Why Geodesic Domes?

We now have five domes in our complex. How did that happen?

In the early 70s, Buckminster Fuller came to Black Hills State University. Dick Termes had read his books and was fascinated by his concepts. Fuller was the inventor of the Geodesic Dome. Dick was asked to pick up Fuller and his wife (Anne Hewlett) from the airport and bring him to the college. Termes and Fuller spent two wonderful and exciting days together discussing many different topics, not the least which being Bucky’s geodesic dome system.

Dick’s father and brother had purchased some land outside of Spearfish on Christensen Dr. Dick was very fortunate to get to buy three acres of this land from them. At first, the plan was to build a dome to store his work in and he would live elsewhere. However, after the dome was was finished and he began using it for his studio, he was hooked. Currently, the complex consists of four domes, there is the Termesphere Gallery dome with a cupola dome on the top, two house domes, and a studio dome. Last summer, Dick and his son, Lang, built a greenhouse dome, technically adding a fifth. The domes and the unique experience of visiting the Termesphere Gallery all started from a chance meeting of Bucky Fuller and Dick Termes.

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