Tackling Structurals and Detailing
Whilst we might tend to focus on the design aspect of architecture at University, as you progress through architecture school, resolving the structure and detailing aspects of your work becomes more and more important. However, it can be challenging if you’re figuring out this part of the design process for the first time. Throughout this post, I will be explaining some of the structural frameworks you could incorporate into your design and also how I go around detailing and adding the technical markings to my orthographic’s.
Tackling structure and detailing in your design is not easy. In fact, discussing the technical aspects of your project can seem daunting, but it is something which we need to incorporate into our design in order to bring it to a standard which can be replicated in the real world. Where you choose to implement structural thinking into your design process depends on your concept, your project and your method of thinking. Personally, I like to consider the technical details adjacent to my initial ideas as it makes the whole iteration process more fulfilling and it reduces the number of structural problems I might run into in the later stages. In other words, if you think of your structural details too late, some parts of your design might not have enough space to accommodate the mandatory technical additions or you might have to revisit part of your design to suit it to the desired framework. Which is not convenient given the lack of time architecture students have during the year. For example, if my concept focuses on the facade organisation or material, I will begin thinking about the structure alongside this early on in the design process as the cladding has to be held up by something, whereas if I have a design which focuses on spatial organisation, I might not need to think about the structure till later. Where some people might think this reduces creativity of the design process, It’s my preferred way of working and I think it makes the design process smoother.
So, let's begin by looking at a couple of different frameworks!
Structural Steel Framework
Conventional steel structures are constructed of hot-rolled beams and columns, open-web joists, bracing and metal decking. It is generally a fast and precise construction process as steel is prefabricated and most efficient when the columns are laid out to support a regular grid of grinders, beams and joists. Some of the types of steel frameworks you can have are a rigid steel frame, diagonal braced, suspended, propped and cantilevered.
A rigid steel frame is when the structure is rigidly welded and has bolted joints between the columns and beams. These prevent bending and provide resistance to horizontal forces (i.e wind). In addition to this, the columns would be placed relatively close together. They are also sometimes designed with a structural core, which would vertically extend to the full height of the building. This core would be located centrally in the form of a void to accommodate services such as lifts and stairs for accessibility.
Diagonally braced steel framework is when structural walls are swapped out for steel bracing using triangulation and vertical steel trusses. In this case, the columns are designed as compression members, which structurally push together to carry a load. Suspended, propped and cantilevered steel frameworks are variations of steel structures that reduce the amount of structural elements on the ground space, creating unobstructed accessibility and allow for the uninterrupted flow of pedestrians.
Precast Concrete Framework
A precast concrete framework is suitable for single story and low-rise buildings, by providing a skeleton for the building and exterior cladding. Some advantages of this include being produced in factory conditions for accuracy and quality, off-site production which means there is more space on site for other activities and the possibility of assembly in harsher weathers by semi-skilled labourers. However, even though there are many benefits of prefabricated steel frameworks, there are also some disadvantages such as a lack of design flexibility and the fact that the construction programme can be affected by the manufacturers' delivery.
Timber Framework
Timber frame construction is a form which has been used globally for many decades, as it is derived from soft/hardwood forests. However, given the geographical location of the United Kingdom, up to 80% of all timber, used in construction, has to be imported from other countries. There are a variety of timber frameworks, such as balloon framing. This is when studs rise the full height of a frame from the sill plate to the roof plate, with joist and ribbons to provide additional support. This method of timber framework is rarely used as the stud has to frame the whole height of the building, meaning it can't be very tall. Another example of a timber frame is Platform framing which is used more often as the studs are one story high, regardless of the number of floors in the building. Each new story rests on a top and sole plate with joists and lateral bracing. Platform framing is desirable for rapid construction as the wooden studs can be prefabricated off-site.
The most common timber framework is a post and beam frame. This structural method uses vertical posts and horizontal beams to support both floor and roof loads and may be considered a heavy timber construction. The beams transmit their load to the posts (or columns) which carries the load vertically to the foundation system. This system can often be left exposed in the interior, generally in the roof and if you need to increase resistance of the structure against lateral forces (i.e. wind or seismic force) you can implement diagonal bracing or rigid shear walls to enforce this. This frame can be used in designs with suspended floors, requiring less material.
Balloon framing (left), Post & beam (right)
Building Construction illustrated, D.K. Ching
Whilst these are a couple options for the way you might structure your design there are so many other alternatives e.g. air supported structures that rely on tensile strength. In addition to this, as technology evolves there are newer methods being developed that can either adapt these structures or create new frameworks, so do your research!
Now let's talk about detailing. What I mean by detailing is physically drawing the details of your chosen structure into your orthographic’s. Thinking about which structure you want to incorporate into your design might not be too time consuming or confusing, but drawing out the details and technical elements can get messy real quick. It takes a lot of exploration looking through sources like AJ Specifications, project drawings from firms and initiating a technical dialogue with your design tutor, to get it right. Some design tutors may even recommend that you use existing details of other projects as reference that would relate to your work as they are. It’s up to you to research and look into the best structural solutions that can be incorporated into your project. You might want to consider even talking to your technical module leaders/tutors to get their input on your chosen detailing choices. They can recommend precedents that help not only with the drawings, but also with understanding the structural choice through different representations like axonometrics that pull apart the building structure clearly displaying each individual component.
Having said this, sometimes it’s easier to understand by breaching the theory and using a more practical approach. You can do this by modelling a section of your structure or exploring it in a 3D program rather than flat 2D drawings and simply reading about it. Once you’ve spoken with your tutors and they have referenced some projects for you to look at, you can disassemble the structure through drawings and build it back in the form of a scaled model.
With actually drawing out structurals/details, I like to introduce it to my design once I’ve passed the concept and initial drawings stage and I have some substance with my ideas. Even if it’s not the final drawing, which it never has been for me, when there is a part of my design which I know I will keep or if I have the rough outline of what's going to form from my concepts I start to slowly introduce the technical thinking into my iterations. For example, if I have to design a temporary structure and my concept focuses on translucency, once I have developed my idea from the concept stage to the iteration of my design (so I know the rough form of my building and perhaps a few of the services), I will start to think about which possible structure I can use. In this case, let's say I will be using a steel framework with columns and perforated beams. In my iteration which I continue to develop design wise, I will draw these columns into my floor plan at a roughly accurate size. I introduce it at this stage so I can take into consideration how much space the structure might take up and what the walls might look like in section, so when I resolve the design I can work with all the different drawings harmoniously and add to my design with the skeleton (structure) and skin (facade/ outer cladding) of my building in place.
You might find yourself running into problems or uncertainty quite often where you might not know how to draw something; there might be too many variations of what you are researching and you can't be sure which is the correct way of drawing it. You might even not understand the explanation of how all the components of the structure come together. This is okay. It’s a situation which I’ve found myself in many times before and whilst it’s easy to be discouraged or demoralised by it, you can reach out to your peers on the course, your friends, structural books and even your tutors and lecturers, if not your head of year! Bear in mind that you are at university and that this is all a part of your learning curve. Don’t expect your final project to be 100% structurally accurate. Showing your method of thinking and making an effort to include these elements in your project is a step in the right direction. Additionally, try not to become consumed by the technicality of your design. Once you start thinking about the materiality and components of your structure, your building foundations, technicalities of walls, roofs and how to accurately draw them into your orthographics, it becomes very easy to be overwhelmed. It’s not expected of you to have solved all technical aspects of your building in your first try. It’s a process of improvement and with every tutorial and feedback given you make minor changes and before you know it your final drawings will have not only a thoughtful design process, but also a structure to support the design elements.
I hope this post has been helpful in getting you to think about your design process and the structural elements of your design. Maybe it has gotten you questioning things like, “when do I introduce technical thinking in the design process? or “what other frameworks have I used and have yet to explore?”
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