R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, and inventor whose work explored structural efficiency, resource optimization, and comprehensive design science. Fuller coined the term “tensegrity” (tensional integrity) to describe structures in which compression elements float within a continuous tension network — a principle he recognized in sculptor Kenneth Snelson’s work and generalized into an architectural and engineering concept.
Fuller’s tensegrity concept has been applied to biological systems as biotensegrity, where it models the musculoskeletal system as a structure in which bones (compression elements) float within the continuous tension of the fascial network. This application, developed by Stephen Levin and others, informs somatic approaches to movement and posture.
Fuller is also known for developing the geodesic dome, the Dymaxion map projection, and a body of work on what he called “Spaceship Earth” — the principle that Earth is a finite system requiring comprehensive, anticipatory design.
Notable works
- Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (1969)
- Synergetics: Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking (1975)
Related
- tensegrity in movement — application of Fuller’s tensegrity concept to living bodies
- Kenneth Snelson — sculptor whose structures Fuller named “tensegrity”