Timber Gridshells: Challenges and strategies in fabrication and assembly

Timber gridshells offer structural efficiency, use of renewable materials, and freeform, lightweight construction. However, their potential for sustainable building solutions is often hampered by the complexity of design, fabrication, and assembly. Various strategies have been developed and tested in research and practice to create the curved geometry of individual elements and grids. These strategies include the individual bending and coupling of lamellas, complete robotic prefabrication of curved elements, and elastic deformation of the entire grid. Recently, a new strategy utilizing architectural geometry has emerged, allowing the combination of straight and flat planks into a so-called geodesic-asymptotic hybrid gridshell. This paper examines four innovative large-scale timber gridshells, focusing on their fabrication and assembly techniques. The four methods are critically analyzed in terms of planning, component bending, prefabrication versus on-site construction, construction complexity, and future viability. Finally, these methods are compared with the novel geodesic-asymptotic hybrid approach to assess the potential and challenges of this new method for large-scale applications.     «

Timber gridshells offer structural efficiency, use of renewable materials, and freeform, lightweight construction. However, their potential for sustainable building solutions is often hampered by the complexity of design, fabrication, and assembly. Various strategies have been developed and tested in research and practice to create the curved geometry of individual elements and grids. These strategies include the individual bending and coupling of lamellas, complete robotic prefabrication of cur...     »