Performative Grid Shell

This project explores an alternative design approach that aims at understanding wood’s complex material make up and behavior as its major advantage rather than a deficiency. Computational design lends itself to such an approach as it is enables employing complex behavior rather than just modeling a particular shape or form. We design and Develop a performative Timber Grid Shell prototype by local form finding that is performed by changing the diagonal distance of each individual grid unit parametrically. The intrinsic values of wood such as bending behavior, fiber orientation, and moisture reaction, are the generative forces of the overall gestalt form. By controlling the form finding locally, designer reserves the freedom to achieve a more dynamic grid shell system and able to generate a boarder range of spatial experiences.