Force, form, and construction
Structural Systems II develops architectural judgment through five structural families: form-active, vector-active, section-active, surface-active, and height-active systems. Students trace how loads are received, transferred, and discharged, then use that understanding to organize material and space.
The course moves repeatedly between analysis, transformation, construction, and evaluation. Sketches and calculations establish a structural proposition; digital models and technical drawings define its geometry; physical assembly and loading expose the consequences of connections, tolerances, and material choices.
01 · Form-active
Compression arches and tension networks connect equilibrium to spatial form. Physical iterations test geometry, cable spacing, and anchorage.
Jordan Brechting — catenary arches and a tension net, seen as a complete assembly and from within.
Jordan Brechting — structural intention resolved through the design of anchorage and cable connections.
William Gardner — struts, cables, and printed nodes support a lightweight canopy.
02 · Vector-active
Two-story, long-span models separate compression and tension into discrete members. Truss geometry, connection details, and loading tests bring the structural system into focus.
Brooke Kochel, Timotej Murcko, Carmen Martinez-Zamorano, and Olivia Burke — long-span trusses meet reinforced printed columns.
Brooke Kochel, Timotej Murcko, Carmen Martinez-Zamorano, and Olivia Burke — threading the tension members alongside the truss force study.
Lucas Guldner, Nick Henderson, Dylan Ries, and Gretchen Ullrich — assembly study and the printed nodes of the space-truss roof.
Lucas Guldner, Nick Henderson, Dylan Ries, and Gretchen Ullrich — roof testing and digital coordination of the structural system.
03 · Section-active
Transforming building precedents into three-pin frames connects bending behavior to member profiles. Model construction tests the continuity of primary frames, secondary beams, bracing, and joints.
Dylan Ries and Tadhg McDonald — tapered frames turn a Glass Pavilion transformation into a spatial assembly.
Dylan Ries and Tadhg McDonald — laser-cut members, printed plates, and pins resolve the connections.
William Gardner and Jordan Torkelson — repeated portal frames and curved secondary beams developed from a Kimbell Art Museum addition study.
William Gardner and Jordan Torkelson — framing drawings compared with the constructed roof rhythm.
Jordan Brechting and Victoria Woodard — a Crown Hall transformation with suspended secondary beams and articulated connections.
04 · Surface-active
Folded plates and segmented shells explore how geometry distributes loads across a surface. Fabrication, joint fit, and physical loading test the relationship between force and form.
William Gardner — folded plates form a spanning surface with an articulated interior.
William Gardner — physical loading and the folded-plate force study.
Jordan Torkelson — a faceted arch assembled from folded plates.
Jordan Torkelson — the loaded model alongside its load-path study.
Ajeonna Lee, Tanawan Vetchaya, and Gwenaelle Rauscher — interlocking plywood segments form a shell on three supports.
05 · Height-active
Tower models connect floor systems and lateral resistance to foundations and the ground. Full-height assemblies and lateral loading make the consequences of bracing, continuity, and connection design visible.
William Gardner, Alexios Karabetsos, Tadhg McDonald, Dylan Ries, and Jordan Torkelson — a diagrid tower with continuous diagonal framing and a splayed base.
William Gardner, Alexios Karabetsos, Tadhg McDonald, Dylan Ries, and Jordan Torkelson — lateral testing and the digital structural proposition.
Justin Ackler, Ashton Barre, Hassan Charara, Muhammad Gonzales, Ajeonna Lee, and Thomas Lewis — changing floor plates cantilever from a central core, with perimeter wire bracing.
Justin Ackler, Ashton Barre, Hassan Charara, Muhammad Gonzales, Ajeonna Lee, and Thomas Lewis — lateral testing and the assembly of the core and base.
Rilie Bleau, Gabby Mack, Jalyse Martin, Ariah Mason, and Maya Schmidt — printed connections coordinate the floor plates, columns, and bracing.
Joseph Pitsch, Timotej Murcko, Max Patino, Nick Ceccardi, and Anna Matushevskiy — grouped floor plates hang from transfer girders connected to a central core.
Joseph Pitsch, Timotej Murcko, Max Patino, Nick Ceccardi, and Anna Matushevskiy — the foundation assembly and load paths through the tower.
