Buckminster Fuller Challenge Explained

The Buckminster Fuller Challenge is an annual international design competition that awards $100,000 to the most comprehensive solution to a pressing global problem. The Challenge was launched in 2007^[1] and is a program of The Buckminster Fuller Institute. The competition, open to designers, artists, architects, students, environmentalists, and organizations world-wide, has been dubbed "Socially-Responsible Design's Highest Award" by Metropolis Magazine.^[2]

According to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge website: "Winning solutions are regionally specific yet globally applicable and present a truly comprehensive, anticipatory, integrated approach to solving the world's complex problems." Furthermore, the criteria of the Challenge calls not for a stand-alone solution, but an integrated strategy that addresses social, environmental, economic and cultural issues. This is aligned with the design approach of Buckminster Fuller, which he referred to as "comprehensive anticipatory design science".^[3]

Winners of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge include John Todd (2008),^{[4] [5]} MIT's Smart Cities Group (2009),^[6],^[7] Allan Savory and the Africa Center for Holistic management (2010),^{[8] [9] [10]} Blue Ventures (2011), ^[11] the Living Building Challenge (2012), ^[12] and GreenWave (2015).^[13]

Each year's winner is ultimately decided by an international jury of renowned whole systems thinkers and practitioners of sustainability. Former jury members include Jose Zaglul, Alan Kay, Mitchell Joachim, Adam Bly, Jamais Cascio, Nicholas Grimshaw, Hunter Lovins, William McDonough, Janine Benyus, and Danny Hillis.

Although there is only one winner per year, the majority of the entries received are featured on the Buckminster Fuller Challenge website within a fully searchable database known as the Idea Index.^[14]

External links

• • The Buckminster Fuller Institute
• The Idea Index

Notes and References

1. Web site: Buckminster Fuller Challenge Launched . Hughes . C.J. . 2007-09-04 . 2010-08-15 . Architectural Record.
2. Web site: Operation Hope Triumphs . Rajagopal . Avinash . 2010-06-04 . 2010-08-15 . Metropolis Magazine . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823213036/http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20100604/operation-hope-triumphs . 2010-08-23 .
3. Web site: About the Buckminster Fuller Challenge . 2010-08-15 . bfi.org.
4. Web site: 2008 Challenge Winner: Comprehensive Design for a Carbon Neutral World: The Challenge of Appalachia . 2010-08-15 . bfi.org . 1998-11-30 . https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/19981130000000/http://challenge.bfi.org/winner_2008 . dead .
5. Web site: The Visionary Thinking of John Todd . Makovsky . Paul . 2008-07-10 . 2010-08-15 . Metropolis Magazine . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100924201918/http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20080710/the-visionary-thinking-of-john-todd . 2010-09-24 .
6. Web site: 2009 Winner: Sustainable Personal Mobility and Mobility-on-Demand Systems . 2010-08-15 . bfi.org.
7. Web site: Nine Ideas to Save the World, Inspired by Buckminster Fuller . Kuang . Cliff . 2009-04-24 . 2010-08-15 . fastcompany.com.
8. Web site: 2010 Challenge Winner: Operation Hope: Permanent water and food security for Africa's impoverished millions . 2010-08-15 . bfi.org.
9. Web site: Greener Pastures . https://web.archive.org/web/20100606190708/http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/Greener_Pastures . unfit . 2010-06-06 . Thackara . John . 2010-06-03 . 2010-08-15 . Seed Magazine.
10. Web site: Hang On, Planet Earth, Help Is On The Way. Rothstein . Joe . 2010-06-03 . 2010-08-15 . EIN News.
11. Web site: Blue Ventures Wins $100,000 Buckminster Fuller Challenge For Its Economic Model To Save Fish.
12. Web site: Living Building Challenge takes top honors in 2012 Buckminster Fuller Challenge.
13. Web site: Vertical ocean farms that can feed us and help our seas. 2017-07-26. ideas.ted.com. en. 2020-05-07.
14. Web site: Entries to the 2009 Buckminster Fuller Challenge Published . 2009-04-23 . 2010-08-15 . bustler.net.