Topic: Elastic Architecture
Time: December 2 – January 20
Location: ZOOM hosted by PA + ITKE
Format: Online
Duration: 7 Sessions
Seats Available: 30 Seats
Organized By: PAACADEMY + ITKE
General Registration Fee: €550
Early-Bird Registration: €470 (10% discount for the first 10 seats) (Closed)
Registration Deadline: December 1, 2021
Studio: Studio Jan Knippers
Tutors: Jan Knippers + Axel Körner
The Elastic Architecture studio workshop aims to introduce the potential of material-driven deformation behavior for architectural applications. The workshop is organized by PAACADEMY in collaboration with ITKE, University of Stuttgart. A certificate of attendance will be provided in collaboration by ITKE.
Elastic Architecture
Despite the common perception of our built environment as something static and permanent, architects and engineers have been seeking reconfiguration and adaptation throughout the history of architecture. This led to many concepts and technical solutions that might facilitate architectural applications to adapt to changing spatial and structural demands and environmental influences.
Most technical movable applications are utilized by so-called rigid-body mechanisms, where hinges join rigid elements with specified degrees of freedom. In contrast to this clear functional distinction between stiff elements and joints, the investigation of biological systems reveals numerous motion principles based on the elastic deformation of fibrous materials, known as Elastic mechanisms. These Elastic mechanisms use the interrelation between form, structure, and material – inherent to biological systems – to achieve great variation of motion possibilities while keeping the mechanical complexity comparatively low. Besides performative aspects, the investigation of biological Elastic mechanisms offers interesting design potentials. Mechanisms based on elastic deformation often only need a small actuation impulse to actuate a complex three-dimensional output motion – not obvious but still plausible to the observer, an aesthetic value of complex biological motion.
Bio-inspired Elastic architectural applications have been realized in projects such as the One Ocean Pavilion (SOMA Architects, Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering), the bio-inspired Flectofold façade shading device (ITKE/ ITFT, University of Stuttgart) or the ITECH Research Demonstrator 2018-19 (ICD/ITKE/ITFT, University of Stuttgart). The mentioned examples use the elasticity of the used materials – mainly fiber reinforces polymers (FRP) – in combination with geometrical articulation to adapt their shape through elastic deformation to distinct functional demands, without mechanical hinges or the geometrical constraints of linear translation axis. In contrast to those actively controlled responsive systems, the Urbach Tower (ICD/ITKE, University of Stuttgart) uses the moisture-dependent shrinking behavior of wood for self-shaping of curved wood panels to overcome complex and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes.
The workshop aims to introduce the potentials of material-driven deformation behavior for architectural applications. Thus, various simulation and form-finding strategies will be introduced to design with elastic deformation and motion. The workshop participants will work in small groups (3-4 students) on a small design task to exercise the taught skills.
The workshop will be integrated within parts of the ITECH Seminar “Form and Structure”, which provides an introduction into various structural systems, simulation strategies, and their potential for architectural design.
Instructors:
Jan Knippers
Jan Knippers is a practicing consulting engineer and since 2000 has also been head of the Institute for Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart. His interest is in innovative and resource-efficient structures created at the intersection of research and development and practice.
In 2001 he co-founded „Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering“ with offices in Stuttgart, Berlin, and New York and was co-led for the first years of the practice’s growth. Some of his key projects from this time are the EXPO Axis for Shanghai in 2010, the Thematic Pavilion at EXPO 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea, and the Gallery at the Staatsoper Berlin, completed in 2017. In 2018 he founded „Jan Knippers Ingenieure“ to give more personal attention to innovative projects from concept to completion. The current focus of the practice is on the design and construction of novel fiber composite and timber structures.
From 2014 to 2019 Jan Knippers was the lead coordinator of the DFG collaborative research center TRR141 „Biological Design and Integrative Structures“, a collaboration between the Universities of Stuttgart, Tübingen, and Freiburg. Since 2019 he is Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Stuttgart and Deputy Director of the Cluster of Excellence „Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture“
Jan Knippers is a German member of the European code committee CEN/TC 250 „Fibre Reinforced Polymers“.
He is the author of several books, numerous scientific publications, is a member of various advisory boards (i.e. German Science Foundation), and is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences.
Axel Körner
Axel Körner received his Diploma at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich in 2008 and his MSc. in Emergent Technologies and Design from the Architectural Association in London in 2013 with distinction. He worked for several architecture practices in Munich, Vienna, and London between 2008 and 2014, as well as for Createx and Northsails TPT in Switzerland where he was working on carbon fiber material research in 2012. Between 2013 and 2014 he was a tutor for Technical Studies at the AA School of Architecture and between 2013 and 2016 he was working as visiting tutor for EMTECH at the AA School of Architecture.
Since October 2014 he has been a research associate at the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart, where he is working on bio-inspired compliant mechanisms for architectural applications. He is teaching within the Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research (ITECH) Master Program with a focus on adaptive and bending active structures. Since 2016 he is organizing workshops with the Contemporary Architects Association in Tehran, Iran, and in 2017 he was a member of the international D.RE.A.M. Academy Faculty at Citta Della Scienza in Naples, Italy.
Anna Krtschil
Anna Krtschil graduated with honors as a structural engineer in 2018 at the Technical University of Braunschweig. Since January 2019 she is part of the ITKE (Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design) at the University of Stuttgart. Currently, she is working in the framework of the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC (Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture). The main focus of her research is the development of a multi-story timber building system.
Schedule:
Thursday 02.12.2021
12:30 – 14:00 Opening Lecture by Prof.-Dr. Jan Knippers (Introduction lecture to elastic deformation in an architectural context)
14:00 – 18:00 (Karamba Workshop)
Thursday 9.12.2021
9:30 – 18:00 (Workshop Q&A)
Thursday 16.12.2021
9:30 – 13:00 (Sofistik Workshop)
14:00 – 18:00 (Workshop Q&A)
Thursday 13.01.2022
9:30 – 18:00 (Workshop Q&A)
Thursday 20.01.2022
Submission Assignment
Watch PA Talks 25 with Jan Knippers:
Listen to PA Talks 25 with Jan Knippers:
Important Notes:
- The Elastic Architecture studio workshop by PAACADEMY will start on Saturday, December 2, at 12:30 (GMT+1).
- Total sessions: 5 Sessions
- Daily schedule: 09:30 – 18:00 (GMT+1) (each session may vary in duration)
- Each session and the entire studio will be recorded and videos will be available for participants just a day after the class for an unlimited period of time.
- Certificate of attendance will be will provide ITKE upon delivering the final project.
- The studio workshop will be integrated within parts of the ITECH Seminar “Form and Structure” together with the students of the university.
- We accept payments in crypto. Please email us for the details: [email protected] .
- The studio has limited seats. Tickets are non-transferable & non-refundable. Please read before you purchase.
Software requirements
- Rhinoceros 3D version 6.0 or 7.0
- Grasshopper 3D
- Karamba 3D
The 90-day trial version can be downloaded from the website www.rhino3d.com/eval.html
You can download Karamba 3D from this link: www.karamba3d.com/download/
Topic: Elastic Architecture
Time: December 2 – January 20
Location: ZOOM hosted by PA + ITKE
Format: Online
Duration: 7 Sessions
Seats Available: 30 Seats
Organized By: PAACADEMY + ITKE
General Registration Fee: €550
Early-Bird Registration: €470 (10% discount for the first 10 seats) (Closed)
Registration Deadline: December 1, 2021
Studio: Studio Jan Knippers
Tutors: Jan Knippers + Axel Körner
