Summary - Column Layout & Size for Temporary Emergency Shelters
Step 1 - Generative Design Framework
I want to design different configurations of a temporary emergency shelter for this assignment. Ideally, this type of shelter would be easy to construct, provide natural resistance to harsh weather conditions, and consist of few components.
Questions Considered
- What modules would best suit a structure that is meant to be quickly and inexpensively built on site?
- Design Variables
- Structural material
- Structural layout
- Wall material / percent coverage
- Evaluators
- Cost of materials
- Weight of materials
- Number of connections
- Open space available
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Cost of construction vs. ease of construction
- Structural layout vs. architectural / functional accommodation
- How can I minimize the heat gain of my structure?
- Design Variables
- Building form (cubic, atrium, rectangular, plate, L-shaped)
- Building orientation
- Evaluators
- Surface area to volume ratio
- Surface area facing the southern façade
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Maximum surface to volume ratio vs. maximum building footprint dimensions
- How easy would this structure be to deconstruct and / or potentially reuse?
- Design Variables
- Type of structural elements
- Structural layout
- Evaluators
- Number of unique components
- Number of connections
- Repetition of modules
- Most Important Tradeoffs to Consider
- Cost of structure vs. ease of construction
- Architectural freedom of structure vs. cost of structure
Step 2 - Generative Design Study
I decided to study the impacts of structural loading, typical 2x beam depth dimensions, and bay width and length on the column efficiency and cost of a structure. I did this by evaluating the required and actual capacities of different wood columns in various configurations, assuming evenly distributed uniform gravity loading and structural failure at the Euler critical buckling load.
Step 3 - Generative Design Study Results
In these plots, it can be observed that the exterior and interior column efficiencies are directly correlated. They do not have a directly linear relationship with either beam depth or the uniform gravity load. It is interesting to note that designing for a higher gravity load doesn’t necessarily mean that our column efficiencies will increase or decrease.
