The visionary architecture of R. Buckminster Fuller. Take a personal tour through "the house of the future." This extraordinary dwelling was designed to be the strongest, lightest and most cost-effective housing ever built. Restored to its original 1946 condition, it's the only remaining prototype in the world.

Dymaxion Exterior The Dymaxion house is made of aluminum. This was the newest of the alloys at the time and was strong and light enough to be easily disassembled and moved. Bucky wanted his houses to be mass-produced, easily shipped, hygienic, and able to stand up to a Kansas tornado. Aluminum provided for all of these criteria and was already used on the aircraft assembly lines, allowing for easy transition after the war from airplane production to Dymaxion House production.

Living Room A Dymaxion House was designed to be about 1,100 square feet or about the size of a small Cape Cod-style bungalow. It was supposed to cost about $6,500 in 1946, approximately the cost of a high-end automobile. With just two bedrooms, it was most convenient for a single family of no more than four people. The house has been restored with furnishings from the period.

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The Dymaxion House
In 1991, Henry Ford Museum acquired R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House. Over the next eight years, staff researched the house, and cleaned and restored its 3,000 components. In October 1999, the house's construction began inside Henry Ford Museum. The process of restoring and erecting the building became its own exhibition and seen by visitors. On October 24, 2001, the restoration complete, the Dymaxion House was opened to the public for first-hand viewing. Learn more about the restoration of R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House in our special online exhibit.