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In the 1960s and ’70s, architects, influenced by recent developments in computing and the rise of structuralist and poststructuralist thinking, began to radically rethink how architecture could be created. Though various new approaches gained favor, they had one thing in common: they advocated moving away from the traditional reliance on an individual architect’s knowledge and instincts and toward the use of external tools and processes that were considered objective, logical, or natural. Automatic architecture was born. The quixotic attempts to formulate such design processes extended modernist principles and tried to draw architecture closer to mathematics and the sciences. By focusing...
Innovative review of map projection
Computer simulations have become a central tool for scientific practice. Their use has replaced, in many cases, standard experimental procedures. This goes without mentioning cases where the target system is empirical but there are no techniques for direct manipulation of the system, such as astronomical observation. To these cases, computer simulations have proved to be of central importance. The question about their use and implementation, therefore, is not only a technical one but represents a challenge for the humanities as well. In this volume, scientists, historians, and philosophers join to examine computer simulations in scientific practice. One central aim of the volume is to provid...
The structural morphology working group of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, founded in 1991, has helped to launch several international seminars, newsletters and specific sessions of international conferences devoted to structural morphology. This book contains papers that have been selected either for their fundamental contribution to structural morphology or for their actual pertinence in the field. Polyhedral geometry, double-curved surfaces, biological structures, foldable systems, form-finding techniques, and free form design are some of the topics included in the contents of this book. The work presented in this book is the result of more than 15 years of...
Throughout history, people have constructed simple timber lattice shelters such as the tepee or yurt, covered with animal skins, leaves, grasses and woven fabrics. Over the last fifty years, more sophisticated ‘webs of wood’ have emerged, with timber gridshells in particular becoming a structurally expressive form of architecture. Recent developments in digital design, 3-D modelling software, timber fabrication technologies as well as trends towards low-carbon construction have further reinforced architects’ interest in the use of lightweight timber grids and lattice structures. This timely book charts the origin and evolution of the timber gridshell and its relation to timber lattice ...
In the critically acclaimed first edition of this book, Mainstone offered a brilliant and highly original account of the structural developments that have made possible the achievements of architects and bridge builders throughout history. In this extensively revised and expanded new edition, now available in paperback, new insights and a full coverage of recent developments in both design and construction are incorporated. The book identifies features that distinguish the forms built by man from those shaped by nature and discusses the physical and other constraints on the choices that can be made. It then looks in turn at all the elementary forms - arches, domes, beams, slabs and the like ...
Funicular structures are structural skeletons designed using methodologies that analyze the flow and direction of forces, which can be categorized as compression, tension, or a combination of both. They are not only elegant, resembling naturally occurring forms, but also highly efficient and can be built with minimal use of relatively low-strength materials, thus minimizing their negative environmental impact. This book presents an in-depth overview of the theoretical foundations and practical methods of designing funicular structures for maximum efficiency. Beginning with a foundation and introduction to funicular structures for those new to the subject, the book then provides in-depth cove...
This book on flexible formwork for fluid architecture is a multi-faceted research that covers a broad field: from design to material and technology, and from history to future developments. It offers a pragmatic approach that can be extended with more cases, materials, techniques and methods for fluid architecture, and provides a better understanding of the main aspects of fluid architecture and to help them find the most suitable combinations of all aspects. The book is a challenging experience with many new discoveries, including two patents: one on moulding of fluid surfaces and one on 3D printing of fibre–reinforced ice. It also features two world records: the larges span (30 meters) and the highest thin shell structure (30,5 meters) in ice as well as a method for the construction of a fully laminated shell structure in insulated glass.