-kind support, and was named socially responsible design's highest award.

design science education: lectures, seminars, workshops and a rigorous hands-on training in the problem-solving methodology called comprehensive anticipatory design science pioneered by r. Buckminster fuller. Emphasis is placed on global trends and local needs, whole systems thinking and critical inquiry of nature's fundamentalprinciples. Our programs facilitate the emergence of an ethically driven worldviewand a unique convergence across the disciplines of art, science, and design. Notable programming includes the design science lab, a 7-10 day interdisciplinary immersion into the principles and practice of design science. Previous lab sitesinclude the united nations, the united nations international school, and universityof north carolina, asheville. The idea index:the idea index is a searchable repository for entries to the buckminster fullerchallenge from previous years. It provides a showcase for winners, runner up andhonorable mentions. It currently contains over 500 innovative solutions addressingthe world's most pressing problems. It represents a growing pool of knowledge about how to tackle some of the mostinexorable problems facing our global society - ready to be picked up and put intoaction by investors, philanthropists, designers, artists, policymakers, and anyonewho wants to change the world. It is not just a static database of projects; it is an interactive hub fordiscussion and debate. The tools provided by the idea index allow users to commenton entries, contact the submitters, and engage in dialogue with the buckminster fuller challenge community. The study center:located within our brooklyn office, the bfi study center serves as a public spacefor all interested individuals, groups, and classes to engage in hands-on learningabout buckminster fuller's life, work and legacy. Materials include rare and out ofprint books, periodicals, photographs, posters, videos, and an assortment of geometric models. The center also contains the installation of the dymaxion timeline, a curatedcollection of images from the estate of r. Buckminster fuller, and the department ofspecial collections and university archives, stanford university libraries, m1090 r. Buckminster fuller collection, that was organized by bonnie devarco, shoji sadao andbeth stryker, with graphic design by project projects. The timeline was presentedpreviously at the center for architecture ny (2008) and the museum of contemporaryart chicago (2009) in the context of the dymaxion study center (curated by bethstryker, organized by the aia new york chapter and the center for architecturefoundation in association with the buckminster fuller institute). The bfi study center is open to the public monday through friday 11am- 4pm, or byappointment. Please call before visiting as we often hold private meetings withinthe space.