(13037873) BE1380 – Cityspace[]
Innovative Structural Design[]
In the 20th and the 21st century much in the form of innovation occurred in:
- Materials: In the 20th century plastic was new and starting to be used, reinforced concrete was new and proved to be better than normal concrete. Steel wasn't necessarily new but it did start to become more widespread
- Technology: In the 20th century lifts and cranes allowed the construction of high rise buildings possible.
- Construction techniques: Prefabrication started to become big in the 20th century
- Structural form: With the ability to create high rise buildings and skyscraper, architects started to have new ideas on how and what to build.
Structural concepts:
- Skeletal structures: Steel, concrete, timber etc. Frames
- Solid structure: Again steel, concrete and is a load bearing structure
- Surface structures: Shells & tension structures are made up of various materials and allows for flexibility in architectural form & design.
Lloyd's building
The Lloyd's building is a great example of innovation in 20th century architecture. It gives of completely new feel unlike most buildings and suggests that we have arrived in the future, the way Richard Rogers designed the building without showing a shell or walls just shows how innovative he is as a designer. This type of building design would only be able to be completed towards the end of the 20th century with the use of materials and technology.
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion
The ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion (built in 2010) is a very interesting structure because it was designed using the latest computer design tools to create the shape then they used extremely think plywood strips to build the structure and build a work of art. With the 21st century comes the advancement of computers and computer programs that allow you to create weird and unique structures and test them on a computer to see if they would work in real life. This technology advancement allows anyone the ability to have a go and designing a structure and possibly building it yourself.
Cityspace
My building I think is not very innovative, it does look different to a lot of buildings while looking the same to some but the techniques that were used to design and construct was nothing new and the materials were nothing new. In 2010 it is hard to create an innovative structure if it for a university and there is only a limited budget because you have to go about certain rules etc. To make sure it fits the client's needs.