# Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization

Taylor & Francis - Routledge
London
2014

Bringing together experts from research and practice, Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization presents contemporary design methods for shell and gridshell structures, covering form-finding and structural optimization techniques. It introduces architecture and engineering practitioners and students to structural shells and provides computational techniques to develop complex curved structural surfaces, in the form of mathematics, computer algorithms, and design case studies.

Recent years have seen a renaissance in shell structures. Both through advances in computation and materials, engineers and architects have been imagining and creating beautiful thin shell structures. The design and engineering of shell structures is a highly involved process. Particularly efficient or so-called funicular shell shapes, that carry their self-weight in pure compression, require a process of form finding. Their shape depends on the flow of forces and vice versa. The design of shell structures in general may rely on additional mechanical, technical or architectural aspects necessitating some form of structural optimization.

Shell Structures for Architecture - Form finding and optimization offers a comprehensive overview and hands-on textbook on the design of shell structures. It will appeal to students and professionals, both in architecture and engineering, by presenting many, often well-known methods, and explaining them not only through theory, but by example and by providing open source code.

The edition is being prepared to publish in 2014. It will be published in hardback and paperback and the estimated prices are mentioned here. The print run will be approximately 100 copies in hardback, and 1250 copies in paperback. We expect to sell the book throughout the world. The material will also be produced in eBook format, on demand, as a verbatim digital copy of the printed work (i.e. it will be used in exactly the same context as the printed version, and without alteration).

Contributing Authors:

## Abstract

Bringing together experts from research and practice, Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization presents contemporary design methods for shell and gridshell structures, covering form-finding and structural optimization techniques. It introduces architecture and engineering practitioners and students to structural shells and provides computational techniques to develop complex curved structural surfaces, in the form of mathematics, computer algorithms, and design case studies.

• Part I introduces the topic of shells, tracing the ancient relationship between structural form and forces, the basics of shell behaviour, and the evolution of form-finding and structural optimization techniques.
• Part II familiarizes the reader with form-finding techniques to explore expressive structural geometries, covering the force density method, thrust network analysis, dynamic relaxation and particle-spring systems.
• Part III focuses on shell shape and topology optimization, and provides a deeper understanding of gradient-based methods and meta-heuristic techniques.
• Part IV contains precedent studies of realised shells and gridshells describing their innovative design and construction methods.

## Reviews

'As the role of computational tools in structural design continues to grow, the form-finding techniques detailed here are more relevant than ever. Bringing together experts in the field, I expect Shell Structures for Architecture will be a valuable inspiration and reference for architecture and engineering students and professionals seeking a deeper understanding, which is essential to make full use of such tools and techniques.'

Daniel Piker, Robert McNeel & Associates

'This book should be in the library of designers of shells and grid shells.'

Bill Baker, Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

'In their integration of technical and creative disciplines, shell structures are a fascinating typology – this is a valuable source book for architects and engineers alike.'

Xavier De Kestelier, Partner, Foster + Partners

'Shell Structures for Architecture expands architectural possibilities; a great influence on the thinking of contemporary architects.'

Toyo Ito, Founding partner, Toyo Ito & Associates

BibTeX

@book{Adriaenssens2014,
editor    = "Adriaenssens, S. and Block, P. and Veenendaal, D. and Williams, C.",
title     = "Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization",
publisher = "Taylor & Francis - Routledge",
year      = "2014",
month     = "April",
doi       = "",
note      = "",
}

Related publications

Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.
Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.
Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.
Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.
Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.
Shell Structures for Architecture: Form Finding and Optimization,Routledge,London,2014.

ETH Zurich
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