Synthesis between Architectural and Structural Design: Exploring the concept of large open interior spaces and a highly redundant facade

Abstract

There is an architectural thesis that states that in order for a building to be permanent, it has to be impermanent. A mayor part of the thesis centered on making buildings cost-effective to reuse thus avoiding obsolescence and becoming abandoned buildings that burden the city. The question this project proposes to answer is; how to design a structure that can predict future uses by providing an open plan with minimum inner structure. The project uses the façade as a modular loading system to provide active building redundancy. The ideal of being able to be replaced for custom purposes and to have a free open space free of internal structure makes the design highly cost-effective considering the buildings life cycle. The engineering thesis will explore the idea of structural redundancy in the implementation of the modular system and how it reacts towards the maximum loads. Key Terms - Cost-Effective Reuse, Perpetual Adaptation, Structural Façade, Structural Redundancy.