Glossary of Terms

126 Caisson

Form Resistant Structure: A structure in which the form is defined by the loads beared upon it, creating form that takes shape from the material surrounding it.

Gridshell: A doubly curved structure that is constructed from a grid of material allowing synclastic and anticlastic curvature

Pre-Formed: Curvature of a shell that is determined before the erection of the form, with rigid members

Post-Formed: Curvature that is determined after the erection of the form with members that can bend and twist

Sinclastic: Form that curves toward the same side in all directions

Anticlastic: Form that curves concavely on one axis while convex on the perpendicular axis

Elastic Gridshell: A gridshell, typically constructed from timber, that is post-formed and uses elastic force to create its form

RC Shell: A gridshell like structure constructed from reinforced concrete

Pneumatic: A form created by the manipulation of compressed air on a malleable material

FEM Analysis: Finite Element Analysis. A digital analysis method that calculates loads on an object and highlights the structural performance

Rhinoceros 7: A digital 3D modelling software

Grasshopper: A plug-in for Rhinoceros allowing for improved parametric design

Parametric: Design that calculates forms within a network of numerical imputs

Kangaroo: A parametric design software for Grasshopper allowing for calculation of gridshell curvature

Karamba: FEM Analysis software

Displacement: The measurement of how successful a form is. Measures how well the structure conforms to the digital input into the software in the real world.

CAD: Computer Aided Design. Refers to digital software used to design spaces based on numerical inputs and exact dimensions.