The case for subdivision surfaces in building design

Abstract

In his seminal 2010 IASS Journal paper titled “New Challenges for the Structural Morphology Group”, Andrew Borgart outlined the need for radical new techniques for the design, engineering and construction of complex geometry structures in order to continue to produce innovative and beautiful design solutions in the current economic and environmental climate. He concluded that unorthodox solutions were needed, and that these would only be provided through transfer of technologies from a wide range of disciplines. This paper rises to Borgart’s challenge, by demonstrating through a case study project that the adoption of Subdivision Surfaces as a new modeling framework for engineering design would go a long way towards addressing these problems and would reinvigorate the Shell and Spatial Structure design community.