Will smart balloons change design?

At the 2009 ACADIA (Assoc. for CAD In Architecture) conference, I was blown away by all the radical design ideas brought forth. Of them, the most intriguing ideas imagined how new technologies could be used to create responsive structures - buildings that could change shape and function in reaction to external stimuli. Ideas like this are...

Will a catenary span 600 ft?

The Chameleon is a design concept for linking Chicago’s Northerly Island to the shore near Soldier field. In the second part of my series exploring the potential structure of this design, I applied basic load and deflection principles to estimate a steel quantity. Unsatisfied with the brute force approach, I explored other structural forms...

Will a bridge link Northerly Island?

The Chameleon pedestrian bridge would link Soldier Field to Northery Island. But, will it stand? In this blog, I will apply basic structural principles and equations to estimate the material requirements of such a bridge. To the greatest extent possible, I have tried to remain true to the original design intent, but early schematic evaluations...

Will new faces deliver landmarks?

Early in 2009, Chicago’s architecture community was a buzz about the opportunity to design spaces for the 2016 Olympics. They looked to showcase the city’s rich architectural history and implement new modern forms being explored by a new generation of architects. Adina Balasu was one such enterprising designer completing her graduate degree....