Maria Vrontissi - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Maria Vrontissi

Digital Database of Building Structural Systems: an Educational Tool to Support Multi-disciplinarity and Enrich Design Vocabulary in Preliminary Conceptual Structural Design

ABSTRACT In building design practice, especially in the preliminary stages, multi-disciplinarity ... more ABSTRACT In building design practice, especially in the preliminary stages, multi-disciplinarity is often ignored, due to the intrinsic characteristics of the design process, the features of design education, or lack of appropriate tools, resulting in a limited design vocabulary. This paper investigates the development of a digital multi-media database of building structures, operating as a supporting tool in preliminary structural design in order to enrich and justify design decisions. The proposed database responds to the need of bridging the gap between systematic, yet abstract, theoretical analytical approach of structural systems and descriptive, visual, yet fragmented, representations of architectural forms, through a highly visual, yet thoroughly systematic, approach based on case-studies.

In building design practice, especially in the preliminary stages, multidisciplinarity is often i... more In building design practice, especially in the preliminary stages, multidisciplinarity is often ignored, due to the intrinsic characteristics of the design process, the features of design education, or lack of appropriate tools, resulting in a limited design vocabulary. This paper investigates the development of a digital multi-media database of building structures, operating as a supporting tool in preliminary structural design in order to enrich and justify design decisions. The proposed database responds to the need of bridging the gap between systematic, yet abstract, theoretical analytical approach of structural systems and descriptive, visual, yet fragmented, representations of architectural forms, through a highly visual, yet thoroughly systematic, approach based on case-studies.

Faced with a pronounced shortage of conceptual synthetic competences, a track emphasizing on the ... more Faced with a pronounced shortage of conceptual synthetic competences, a track emphasizing on the creative component of structural studies has emerged in academia in recent years, both in the engineering and architectural realm. The present work seeks to be part of this discourse by unfolding a proposition by the Chair of Structural Design of the Department of Architecture of the ETH-Zurich; discussing structural concepts within an inclusive design perspective. This educational strategy tries to extend the learning-by-doing pedagogy to a projective modality by activating the mode of inquiry of the design culture into the structural realm. Playful active-learning practices by means of material constructs are employed to explore structural concepts beyond typological boundaries. Furthermore, the incorporation of multiple design objectives beyond mere structural optimization, introduces an extended understanding of the structural concept that encompasses both formal and relational inter...

This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic... more This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic dome built in a student workshop as the bearing structure for an artificial sky lighting installation. Digital tools were used for the whole process from preliminary to detailed design, fabrication and assembly, in order to allow the investigation and precise representation of the geodesic geometry. However, limited possibilities, in combination with the intrinsic nature of the geometry, which allowed segregation of tasks, did not permit a full exploration of the potential of the digital continuum at that time; even though taking advantage of digital technologies, the process maintained some of its linear characteristics. A couple of years after the successful completion of the installation, the project is ‘revisited’ in retrospect, and the design process is ‘reengineered’ considering the design potential of recent advances in digital technology. In this work in progress, an attempt is ...

Full-scale design explorations in architecture education: small-scale reciprocal structures for outdoor use

This article presents the design and construction process of a geodesic dome built in a student w... more This article presents the design and construction process of a geodesic dome built in a student workshop as the bearing structure for an artificial sky lighting installation. The applied methods and tools are discussed as a case-study of an educational module providing not only significant input for the specific type of structures and related technologies, but, furthermore, giving valuable feedback to future practicing engineers.

Proceedings of the IV International Conference on Structural Engineering Education Without Borders, 2018

In recent years, a renewed interest in structural matters and interdisciplinarity has risen, brin... more In recent years, a renewed interest in structural matters and interdisciplinarity has risen, bringing forward challenges in professional and academic practices. The present work seeks to contribute to this discussion by unfolding a conscious proposition as implemented by the Chair of Structural Design at the Department of Architecture of ETH Zurich. Founded on the intrinsic features of architectural education, the “Constructing Equilibrium” second-year structural design exercise shifts the focus to the synthetic aspect and the conceptual component of structural education. The exploration of the structural concept is introduced as a playful activity of a qualitative nature, based on an intuitive understanding of structural performance in three-dimensional space, informed by the interaction with material constructs in an interplay between the concrete and the abstract.

In a quest towards creative structural awareness, the present work inscribes within a broader deb... more In a quest towards creative structural awareness, the present work inscribes within
a broader debate about the mode of reasoning in structural studies. The research of Robert Le
Ricolais at the University of Pennsylvania is discussed here as a paradigm of creative practice
employing design-erly ways in structural studies; offering an original insight about the potential
of the physical model; as a conceptual device (“hierogram”) pertaining in the design realm
beyond the in-scale representation (“apparatus”) confined in the scientific paradigm. Physical
models – as an instance of modelling – are regarded as a fundamental methodological means in
structural design studies, thus becoming the vehicle to tackle epistemological issues about the
synthetic nature of the discipline. From this perspective, Le Ricolais’ research practices become
all the more relevant in a most contemporary discourse about the “informal”, a differentiated
structural design rationale.

This paper discusses the structure, methodology and outcomes of a design-build educational module... more This paper discusses the structure, methodology and outcomes of a design-build educational module on reciprocal structures. While the ultimate goal of the endeavor was to demonstrate the potential of the system for a full-scale implementation in the local Mediterranean context, the educational objective was to increase the system-specific knowledge and deepen the process-related understanding of the participants. The actual task consisted in developing design concepts for a small-scale outdoor structure based on principles of reciprocity within a design-build workshop format. Three out of the six initial design schemes were chosen to be further explored in in-scale physical models and fullscale mock-ups in order to assess design efficiency and constructional feasibility towards a future fullscale implementation. The design process was systematically documented and methodically reviewed in an add-on educational component within a reflective perspective to bring more insight in the design parameters of the proposals, as well as to consolidate technical awareness and foster investigative mindset of the participants.

In a quest for a means to develop conceptual structural awareness within a creative design scope,... more In a quest for a means to develop conceptual structural awareness within a creative design scope, this article discusses the presence and use of the physical model in various teaching and learning practices related to structural studies (analysis or synthesis studies) within architecture education. The work is based on the hypothesis that structural engineering is a design discipline and modelling is one of the distinctive methods of inquiry appropriate to the culture of design. Following this line of thought, the role of the physical model -as an instance of modelling -in structural studies is discussed as a reflection on the way of reasoning in structural design.

This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic... more This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic dome built in a student workshop as the bearing structure for an artificial sky lighting installation. Digital tools were used for the whole process from preliminary to detailed design, fabrication and assembly, in order to allow the investigation and precise representation of the geodesic geometry. However, limited possibilities, in combination with the intrinsic nature of the geometry, which allowed segregation of tasks, did not permit a full exploration of the potential of the digital continuum at that time; even though taking advantage of digital technologies, the process maintained some of its linear characteristics. A couple of years after the successful completion of the installation, the project is 'revisited' in retrospect, and the design process is 'reengineered' considering the design potential of recent advances in digital technology. In this work in progress, an attempt is made to work with an inclusive model that contains geometric, structural, material and manufacturing input and constraints and can inform design, fabrication and assembly processes, allowing for dynamic manipulation and control of parameters at any given time; thus, reconfiguring in real time the design, as well as the related processes.

This article presents the full-scale tensegrity structures that were built in a student workshop ... more This article presents the full-scale tensegrity structures that were built in a student workshop at the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly in spring 2007; projects included typical tensegrity forms to industrial design or small-scale architecture structures. Objectives and constraints are described, the trial-and-error approach is illustrated. Design explorations, construction investigations and experimentation with the implementation process are presented. The methodological approach is discussed to emphasize the constructive contribution of tensegrity systems in design education, their inherent characteristics and complexities of related processes touching fundamental issues in contemporary design discourse.

Digital Database of Building Structural Systems: an Educational Tool to Support Multi-disciplinarity and Enrich Design Vocabulary in Preliminary Conceptual Structural Design

Full-scale design explorations in architecture education: small-scale reciprocal structures for outdoor use

Proceedings of the IV International Conference on Structural Engineering Education Without Borders, 2018

This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic... more This article discusses the use of digital technology in the design and construction of a geodesic dome built in a student workshop as the bearing structure for an artificial sky lighting installation. Digital tools were used for the whole process from preliminary to detailed design, fabrication and assembly, in order to allow the investigation and precise representation of the geodesic geometry. However, limited possibilities, in combination with the intrinsic nature of the geometry, which allowed segregation of tasks, did not permit a full exploration of the potential of the digital continuum at that time; even though taking advantage of digital technologies, the process maintained some of its linear characteristics. A couple of years after the successful completion of the installation, the project is 'revisited' in retrospect, and the design process is 'reengineered' considering the design potential of recent advances in digital technology. In this work in progress, an attempt is made to work with an inclusive model that contains geometric, structural, material and manufacturing input and constraints and can inform design, fabrication and assembly processes, allowing for dynamic manipulation and control of parameters at any given time; thus, reconfiguring in real time the design, as well as the related processes.