Shell Structure

Initially, a shell structure is to be developed in a "design to build" process using parametric CAD design methods and implemented as a physical 1:1 model at the end of the semester. For this purpose, suitable methods for finding excellent surfaces or their generators are jointly developed, which are already coordinated in the design stage with regard to bending-& torsion-active structures.

Of particular interest are parametrically generated curves suitable for bending on the surfaces - such as geodesics, asymptotes and paths of the main curvatures. CAD-based applications (Rhino/Grasshopper) make a decisive contribution here, namely not only in finding the shape of the envelope surface of the structure but also in the further design process during structural development. The resulting geometric and static boundary conditions define a lattice structure in terms of its cross-sections/materials/nodes. Thus, the shell to be implemented cannot be designed and manufactured in a linear sequence - this requires several iteration cycles. Accompanying the digital design process, ongoing investigations will also be carried out using a wide variety of analog models.

In the first phase of this design studio, the theoretical foundations will be developed. Besides the descriptive geometry of surfaces and curves, some basics of visual programming and application of the used CAD software (Rhino/Grasshopper) are needed. In the further course, various solution proposals are developed in small groups, which are continuously evaluated and discussed. In a verification process (mid-terms), this preliminary work will flow together into a collaborative design. Towards the end of the semester, the collective design is to be developed to such an extent that the lattice shell can be erected as a 1:1 model in the area of the Nordbahnhof site for an exhibition period of several weeks.