Last week in this space we looked at where we can see octagon houses around our Finger Lakes-western New York region, and I described the octagon house as the geodesic dome of the 19th century. Both of them made new departures in housing or construction, and both appeal(ed) to those who had a zest for pioneering, but didn’t excessively worry about what the neighbors (or the grandparents) thought.

So what’s the deal on domes? They’re constructed of triangular subunits, which are highly stable and distribute weight very well – valuable in heavy-snow areas, even including Antarctica. In theory they can be constructed quickly (once you’ve got the hang of it, and assuming you’ve got materials pre-positioned). They can be delivered and placed by helicopter! And they enclose a vast amount of space compared to their surface area. But a fair amount of that space is lost because of the circular perimeter on-curving walls.

There are other drawbacks too, making them perhaps more successful for purposes other than dwellings. As the octagon house was popularized (not invented) by Orson Squire Fowler of Cohocton, so the geodesic dome was popularized (not invented) by R. Buckminster Fuller.

If you want to see one locally, you might drive up by 332 Main Street in Penn Yan, where a dome forms the back part of Emmanuel Baptist Church and Academy. I’m not sure how it’s used – as a gym, maybe? But it’s a pleasant quirky surprise in traditional Penn Yan, without being conspicuous or jarring.

You can also see it from the Liberty Street (14A) side. Even though a church is a public place, this one is also a school, so DON’T go driving in for a close look. Besides the safety consideration, people justifiably get suspicious and unfriendly when strangers drive into schoolyards.

I also have reports of a dome used as a private home in Pulteney, plus domes on Telegraph Road in Bath, 40 Dollar Road in Thurston, and Lock’s Pond Road in Avoca. Wizard of Clay Pottery (7851 S. R. 20A, Bloomfield), and the next-door Noble Shepherd Craft Brewery, have multiple domes, so you can actually visit once the public health situation improves. Elmira College’s Murray Athletic Center (170 Huck Finn Road, Horseheads) is also comprised of multiple geodesic domes.

By the way, look at the Murray, Emmanuel, or Wizard/Shepherd complexes on Google Satellite View, and you can clearly see the structural triangles. From space!

Besides octagon houses and geodesic domes, another curiosity of American architecture is the Quonset hut and its imitators. Terrifyingly prolific during World War II, they were based on the British Nissen hut of World War I. Quonsets have a vault shape (half a cylinder), so they faintly echo the traditional Haudenosaunee longhouse of our region.

Prefabricated components, mostly identical, could be shipped easily and assembled quickly, even by folks who’d never encountered them before. They could be quickly expanded by joining another hut end-to-end, and they created a LOT of space, though as with the dome, the curve of the vault makes some of that space inaccessible.

Though sometimes used as barracks or hospitals, they really weren’t meant for housing – more for storage or work spaces. Joel’s Auto Haven in Bath (19 Lackawanna Street) has a very nice example, in good shape… it used to be the Agway/GLF. I believe there’s still one on Route 36, between Canisteo and Hornell. Other Half Brewing in Bloomfield is currently trying to rescue a Quonset hut, and another one recently sold near Palmyra. A year or so back there was one for sale near Canaseraga.

While the octagon house may be more picturesque, and is certainly more aware of its own dignity, the remorselessly utilitarian Quonset hut and the flamboyantly futuristic geodesic dome are also worthwhile (and entertaining) contributions to America’s architectural landscape. Drive around. Keep your eyes peeled. See how many you find.