geodesic dome, structure that roughly approximates a hemisphere. Popular in recent years as economical, easily erected buildings, geodesic domes are geometrically determined from a model and may be constructed from limited materials. The architect Buckminster Fuller was an early proponent of geodesics for housing and other functions. Among the best-known examples of geodesic domes have been the United States Pavilion at Montreal's Expo 67 and Biosphere II, an experimental recreation of the ecosystem in Arizona.