Growing Construction Components - Design and simulation strategy for self-formation following tree growth

eCAADe proceedings, vol. 2, pp. 51–59

Abstract

Driven by the statement: what if buildings could think, this work continues with another inquiry, what would happen if the building elements knew how to grow, regardless of the material they are made of, or if that building could respond throughout history to different challenges or structural needs. Therefore, this paper considers studying other structures evolved in time, such as trees and their predefined laws of growth. The construction elements could then be developed, responding to future scenarios, having the capacity to grow in volume, conserving their material properties, as a dynamic organism. This work presents a parametric approach, which, with the help of FEA, will stimulate the growth of the cross-section of a tree stem as if it were the cross-section of a building element.

Authors 3

1. Kevin Moreno Gata Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH-Aachen 1,

2. Juan Musto Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH-Aachen 1,

3. Martin Trautz Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH-Aachen 1,