2 Units: Modeling a Parametric Structure
After recently studying Felix Candela’s thin-shell structures, I was inspired to develop a similar paraboloid roof featuring glass panels with steel ribs and bracing.
The parametric model begins with user-defined controls for the overall length, width, and elevation of each of the four corner points, which establishes the primary geometry of the roof. Curved edge profiles are then generated between the corners, with additional controls for both curve amplitude and the location of peak curvature along each edge. Using this geometry, a surface is created and steel ribs are generated in two orthogonal directions, each with adjustable count and thickness toggles. The roof surface is then panelized into glass units, with independent controls for panel count and panel thickness.
Finally, materials and render settings were refined to achieve the intended visual aesthetic, resulting in a lightweight, thin-shell canopy that imitates the elegance of Candela’s structures while translating them into a modern glazed structural system.
3 Units: Transforming your Geometry
Building upon the original glass-paneled, steel-braced hyberbolic paraboloid roof system, this stage introduced mathematical transformations to the controlling edge geometry by applying sine wave functions to each of the four roof edges. The user can toggle both the amplitude and wave count of the sine waves, allowing the roof form to flex into a wide range of new configurations.
Testing these parameters demonstrated that minimizing both values returns the geometry nearly to the original Stage 1 form, while increasing them produces progressively more dramatic and expressive roof shapes. Through this exploration, I found that the most visually compelling result occurred when the wave count was set to two along each edge, as shown above. At higher amplitudes and wave counts, however, the geometry began to lose visual cohesion, and in some cases, produced forms that appeared unrealistic or overly chaotic.
Allowing the parameters to take on negative values generated inverted wave patterns, which often produced interesting alternative geometries and expanded the design space beyond the original intent.
4 Units: Applying your Form at Different Scales
Small Scale (Length = Width = 40’):
The small scale model functions as a lightweight canopy or pavilion with an approximate span of 40 feet. At this size, the parametric form is well suited for applications like a bus shelter or garden pavilion.
Medium Scale (Length = Width = 150’):
For the medium scale configuration, the number of ribs and the rib radii is increased to account for the increased span length. Applications of this model include outdoor concert venues or major event spaces. To maintain proportionality and structural expression at this increased scale, the panel density and framing frequency were increased to create a more refined structural grid. The wave geometry becomes more pronounced, allowing the form to read more dynamically while still preserving the overall design language established in the smaller-scale model.
Large Scale (Length = Width = 400’):
At the large-scale version, the cantilever span is extended to approximately 400 feet. Physical representations of this model include a stadium roof or a major transportation terminal, such as an airport or a train station. Here, the radii of the braces were increased to account for the increased span. In addition, the wave count was increased to 7 and the height values were increased by approx. 4x.