Long before we worried about global warming, Buckminster Fuller searched for ways to protect "Spaceship Earth." His most famous invention, the geodesic dome, is still a model for efficient, inexpensive, earth-friendly design. July 12 is "Bucky's" birthday: he was born in 1895.

^{Disney uses Buckminster Fuller's ideas for "Spaceship Earth" at Dinsey World in Florida. Photo © Disney Corporation}

I'd be delighted to have a tiny cottage for my vacation home, but during the Gilded Age, people like the Astors and the Vanderbilts built lavish mansions in trendy Newport, Rhode Island. Today you can tour their homes and even spend the night in a few. Explore the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island >

^{Beechwood Mansion, photo © John W. Corbett}

July 9 is the birthday of postmodernist architect and designer Michael Graves. Borrowing heavily from the past, Graves became famous for whimsical buildings that incorporate classical details like columns and pediments. When asked to design the Team Disney Building in Burbank California, he created a classical facade with the Seven Dwarfs supporting the gable.

Michael Graves also became popular for designing products from teapots to pavilions for Target stores and various manufacturers. When a sudden illness left Michael Graves paralyzed from the waist down, he was faced with the ultimate challenge. Now confined to a wheelchair, Michael Graves combines his sophisticated and often whimsical approach to design with a deeper understanding of the importance of accessibility and universal design. Graves and the members of his firm are working on a variety of healthcare design projects.

^{Team Disney Building Photo © Mary Ann Sullivan, Digital Imaging Project}

July 8 is the birthday of Philip Johnson, designer of the legendary Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. Known for his unconventional approaches to architecture, Johnson also designed the controversial AT&T Headquarters (now the Sony Building) in New York City.

^{Photo courtesy of the Pritzker Prize Committee}