Isandro Gutierrez Malik
My design is heavily inspired by the Cambridge Central Mosque (pictured below). In order to maximize local materials and labor the primary structural components of my Sao Paulo Sustainability Center will be mass timber. I selected a Western Species Glulam 10.75x10.5 structural column for the first two floors and a wider 10.75x19.5 column for the third floor. In reality, the third floor structures will be replaced by tree like supports that I have modeled parametrically (second photo below). Due to material and dimension constraints I am still adding these in to fit the correct building specifications.
The beams spanning these columns and creating a larger grid pattern to support most of the circular floor areas are laminated wood framing beams retrieved through an external family download. I was hoping to include cross laminated timber but didn’t have a lot of luck on the web.
Parametric Support Draft (3rd Floor):
Cambridge Central Mosque:
Each tree support in my model covers a very similar roof/floor surface area compared to that of the mosque. In my design, the distance between tree supports from base to base is 19ft. That makes the general radius of each tree 9.5ft.
In the mosque design, beneath each tree is a concrete/steel hybrid support in the basement floor. While the timber is strong as a natural material, this ensures longevity of support. In the same way for my design, each tree is supported by a set of columns directly underneath allowing for greater unity and strength, as well as a simpler structural layout.