Cellular Building Envelopes

The paper argues that the digital revolution in architectural design and manufacturing, particularly the new possibilities offered for the design and manufacture of complex geometry, calls for a re-examination of the traditional concept of the layer-based building envelope which serves only as a barrier. The paper presents a framework for developing building envelopes based on a complex cellular or sponge-like geometry and preliminary design experiments that examine various tectonic approaches to cellular envelopes. The new envelope types, inspired by both cellular/spongy envelopes in nature and monocoque structures in the aviation, automotive and naval industries, are based on simple materials that can be manipulated to generate a complex geometry. The complex geometry of the cellular grid and the cells is developed using parametric digital modeling.