Dome cottages — are they eyesores, or a sight for sore eyes?

Geodesic domes, as dwellings, had their heyday in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Many were built as cottages and remain, dotting the countryside or discreetly tucked away on woodsy lots. While some can be described as rustic and charming, others look like imposing, monolithic, habitable soccer balls. These structures are the brainchild of visionary architect Buckminster Fuller, who believed in spherical dwellings as a solution to world housing problems because they required fewer building materials than conventional structures and were energy-efficient. Once a popular form in hippie communes, domes are experiencing a bit of a revival, at least in some — ahem — circles. www.naturalspacesdomes.com

Written by Michelle Morra.