However, the 20-30 year timeframe to actually get a functioning model seems daunting.

I have seen this model before. Too bad those older sources came before the internet. Sometimes you can track down old PBS science shows, but I think I saw this in Parade, a Sunday magazine supplement to local newspapers.

I do remember an article in Parade where Isaac Asimov and some other scientists were debating the moon base vs. space station issue. Yes, that tells you how long ago it was, Isaac Asimov was still alive and active.

Again, there are already models of various space habitats out there that could be used today. One, based on the geometry of the bubble, could be packed in an area smaller than a satellite and then assembled on the moon.