The visionary architect Buckminster Fuller believed that a single design could save the world. That ethos is being carried forward by the Buckminster Fuller Institute, which every year holds a contest to create a design with maximum social impact; the winner gets a seed grant of $100,000.

The 33 finalists, chosen from 285 entries, were just unveiled. The grand prize winner will be announced on May 4. Here, we've culled nine of our favorites: 

Bonnie L Y Chu proposes a system of cyclone proof shelters that can be built from hand without any construction experience, using prefabricated molds which guide the process: