Hang-time
In his book, Critical Path, Bucky Fuller discussed the gestation period for new designs and technologies to reach application in various industries. I can't find my copy right now (buried next to my 3d glasses, probably) but as I recall, he indicated that housing design was the slowest, needing 50 to 75 years to adopt new ideas. Electronics had the fastest time from design to implimentation. Cars took a decade or two.
Still, you don't see many people living in domes, even if they are the most efficient way of enclosing space.