During the course we will guide students through lectures to explain ideas, theory and background of parametric structural design allowing them to apply the parametric structural analysis and optimization techniques in the context of their studio work.
The lecture will start with a recount of structural engineering basics. The aim is to gear up the participants with the necessary knowledge to be able to understand the principles of structural design. We investigate questions like how structural elements scale with increasing span and why elephants can’t jump like grasshoppers. The first lecture concludes with an introduction into parametric structural engineering using Grasshopper for Rhino and the Finite Element Toolkit Karamba3D.
In the following course units structural elements like beams, walls, slabs, trusses and gridshells will be investigated. Hands-on parametric examples will be used to develop an intuitive understanding of their working principles and potentials with respect to structural optimization. The aim is to show how these elements get assembled into engineering structures. Underpinned beams will be used to introduce the principles of prestressed structures and how they can be used to enhance the efficiency of building elements.
Parametric structural engineering necessitates not only a basic grasp of the underlying mechanical principles but also a toolbox of parameterization techniques. One course unit will therefore be devoted to the efficient set-up of Finite Element models via Rhino, Grasshopper and Karamba3D. Topology optimisation techniques and the application of genetic algorithms to structural optimization form an important part of our toolset. Examples will be used to highlight different possibilities of their application in early stage architectural design.
Stability often governs the design of slender structures. We will therefore take a look at the buckling mechanisms of beams and shells and how this connects to their vibration behaviour. We investigate the question of which parameters determine buckling failure and which measures help to avoid it.
Modern building materials like carbon and glass fibres feature high tensile strength. This raises the question as to how to make use of this property in the context of large span roofs and bridges. Corresponding building types will be investigated via parametric models. Shells can efficiently span large spaces. One course unit will be devoted to thin concrete shells, their working principles and what overlap exists to the mechanical principles of arches.
The course concludes with a presentation of the participants’ digital structural models which they develop during the semester. The aim is that the participants apply the parametric structural analysis and optimization techniques in the context of their studio work.
Learning Objectives
During the course of this semester we will guide you through a series of lectures to explain ideas, theory and background of parametric structural design. We want you to achieve these goals:
KEYWORDS
Parametric, structure, optimization, engineering
Our studio project is Re-Earth Station, located in Xochimilco in the south southest corner of Mexico City, Mexico. The project’s program is a community hub for interaction and education regarding the critically endangered axolotl along with demonstrating how waste can be turned into energy and heat with a mini bio-gas facility. Our site is located … Read more
Design Objective The project is located in Dallas, Texas which is the largest growing metropolitan region in the United States. We are proposing a residential and commercial development which will promote car-free living through its mixed use program. Design Solution The proposed solution is set on a 3m x 3m x 3m grid system for … Read more
The project is located in Mabalacat, a city 75km north of Manila. The project objective is to create a loop structure that functions as a gathering place for the community providing shelter from the tropical climate. The pavilion hosts the following activities: a multipurpose hall, a covered plaza, a food court, and a central garden. These are the … Read more
Set on an old train station site at the heart of Damascus, one that previously linked the Old and New city together, we are proposing a market that revives the site of the Hijaz and bridges the two sides of the city back together. The project consists of a system of modules that aggregate together … Read more
Structural analysis and optimisation Our project is a timber grid shell which forms a roof canopy covering an underground train station in Sydney, Australia. The shell acts as a climatic roof providing shade and creating a cool public square below. The timber shell forms funnel columns that land in the station below the public square, … Read more
S2_Studio Project However, loading scenarios are simplified to an ideal case therefore the entire structure needs further reinforced with lateral support . In order to achieve this, buttresses are added along large span peripheral in addition to the vertical columns. Conclusion: Structural analysis is a sophisticated process, so as associated computer programming. Students are advised … Read more
INTRODUCTION Known as the capital of the North, Tripoli is Lebanon’s second largest city: from a regional trade capital for the past centuries, the city is nowadays the most impoverished of Lebanon and on the Mediterranean. The city has been scared by the violent clashes and conflict over the past 40 years and is confronted … Read more
RE:EDU aims to reinstate the schools in Ukraine which were heavily damaged during the invasion by russia. It suggests a temporary relocation system which can accommodate the students while the schools will be rebuilt for the next 2-5 years. Design The design approach is modular by discretizing typical school typologies in a smaller raster and … Read more
A Structural Analysis of Urban Lego Peaceful Parasites is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and focuses on stitching back a scared urban landscape created by the conflicts of the recent troubles. It re-imagines a use of the existing dividing walls to create a more cohesive future. The structural analysis follows a four step process. Step … Read more
