Toward Environmental Compatibility of Structural Forms

Abstract

Modern buildings are complex systems which have been in continuous interaction with man, for whom they are living and working environment. An important aspect of this interaction is the visual perception of the building and its relation to the natural environment. This is closely related to the evolution of architectural form and structural system of the building. The capabilities of the process of shaping the form are very much determined by the possibilities of adequate modeling of the building and the exchange of information between the participants of the investment process. Support for the modeling of buildings by means of using computer technology and numerical methods allowed to change the adopted aesthetic paradigm in architecture. One of the consequences of this development is the spread of organic forms, for which an obvious choice of the basic structural material has become concrete. It allows the formation of structural forms that previously could not be realized. However, technological limitations associated with the implementation of spatially complex concrete elements caused that after the initial enthusiasm, there has been a decline in their use. New opportunities offered by the application in the production of these structural elements of the flexible membranes made of technical textiles opens up a new perspective for the design of objects with forms integrated with the natural environment.