Design To Manufacture Of Complex Building Envelopes

This book discusses a new method for the design and engineering of complex façades. Based on the file-to-factory concept, the method combines parametric design approaches and additive manufacturing. Parametric design and additive manufacturing are both growing trends that open up new possibilities. Parametric design approaches change how planners / designers perceive building details. Further, new engineering concepts are needed to cope with the increasing complexity of architectural geometries due to the rapid developments in areas such as façade systems, modeling software and digital manufacturing techniques.

This book shows the potential of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for the development of building envelopes: AM will change the way of designing facades, how we engineer and produce them. To achieve today’s demands from those future envelopes, we have to find new solutions. The term ‘AM Envelope’ (Additive Manufacturing Envelope) describes the transfer of this technology to the building envelope. Additive Fabrication is a building block that aids in developing the building envelope from a mere space enclosure to a dynamic building envelope. AM offers the opportunity to manufacture facades ‘just in time’. It is no longer necessary to store or produce large numbers of parts in advance. Initial investment for tooling can be avoided, as design improvements can be realized within the dataset of the AM part. AM is based on ‘tool-less’ production, all parts can be further developed with every new generation. The basic principle of AM opens a fascinating new world of engineering, no matter what applications can be found: to ‘design for function’ rather to ‘design for production’ turns our way of engineering of the last century upside down. A collection of AM applications therefore offers the outlook to our (built) future in combination with the acquired knowledge.

This PhD thesis investigates the question how the manufacture of complex geometry thin-walled glass fibre reinforced concrete (or GFRC) can be advanced to meet today's architectural demands.

Façades convey the image of new architecture. Today the planning of this very complex building component requires a collaboration of many specialists. A multitude of possibilities are being projected into the building envelope. Design, visionary construction, new materials, the desire to achieve optimum energy performance or even energy generation all meet with predominantly conventional crafts. What is the future of the façade and how can we get there? What are current trends and future developments? Experts from the fields of architecture, structural and climate design, material science, construction and product development, industry, planning and building innovations will reflect on current projects and their vision for the future. The aim of this publication is to make the reader feel challenged to join the creativity or to evaluate own ideas about the future in order to keep the discussion alive. Every contribution is of relevance as long as it sincerely supports future development. Universities have, of course, a special mission to take the lead in developing long term visions and future scenarios in order to create a fecund soil for breakthroughs for the benefit of the entire building industry. This book is an inspiring example of just that.

Few parts of a building work harder than its envelope (also known as its facade). The envelope is the part of the building most visible from the outside--so it should be visually appealing--but it can also have the biggest effect on the well-being and safety of its occupants--so the envelope should be help heat and cool the building, allow light into it, and provide necessary structure. Too often, a building's envelope is more aesthetically striking than functional, or vice versa. A great building envelope, though, architecturally integrates all of its elements.

Modern Construction Envelopes deals with the facade and roof as an integral part of the building, allowing a holistic approach to the design of the building envelope and providing greater design freedom. The book is aimed at readers who want to extend their knowledge of wall and roof construction beyond the information given in the Modern Construction Handbook, using state-of-the-art construction principles of modern facade and roof systems. The third edition of this classic has been fully brought up to date; it contains new examples in all chapters and presents the projects in revised, new 3D drawings and in 27 AR applications that can be accessed free of charge via smartphone and tablet.

This book showcases over 100 cutting-edge research papers from the 4th International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD’13) – the largest in India in this area – written by eminent researchers from over 20 countries, on the design process, methods and tools, for supporting global product development (GPD). The special features of the book are the variety of insights into the GPD process, and the host of methods and tools at the cutting edge of all major areas of design research for its support. The main benefit of this book for researchers in engineering design and GPD are access to the latest quality research in this area; for practitioners and educators, it is exposure to an empirically validated suite of methods and tools that can be taught and practiced.