Make a Buckminster Fuller Blanket Fort

Geek Culture

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Illustration: Joel Kimmel

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In 1975 Buckminster Fuller first defined the term tensegrity, a portmanteau of “tensional integrity.” It refers to structural systems that derive their stability from various elements acting against each other with equal force, like the surface tension of a bubble. Tensegrity lies at the heart of giant projects like the Georgia Dome. But you can apply it to build the ultimate blanket fort, supported by finely balanced brooms that never touch one another.

    You’ll need:

  • 3 brooms with holes at the end of the handle*
  • 1 ball of twine
  • 1 queen-size bedsheet

*(tip: Swiffer mops with the heads removed work perfectly)

As told to Patrick Di Justo by the Buckminster Fuller Institute

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