Today, building enclosures are sophisticated assemblies conceived through complex processes that merge design, science, and craft. The outermost layer of the exterior wall is the most exposed to natural forces and therefore it needs careful attention; its performative aspects must work effectively over the lifetime of the building.

This seminar focuses on the use of thin concrete assemblies as a performative part of building envelopes. Students conduct research and analyze historic and contemporary use of concrete in building precedents. Then, they identify a specific environmental condition that their enclosure study responds to, and advance the design through detailed drawings and study models, culminating in the making of a full-scale mockup assembly.  This enables an in-depth understanding and development of ideas based on the technical, experiential and aesthetic exploration of one main material: Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) applied to building envelopes.

 

Students:

 

Team 1

Bassett, Tyler

Clark, Paul

Huang, Liqiang

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Team 2

Bell-Hart, Samuel

Gori, Nicholas

Radford, Mason

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Team 3

Freedman, Jack

Laverde, Jairo

Pinheiro, Marco

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Team 4

Cai, Zhuoqun

Wang, Peng

Zhou, Yaqian