Timber gridshells an asset for contemporary architecture 

Thanks to the emergence of modeling software, contemporary architecture has seen the rise of buildings with complex geometric shapes. Traditional construction methods however lack in agility to efficiently build these buildings. Timber gridshells become an interesting option to explore.   

Gridshells can be defined as a grid composed of members that behave like a hull. The two main families of gridshells, rigid and elastic, can be distinguished by the building erection process. Elastic grids are formed from a flat network of continuous, unbent elements, deformed on site into the desired shape. In the case of rigid grids, workers bend the members at the factory to the final geometry and assemble them later on site. 

Due to the challenge imposed by their construction, gridshells are still little used in North America. However, this construction system has a lot to offer. It allows them to create large volumes using a minimum amount of material. Gridshells can be built using a variety of lattice configurations and materials. Because of its light weight and high deformability, wood is the material of choice for the construction of grids. 

In order to explore the potential of this constructive system for wood, Philippe Charest completed a doctoral project in architecture at the Industrial Research Chair on Eco-responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB) at Laval University, Quebec. The project was realized under the supervision of André Potvin and Claude Demers from the School of Architecture, and Sylvain Ménard from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. The main objective was to develop a timber gridshell concept designed with an optimized geometry to reduce the amount of material used.  

By approaching the concepts of form, structure, matter and light from the perspective of biophilic architecture, this research dealt with the integration between buildings and their environment. A classification of gridshells according to their complexity was first carried out. Different analyses were later performed and led to the proposal of an innovative hybrid technique combining glued-laminated timber frames filled with deformable lattices made from small-section members (Figure 3).  

The segmentation of the surface using a primary structure of prefabricated components and a secondary structure of deformable grids is an interesting avenue for the materialization of free forms through the use of wood mesh. This concept of modularity introduced by this hybrid constructive technique is more in line with the economic considerations of manufacturers of structural wood elements. The decomposition of an initial surface into a series of sub-surfaces composed of rigid frames and flexible lattices favours factory prefabrication, and since the elements are curved in only one direction and the lattices can be bent, only flat elements are transported to the site. On site, it is no longer necessary to control the deformation of an unstable wooden lattice and calculate load scenarios to determine the crane’s anchoring points during the erection process. Rigid elements also offer total control over the final geometry, which is not the case with traditional elastic grids, which can deform insufficiently or excessively. Although the frames are responsible for a slight increase in the quantity of material, their thicknesses offer the possibility of adding other building envelope components such as insulation, and more easily integrating openings to let in light. Finally, this technique allows projects to be deconstructed at the end of their lifecycle by disassembling the faces one by one using a crane. 

In the light of this project, the researcher concluded that timber gridshell should become more democratic, both for the creation of singular and generic buildings.  

To learn more about this project: Vers une architecture biophilique : matérialisation de la complexité formelle au moyen de structures en résille de bois (ulaval.ca) 

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