Generative Design for Folded Timber Structures

Folding structures belong to the group of lightweight structural systems, which often consist of polygonal elements like triangles or quadrangles. Folding structures whose construction is made out of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels represent an innovative step in the timber industry, which has many advantages. CLT panels can be used simultaneously as supporting elements and as finishing building envelopes. There are many prefabrication possibilities, high efficient material consumption, low production and assembly costs, and it has environmental advantages over conventional materials used for folding structure like concrete, metal or glass. CLT folding structures are not sufficiently explored. One of the reasons may lie in the fact of limited design possibilities, which includes the specificity of CLT capacity. Another reason is maybe the inability to use standard wooden connectors to transfer the forces along the thin linear edges where the panels are supported. The aim of this paper is to present design possibilities through parametric modelling using the characteristics of CLT. Using the example of a wooden theatre stage we will present results of our research.