Talk Title: Conceptual structural design via graphic statics and how form-finding frameworks contribute towards integrated architectural design.
Speaker Bio: Marina is an Industrial Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In her hybrid role spanning industry and academia, she is based at the Specialist Modelling Group (SMG) at Foster + Partners and the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.
As a Design Systems Analyst and SMG Research Lead, she specialises in conceptual structural design, form-finding, and architectural geometry. In addition, she contributes to research projects focusing on additive manufacture, robotics, space architecture and extra-terrestrial infrastructure. In her academic capacity, Marina develops computational tools and theoretical frameworks for the design of materially efficient structures using graphic statics.
Talk Abstract: Integrated architectural design takes into consideration various parameters at an early stage for the development of optimised buildings. One of these is naturally structural performance. In other words, integrating structural performance in the early conceptual design stages can lead to significant material efficiency as well as aesthetic quality. This is particularly relevant for structurally expressive architectural forms such as gridshells and tensile geometries.
This presentation will focus on how form-finding frameworks, and in particular graphic statics, can play a crucial role in integrated design and how it can enable the collaboration between architects and engineers. Relevant research conducted at CUED will be showed along with recent examples of applying these methods to real world projects.