Building Resilience Out of Air: Reimagining a Typology of Thin Shell Air-Formed Shelters
A physical model study precedent exploring undulating thin-shell air-formed shelter typologies, demonstrating continuous vaulted roof geometries over punctuated bases.
- What we like about this project
- The smooth pneumatic crests abruptly meet a grounded, orthogonal base pierced with playful window apertures.
Materials
- cardboard
- foam
- plaster
- paint
Visual identifiers
- thin-shell
- air-formed
- undulating-roof
- study-model
- curved-vault
Style tags
- experimental
- parametric
- organic-geometry
- academic
Visual tags
- shell-structure
- experimental
- academic
- roof-form
- physical-model
- Geometry
- Curvilinear, wave-like vaulted shell roofs spanning low, punctured rectangular base blocks; site models feature oval boundary contours and nested programmatic volumes.
- Facade system
- Solid low base walls with scattered square and rectangular punched window openings.
- Structural guess
- Thin-shell concrete or pneumatic-formed composite vaulting over bearing walls.
- Spatial scale
- Miniature study scale, depicting large-span community or shelter buildings.
- Lighting
- High-contrast studio lighting highlighting the smooth curves and crests of the miniature shell structures.
- Atmosphere
- Inquisitive and sculptural, emphasizing the interplay of light on curved membrane forms.
- Environmental context
- Neutral studio backdrops, both white and black, isolating the abstract architectural scale models.
- Spatial experience
- The models evoke continuous undulating shelter forms that modulate light and interior volume beneath flowing roofs.
- Composition rhythm
- Repeating sinusoidal waves along the roof ridges contrasted with irregular punched openings on the facades.
- Style reading
- Experimental academic research model
- Program
- Shelter or community pavilion
- Perspective
- Model / Physical
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- cardboard, foam, plaster, paint
- Visual identifiers
- thin-shell, air-formed, undulating-roof, study-model, curved-vault
- Style tags
- experimental, parametric, organic-geometry, academic
- Visual tags
- shell-structure, experimental, academic, roof-form, physical-model
- Geometry
- Curvilinear, wave-like vaulted shell roofs spanning low, punctured rectangular base blocks; site models feature oval boundary contours and nested programmatic volumes.
- Facade system
- Solid low base walls with scattered square and rectangular punched window openings.
- Structural guess
- Thin-shell concrete or pneumatic-formed composite vaulting over bearing walls.
- Spatial scale
- Miniature study scale, depicting large-span community or shelter buildings.
- Lighting
- High-contrast studio lighting highlighting the smooth curves and crests of the miniature shell structures.
- Atmosphere
- Inquisitive and sculptural, emphasizing the interplay of light on curved membrane forms.
- Environmental context
- Neutral studio backdrops, both white and black, isolating the abstract architectural scale models.
- Spatial experience
- The models evoke continuous undulating shelter forms that modulate light and interior volume beneath flowing roofs.
- Composition rhythm
- Repeating sinusoidal waves along the roof ridges contrasted with irregular punched openings on the facades.
- Style reading
- Experimental academic research model
- Program
- Shelter or community pavilion
- Perspective
- Model / Physical
- Discipline
- architecture