Buckminister fuller institute
Quarterly Design science retreats & geoscope studios
BFI Residencies & the Geoscope Dome Studio — design science, lived at Fort Worden
United Earth Networks and the Buckminster Fuller Institute are building two linked assets at Fort Worden Historical State Park: a year-round cycle of quarterly Design Science residential retreats, and a 40-foot geodesic dome that serves as the Geoscope immersive studio — a place to develop, test, and premiere planetary-scale media, host live events, and broadcast globally through HubCast. The dome is the residencies' laboratory and stage; the residencies give the dome its content and its community.
Project snapshot
At-a-glance facts for funder calls. The dome figures come from the UEN–BFI installation proposal; the residency figures are a working estimate for four retreats and should be confirmed with BFI.
- Project lead
- Marc Katsky, Strategic Director, UEN · [email] · [phone]
- Lead partner
- Buckminster Fuller Institute — program co-designer and fiscal sponsor for United Earth Networks, SPC
- Location
- Fort Worden Historical State Park, Port Townsend, WA — dome sited indoors or outdoors per State Parks permitting
- Status
- Residencies in development for 2027 (spring, summer, fall, winter); dome installation proposal and permit request prepared for State Parks
- Geoscope dome installation
- $250,000 one-time (dome itself $40,000)
- Residencies, Year 1
- $240,000 — four retreats at ~$60,000 each (estimate)
- Committed to date
- In-kind: UEN production staff, HubCast media distribution, BFI network and faculty time
- Current gap
- $490,000
- Timeline
- Dome: 18–24 weeks from green light to public opening · Residencies: quarterly through 2027
- Fiscal sponsor / EIN
- Buckminster Fuller Institute · EIN [00-0000000]
- Media partner
- HubCast Media — global broadcast and streaming of dome programs
- Restrictions
- Temporary, portable, low-impact structure; requires written State Parks authorization before installation
The opportunity
Language ready to lift into a letter of inquiry or proposal narrative.
Need
The transition from an extractive to a regenerative global economy needs practitioners who can think in whole systems — and very few places train them in person, over time, with a shared tool for seeing the planet as one system. Buckminster Fuller proposed exactly that tool: the Geoscope, a large immersive sphere for displaying global data so people could understand world problems at a glance and design solutions together. It has never had a permanent working home.
Our approach
Quarterly residencies: each season, BFI and UEN convene a cohort of about 12 design science fellows for an immersive retreat — lodging, meals, facilitation, and studio time at Fort Worden — focused on a theme such as earth repair, ocean restoration, or bioregional design. Geoscope dome studio: a 40-foot, 3/4 geodesic dome, conceived as a prototype for the kind of immersive venue later realized at scale by the Sphere in Las Vegas, fitted for projection, broadcast, and live events. Residents build and test Geoscope content inside it; UEN premieres it publicly and streams it worldwide through HubCast.
Who it serves
About 48 design science fellows per year across four cohorts; BFI's international network of designers, scientists, and systems thinkers; Jefferson County residents, students, and schools through public dome presentations; touring-exhibit audiences in markets where Geoscope content travels; and a global online audience through HubCast.
Why now
The installation proposal and State Parks permit request are drafted, the dome has a known cost and an 18–24 week build path, and BFI's Fort Worden residency program is already being developed as a 2027 quarterly cycle. Funding the dome first means the spring 2027 cohort can work inside it — and every retreat after that produces content for the studio, the network, and the touring exhibits.
Funding opportunities
Every revenue path, with amount, funder benefit, and next-step owner. The dome is a capital ask; the residencies are an annual program ask.
Sponsorship tiers
| Tier | Amount | Recognition & benefits | Slots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geoscope naming partner | $150,000 | Naming credit on the Geoscope dome studio for its time at Fort Worden, credit on every premiere and broadcast, private dome premiere for guests, seat at the annual BFI–UEN program review | 1 | Open |
| Season sponsor | $60,000 | Underwrites one full quarterly residency; named cohort ("[Sponsor] Spring Fellows"), public presentation credit, HubCast episode sponsorship, invitation to the closing showcase | 4 | Open |
| Studio technology partner | $40,000 or in-kind | Named supplier of projection, audio, or streaming systems in the dome; case-study content produced in the studio | 2 | In conversation |
| Fellowship sponsor | $8,000 | Covers one fellow's stipend for a retreat; named fellowship listed in the program and on the cohort page | 48 | Open |
| Community partner | $5,000 | Website and program listing, dome visit for staff or members, newsletter recognition — sized for local businesses and civic groups | Unlimited | Open |
| In-kind | Valued at $30,000–$75,000 | Construction and electrical labor, lodging, catering, A/V equipment, design and engineering services | — | Ongoing |
Grant targets & pipeline
| Funder type / target | Program fit | Request | Deadline | Stage | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & technology / immersive media funders | Dome studio as a new-media production and premiere venue | $100,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Science, climate & systems-change foundations | Residencies as applied design-science labs on earth repair and ocean restoration | $120,000 | [LOI-based] | Concept note drafting | GMA + BFI |
| Informal STEM & science-education funders | Geoscope as a public learning tool for global systems literacy; school programs in the dome | $60,000 | [Rolling] | Eligibility check | GMA |
| Washington State arts and cultural facilities funds | Capital support for a cultural venue on state park land | $50,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | GMA |
| Regional community foundations & family funds | Local cultural and economic benefit; public programming at Fort Worden | $25,000 | Anytime | Cultivation | UEN |
Crowdfunding
Goal: $40,000 — "Raise the Dome" · Window: [spring 2027, timed to permit approval]
Funds the dome itself. Tiers at $25 (name in the digital founders' list), $100 (opening-night ticket), $500 (name on a dome strut plaque), $2,500 (private dome session for 10). Matching challenge sought from [donor] up to $20,000.
Major & recurring gifts
Named endowed fellowships, multi-year residency underwriting, and monthly "Spaceship Earth crew" sustainers at $25/mo. Stewardship: seasonal showcase invitations, cohort reports, and early access to Geoscope premieres.
Earned revenue
Ticketed immersive presentations and talks, studio rental for productions and broadcasts, private and corporate events in the dome, licensing of Geoscope content to touring venues, and residency tuition for self-funded fellows — the dome is designed to become a revenue-generating venue after Year 1.
Budget & use of funds
Two components, $490,000 total.
Geoscope dome installation — $250,000 one-time
Quarterly residencies, Year 1 — $240,000 (estimate)
Residency estimate assumes four retreats of about 7–10 days with 12 fellows each and a $2,000 stipend per fellow per retreat. Confirm cohort size, length, and stipend level with BFI before submission. In-kind contributions from UEN, BFI, and HubCast are additional to these figures.
Committed
$0 cash. In-kind production, media distribution, and BFI network support in place.
Pending
State Parks authorization for the temporary dome — the prerequisite for capital asks.
Gap to close
$490,000. If funded in stages: dome first ($250,000), then residencies season by season at ~$60,000 each.
Impact metrics
Year 1 targets for funders; confirm with BFI and HubCast before submission.
Measurement method
Fellow applications and completion, pre/post fellow surveys on systems-design skills, prototypes and projects launched from each cohort, dome attendance and ticket data, studio booking hours, HubCast reach and watch time, and touring-venue interest for Geoscope content. Data owner: [name].
Reporting cadence
A short cohort report after each residency, a quarterly dashboard for sponsors, an annual impact report combining residency and dome results, and funder-specific narrative and financial reports on each funder's schedule.
Document library
Link each item to the live file in the UEN shared drive or the BFI collaboration workspace.
Fundraising package
Due diligence & evidence
Contacts & next steps
Named owners for every ask, plus what has to happen before this brief goes to funders.
Project lead
Marc Katsky · Strategic Director, United Earth Networks
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
[email] · [phone]
Buckminster Fuller Institute
[Name] · [Title]
[email] · [phone]
Role: residency co-design, faculty, fiscal sponsor
Grant Management Associates
[Consultant name]
[email] · [phone]
Scope: prospect research, LOIs, capital and program proposals, reporting
- Secure written State Parks authorization for the temporary dome, or a clear timeline for it — capital funders will ask first.
- Confirm residency format with BFI: cohort size, retreat length, stipend level, and the four 2027 seasonal themes.
- Choose the dome site (indoor building or outdoor pad) and attach the site plan and engineering specs.
- Add BFI's EIN and a named BFI contact so GMA can submit under the fiscal sponsorship.
- Decide whether to pitch the dome and residencies together ($490,000) or as two separate asks — this brief supports both.
