Tragwerksentwurf IV
In Structural Design IV, the students will apply the knowledge gained during the courses Structural Design I, II and III in a semester-long design project.
Disclaimer
The teaching materials shown in this platform are the result of a collaboration between the Chair of Architecture and Structure (Prof. Dr. Philippe Block) and the Chair of Structural Design (Prof. Dr. Joseph Schwartz) during the years 2015-2022. This platform is not updated since June 2023. If you are a bachelor or master student in Architecture at ETH Zürich, please follow the courses’ content in ETH’s Moodle learning platform in order to get the actualised course material.
Objective
At the conclusion of Structural Design IV, the students will be able to:
- design structures creatively.
- identify the relationships between architectural concept, structural form, internal forces and building materials.
- effectuate the transition from the architectural concept to the structural idea.
- use graphic statics in a design-oriented manner.
- generate structural forms beyond known structural typologies.
- explore spatial equilibrium by means of physical models.
Content
The course begins with a series of lectures in which built projects with a succesful integration between architecture and structure are presented. After, the students, in groups of four, design the structure of an architectural project using graphic statics and physical models. The development of the design proposal is supported during table critics and its evolution is assessed in intermediate submissions. At the end of the semester, all projects are reviewed by structural engineers, structural designers and architects.
General Information
Registration
Registration at http://www.mystudies.ethz.ch/ is required.
Literature
We really much recommend the reading of:
- "The art of structures, Introduction to the functioning of structures in architecture" (Aurelio Muttoni, EPFL Press, 2011, ISBN-13: 978-0415610292, ISBN-10: 041561029X)
- "Faustformel Tragwerksentwurf" (Philippe Block, Christoph Gengangel, Stefan Peters, DVA Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt 2013, ISBN: 978-3-421-03904-0)
Other Learning Material:
- "Form and Forces: Designing Efficient, Expressive Structures" (Edward Allen, Waclaw Zalewski, October 2009, ISBN: 978-0-470-17465-4)
Coordination
Dr. Lluis Enrique, Head of Teaching
HIB E 47, Tel.: 044 633 23 98, Mail: enrique@arch.ethz.ch
