Cellular Building Envelopes

Abstract

The paper argues that the digital revolution in architectural design and manufacturing, particularly the new possibilities offered for the design and manufacture of complex geometry, calls for a re-examination of the traditional concept of the layer-based building envelope which serves only as a barrier. The paper presents a framework for developing building envelopes based on a complex cellular or sponge-like geometry and preliminary design experiments that examine various tectonic approaches to cellular envelopes. The new envelope types, inspired by both cellular/spongy envelopes in nature and monocoque structures in the aviation, automotive and naval industries, are based on simple materials that can be manipulated to generate a complex geometry. The complex geometry of the cellular grid and the cells is developed using parametric digital modeling.