JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015 - 29

design

The architectural potential
of a novel composite building method

By
PrOf. achim mengeS
icd inStitute fOr cOmPutatiOnal deSign
faculty Of architecture and urban Planning
PrOf. dr. jan KniPPerS
itKe inStitute Of building StructureS and
Structural deSign

biological processes form customized fibrereinforced structures in a highly materialeffective and functionally integrated way.
In this respect, the web building process
of the diving bell water spider (Agyroneda
Aquatica) proved to be of particular interest. The web construction process of water
spiders was examined and the underlying
behavioural patterns and design rules were
analysed, abstracted and transferred into a
technological fabrication process.

Inspired by the spider's
reinforced air bubble
The water spider spends most of its life
under water, for which it constructs a reinforced air bubble to survive. First, the spider
builds a horizontal sheet web, under which
the air bubble is placed. In a further step,
the air bubble is sequentially reinforced by
laying a hierarchical arrangement of fibres
from within. The result is a stable construct
that can withstand mechanical stresses, such

Design concept
The design concept is based on the study of
biological construction processes for fibrereinforced structures. These processes are
relevant for applications in architecture, as
they do not require complex formwork and
are capable of adapting to the varying demands of the individual constructions. The

A novel building method

No101 November - December 2015 / jec

Feature Building & Construction

he Institute for Computational
Design (ICD) and the Institute of
Building Structures and Structural
Design (ITKE) continue their series of
research pavilions with the new ICD/
ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 at the
University of Stuttgart. These building
prototypes explore application potentials
of novel computational design, simulation
and fabrication processes in architecture.
The pavilion was developed at the intersection of the two institute's research fields and
their collaborative teaching in the context
of the interdisciplinary and international
ITECH MSc programme. This prototypical
project is the result of one and a half years
of development by researchers and students
of architecture, engineering and natural
sciences.

The ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 demonstrates the architectural potential of a novel building method inspired by the underwater
nest construction of the water spider. Through a novel robotic fabrication process, an initially flexible pneumatic formwork is gradually
stiffened by reinforcing it with carbon fibres from the inside. The
resulting lightweight fibre composite shell forms a pavilion with
unique architectural qualities, while at the same time being a highly
material-efficient structure.

composites magazine 29

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #101 - November/December 2015