Tree-Structure Canopy: A Case Study in Design and Fabrication of Complex Steel Structures using Digital Tools

Abstract

This paper describes and reflects on the design and manufacturing process of the Tree-Structure canopy for the WestendGate Tower in Frankfurt upon Main, completed early 2011. The project investigated fabrication and assembly principles of complex steel structures as well as the integration of contemporary computational design, engineering, optimization and simulation techniques in a collaborative design approach. This paper focuses on the notion of modular standardization as opposed to non standard customized components. It also engages with issues relating to digital production tools and their impact on construction cost, material performance and tolerances. In addition it examines the reconfiguration of liability during a planning and construction process, an aspect which can be strongly determined by fabrication companies rather than the architect or designer. This paper is written as a reflection on the complete building process when contemporary digital tools are used from design through to fabrication. It studies both the generation of the steel structure as well the ETFE cushion skin. It reports on a collaborative project, where the main author was responsible for the canopies design, parameterization, digitalization and fabrication, as well as for the dissemination of the outcomes and findings during the design and realization process. As such it represents an example of research through design in a contemporary and evolving field. The canopy received a design award by the Hellenic Architecture Association.

Time-Varying Mechanical Analysis of Long-Span Spatial Steel Structures Integral Lifting in Construction Basing Building Information Model

“…The internal force and displacement of the structural system change slowly with time during the construction process. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use chronic time-varying structural mechanics to analyze the mechanical properties of long-span spatial steel structures in the construction process [26][27][28][29]. In different construction processes, the constant and construction load are added into the main unit of long-span spatial steel structure, but the change in the whole structure in a certain construction stage is ignored, and the construction influence load is considered to be constant in the process of this stage.…”

Time-Varying Mechanical Analysis of Long-Span Spatial Steel Structures Integral Lifting during Construction Process

“…The internal force and displacement of the structural system change slowly with time during the construction process. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use chronic time-varying structural mechanics to analyze the mechanical properties of long-span spatial steel structure in the construction process [25][26][27][28]. In different construction processes, the constant and construction load are added into the main unit of long-span spatial steel structure, but the change of the whole structure in a certain construction stage is ignored, and the construction influence load is considered to be constant in the process of this stage.…”

Deceptive Landscape Installation - Algorithmic patterning strategies for a small pavilion

“…This paper is a further example of seeking to incorporate research through design and fabrication of 1:1 realized construction as described in the Tree-Structure canopy project, co-developed by the author (Agkathidis and Brown, 2013) for the West-endGate tower in Frankfurt upon Main. It serves three different, but complimentary aims; firstly to explore the possibilities occurring by combining para-metric tools and environmental simulation software in one single generative design tool.…”