60 results

  • Corrugated-geometry Copper and Glass Facade featured image

    Corrugated-geometry Copper and Glass Facade

    The subject of this case study is the design and construction of a custom corrugated-geometry facade featuring pre-patinated copper and glass for an …

  • Thinking About Facades featured image

    Thinking About Facades

    There have been three decades of liberating developments in the application of descriptive geometry and freeform design methods, as well as the abili…

  • Shape Memory Alloy Activated Shading

    A novel shading device for facade application was developed by combining innovative geometry elements (twisting cylinders) with a smart use of shape-…

  • Facade Wind Loading

    Wind induced pressure is a major design consideration for building facades. However, the effects of facade geometry and urban terrain on wind loading…

  • Optimized Adaptive Re-Use featured image

    Optimized Adaptive Re-Use

    Contemporary building practice represents a disconnect between traditional manufacturing techniques, that favor straight runs and orthogonal geometri…

  • Form as Energy

    All too often, high-performance building envelopes are considered in terms of new materials and technologies that push specific systems to improve en…

  • Data-Driven Shading Systems

    Analyzing the energy performance of complex building envelopes, determining the need for sun protection, and assessing the effectiveness of shading d…

  • Kinetic Shading Systems

    This study focuses on experiments in kinetics and architectural skins. More extensively, it introduces a solution for environmental design issues and…

  • Tectonism and Responsible Urban Futures

    We at Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design group (ZHACODE) explore the relevance of this resource-effective, experience-rich design and construction paradigm to both large institutional projects with complex geometry and mass-customisation, repeated unit projects with assembly complexities.

  • Lithic Revival featured image

    Lithic Revival

    The recently completed Capital One Hall performing arts center located in the Washington DC metro area is defined by a pleated exterior of glass and …

  • Working With Big Data

    Big data is having a noticeable impact on enclosure engineering design. With continuing advancements that liberate the geometrical form and the incre…

  • Optimized Green Wall

    A Catmull-Clark algorithm (used in 3D computer graphics for smoothing polygon surfaces) was used to create a unique design for an over 208ft by 30ft …

  • Execution Ways featured image

    Execution Ways

    Business Insider has described San Francisco’s Chase Arena as setting “a new standard for a sports arena in the US”, and “the state-of-the-art arena …

  • Developments in Gridshell Design

    In 1959 Heinz Isler challenged the world of concrete shell design by proposing a series of shapes for shells that were very different from what most …

  • Simplicity is Deceiving

    The case study presented is a 195 meters tall office tower with a raised podium made of 16 meters full height glass panels (and smaller). The panels …

  • The Carapace Pavilion featured image

    The Carapace Pavilion

    The Carapace Pavilion is a university-based, design-build, full-scale custom prototype for a possible replacement of the standard precast concrete to…

  • Multilayer Design Technique in the Metal Facades

    Multilayer design technique in metal facades is introduced in this paper. Generally, in this technique, a metal facade is designed in the fourth laye…

  • Differentiated Building Skin

    The Los Angeles Stadium’s doubly curved skin is composed of over 35,000 unique triangular panels covering 296,502 square feet of surface area. The pa…

  • Novel Techniques for Facade Optimization featured image

    Novel Techniques for Facade Optimization

    Complex freeform architectural enclosures are becoming increasingly popular and easy to model and design with the help of modern computational tools.…