This indispensable reference is an in-depth introduction to the fundamentals of the design of surface structures. It looks at some of the most innovative structures and technologies to date, demonstrating their use of materials in creating successful surface architecture.

Innovative Developments in Virtual and Physical Prototyping presents essential research in the area of Virtual and Rapid Prototyping. The volume contains reviewed papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, hosted by the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal, from September 28 to October 1, 2011. A wide range of topics is covered, such as CAD and 3D Data Acquisition Technologies, Additive and Nano Manufacturing Technologies, Rapid Tooling & Manufacturing, Biomanufacturing, Materials for Advanced Manufacturing Processes, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Applications of Virtual and Physical Prototyping Technologies. Innovative Developments in Virtual and Physical Prototyping is intended for engineers, designers and manufacturers who are active in the areas of mechanical, industrial and biomedical engineering.

Today, with the advent of digital media technologies and the ability to conceptualize, express and produce complex forms using digital means, the question of the status of the architectural form is once again under consideration. Indeed, the computer liberated architecture from the tyranny of the right angle and enabled the design and production of non-standard buildings, based on irregular geometry. Yet, the questions concerning the method of form expression in contemporary architecture, and its meaning, remain very much open. Performalism takes up this discussion, defines it and presents changes in form conception in architecture, followed by their repercussions. The book is supported by a wealth of case studies from some of the top firms across the globe and contributed to by some of the top names in this field. With a unique and insightful emphasis on professional practice this is essential reading for all architects, aspiring and practicing.

Computational methods in design practice are powerful tools for solving highly constrained problems, and for refining existing design solutions. Algorithmic tools can help in the design process and significantly extend the range of possible solutions. The automation of many routines and the repetitive activities of the design process both provide a release for an architect, allowing him or her more time to think about the design. The main goal of this research study is to explore the potential of parametric modeling for dynamically resolving and controlling the particular conditions of the design and manufacturing processes. The vision is to be able to approach this process in general by way of several design systems for the construction of architectural models and, finally, to build up life-sized solutions.

Departing from the simple question Why do we heat and cool buildings with air?, this book focuses on the technique of thermally active surfaces. This technique uses water in building surfaces to heat and cool bodies - a method that is at once more efficient, comfortable, and healthy. This technique thus imbues the fabric of the building with a more poignant role: its structure is also its primary heating and cooling system. In doing so, this approach triggers a cascading set of possibilities for how well buildings are built, how well they perform, and how long they will last: pointing the way toward multiple forms of sustainability. The first section of the book contrasts the parallel histories of thermally active surfaces and air conditioning. These histories explain the material, social, marketing, and technical unfolding of building technology in the twentieth century as a means to explain why we build the way we do and why that will change in the new century. The next section of the book covers the physiological and thermodynamic basis of thermally active surfaces. This section is designed for engineers and architects to grasp the logic and advantages of this technique. This section also includes a chapter on the de-fragmentation of buildings and design practice that is inherent in building with thermally active surfaces. The final section covers a series of contemporary case studies that demonstrate the efficacy of this technique. The project list currently includes Kunsthaus in Bregenz by Peter Zumthor, Zollverein School of Management in Essen, Germany by SANAA, and Linked Hybrid in Beijing by Steven Holl, amongst others.

Although the disciplines of architecture and structural engineering have both experienced their own historical development, their interaction has resulted in many fascinating and delightful structures. To take this interaction to a higher level, there is a need to stimulate the inventive and creative design of architectural structures and to persuade architects and structural engineers to further collaborate in this process, exploiting together new concepts, applications and challenges. This set of book of abstracts and full paper searchable CD-ROM presents selected papers presented at the 3rd International Conference on Structures and Architecture Conference (ICSA2016), organized by the School of Architecture of the University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal (July 2016), to promote the synergy in the collaboration between the disciplines of architecture and structural engineering. The set addresses all major aspects of structures and architecture, including building envelopes, comprehension of complex forms, computer and experimental methods, concrete and masonry structures, educating architects and structural engineers, emerging technologies, glass structures, innovative architectural and structural design, lightweight and membrane structures, special structures, steel and composite structures, the borderline between architecture and structural engineering, the history of the relationship between architects and structural engineers, the tectonics of architectural solutions, the use of new materials, timber structures and more. The contributions on creative and scientific aspects of the conception and construction of structures, on advanced technologies and on complex architectural and structural applications represent a fine blend of scientific, technical and practical novelties in both fields. This set is intended for both researchers and practitioners, including architects, structural and construction engineers, builders and building consultants, constructors, material suppliers and product manufacturers, and other experts and professionals involved in the design and realization of architectural, structural and infrastructural projects.

The production of architecture, both intellectually and physically, is on the brink of a fundamental change. Computational design enables architects to integrate ever more multifaceted and complex design information, while the industrial logics of conventional building construction are eroding rapidly in a context of increasingly ubiquitous computer-controlled manufacturing and fabrication. A novel convergence of computation and materialisation is about to emerge, bringing the virtual process of design and the physical realisation of architecture much closer together, more so than ever before. Computation provides a powerful agency for both informing the design process through specific material behaviour and characteristics, and in turn informing the organisation of matter and material across multiple scales based on feedback from the environment. Computational design and integrated materialisation processes allow for uncovering the inherent morphogenetic potential of materials and thus are opening up a largely uncharted field of possibilities for the way the built environment in the 21st century is conceived and produced. In order to effectively introduce and outline the enabling power of computational design along with its inherent relationship to a biological paradigm, this publication looks at formation and materialisation in nature, integrative computational design, and engineering and manufacturing integration. Architectural contributors include: Cristiano Cecatto, Neri Oxman, Skylar Tibbits and Michael Weinstock. A scientific perspective by Philip Ball and J Scott Turner. Features: Buro Happold's SMART group, DiniTech, Foster + Partners' Specialist Modelling Group, the Freeform Construction group and Stuttgart University's Institute for Computational Design.