Editorial: Transformable structures and envelopes in architecture and civil engineering (original) (raw)

Frontiers in Built Environment

Editorial on the Research Topic Transformable structures and envelopes in architecture and civil engineering The achievement of CO 2 neutral construction constitutes the most important challenge for the building industry in the 21st century. Speed, durability and resource efficiency are of increasing importance in meeting the challenges of global population growth and climate change. The conceptualization and development of new innovative structures and materials towards a minimization of energy consumption and fossil resources, as well as sustainable solutions by means of reduced footprint and resource optimization gain significance. In this framework, transformable structures in architecture and civil engineering offer a promising solution to massive building structures and fixed-shape components realized in a particular context and time. In the creation of a sustainable built environment, aspects of flexibility, modularity and structural efficiency enable transformability of the buildings and their components at different levels. Transformable structures applied at the building, envelope and elements level may have reconfigurable, deployable, adaptive and intelligent attributes. They are capable to transform into differing shapes and/or adapt in response to varying functional, environmental or loading conditions. From a functional perspective, shape transformations contribute towards better space utilization; from an environmental perspective, optimal comfort levels for the occupants and renewable energy Research Topic become possible. Transformability and adaptivity enable minimization of external loading and structural performance optimization respectively. Different typologies and related mechanisms have been developed in recent years for architectural and other engineering applications, such as tensegrity, scissor-like, rigid-bar linkages and origami inspired systems, as well as control systems and elements. Such developments are often assessed based on their constructability and maintenance, modularity and assembly, fabrication and construction design, material properties, kinematics, control components design and integration, structural performance, environmental performance, as well as energy performance during actuation. At the architectural level, the spatial, aesthetic, and technical characteristics of transformable buildings and elements are explored for the characterization and perception of architectural space in Akgün et al. In particular, the interrelation of architectural space, tectonics and transformation of architectural elements is classified and further exemplified on a case study of The Shed in Hudson Yards in New York