This is a closeup of the dome that covers the gymnasium at Palomar College. It is an example of a "Kaiser" geodesic dome because it was built by Henry J. Kaiser's company Kaiser Aluminum in 1959. That's the same fellow who came up with the concept of providing healthcare to workers at his factory and eventually founded Kaiser Permanente. The hexagonal-style geodesic dome at Palomar College was designed by Buckminster Fuller, who although he did not invent geodesic domes, he was the first person to record the mathematical computations and present them as a formula, and so became the person most associated with them. He received patent number 2682235 for his troubles.
October 26, 2009