MAKING OF // KF Aerospace Spiral Stair
Challenged by the tight space that was available on site in Kelowna, the stair was installed with different approaches for each of the CLT halves.
The installation of the lower half was constrained by the 2nd floor above the final location, which did not allow a crane or telehandler to lift the 1-ton panel. Instead a rigging system was designed to be attached onto the existing beam structure and then connected to the CLT via adjustable chain hoists that would be reeled in manually. This lifted the CLT off the transportation jig and into its final position.
When the second half was finally lifted into place with a telehandler, the accurate work of our carpenters in the shop and on site paid off as all three connections at the bottom, middle, and top lined up perfectly. The panels were fastened securely with fully-threaded screws and perforated steel plates to connect both halves. Afterwards, the preparation work for the Timber-Concrete-Composite system began, which included placement of formwork, rebar and additional fasteners that tied concrete and timber together once concrete was poured.
@kf_aerospace
#spiralstair #fabrication #structuralengineering
3 paraboloid timber domes reaching up to 88m in diameter and 30m in height
The city of Taiyuan in central China worked with @deluganmeissl to create a world class botanical garden under three long span gridshell domes. But rather than steel, could these domes be supported using wood, a more sustainable and aesthetically pleasing material? StructureCraft provided structural and erection engineering for an entirely unique paraboloid scheme which at 88m creates the longest span non-triangulated timber gridshell in the world.
Timber was chosen for this project due to its adaptability to the geometric demands, its inherent fire resistance, structural flexibility, natural aesthetic, and environmental sustainability. When viewed from above, the timber structures resemble seashells, with the primary members tightly spaced on one side and fanned out across the surface of the domes. This complex arrangement means that every one of the 2,400 members is unique, so computational generation and digital fabrication techniques were paramount to the success of the project.
There were numerous challenges associated with a gridshell which is non-triangulated, including multi-modal snap-through buckling, which was mitigated through a light diagrid layer of nearly invisible, but carefully detailed cables and adjustable nodes, which were used to efficiently tension the cables.
Architect: @deluganmeissl@deluganroman
Competition concept: @bollingergrohmann
Structural Engineering & Construction Management of Timber Structures: StructureCraft
#details #structuralengineering #timberdesign #taiyuan #gridshell #architecture
If you're in London this week, Lucas Epp will speak both at @iabsehq (Annual Lecture 2026) and NXT BLD, urging a reunion of design and construction through the use of technology.
@lucasepp will give this year's IABSE Annual Lecture on May 14 at the @istructe_official Headquarters, reviewing our latest work with materiality and structure, including the bending-active Chebyshev timber gridshell for FIFA / Gray Media in Atlanta, the new Gelephu International Airport, and the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre.
At NXT BLD, he will give a talk titled "Structural Design at the Speed of Thought": generating structural options takes too much time – yet is critical to understanding both cost, carbon, and systems integration in any building. Lucas's software startup, @branch.3d , unlocks this by enabling realtime analysis and design of structures in all materials, with a deep understanding of structural systems, manufacturing, and carbon.
➡️ IABSE Registration(almost sold out): .uk/event/iabse-annual-lecture-2026-lucas-epp/
➡️ NXT BLD Tickets: /tickets/
#iabse #structurecraft #structuralengineering #lecture
Design + Build, Reconnected: Lucas Epp will give the 2026 IABSE Annual Lecture in London on May 14.
Design and construction have bifurcated. What might buildings look like if we returned to shaping natural materials in their rawest form? Designers and builders, reunited in the pursuit of efficiency and beauty amid an increasingly code-constrained, risk-averse era.
Join Lucas as he reviews recent structural explorations with timber and other materials, including the all-wood joints at the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre & KU's School of Architecture, and the bending-active Chebyshev timber gridshell for FIFA / Gray Media in Atlanta.
May 14 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
IStructE Headquarters, London
Dinner to follow
Register at the link in our bio.
#lecture #iabse #structuralengineering
Wood For Good: @lucasepp will join a roundtable at @facadesplus later this week in Brooklyn.
The session, hosted by @archpaper , will discuss timber's evolving role across markets - including our local projects such as the New Stapleton Waterfront (NYC's largest mass timber development) and the Anima art gallery at Art Omi Pavilions in upstate NY. Lucas will be joined by Peter MacKeith of the University of Arkansas @fayjonesschool and Amy Harrington of @tylininternational , moderated by Jason Wu of @big_builds .
Pictured:
➡️New Stapleton Waterfront - 600+ mass timber housing units for Staten Island (GF55 Architects)
➡️Anima at Art Omi - a light latticed bonnet atop an art gallery in Chatham, NY (SO-IL)
Register at the link in our bio.
#newyorkcity #facades #architecture
Excited to be joining a roundtable at @facadesplus later this month, co-hosted by @big_builds !
On March 26th in Brooklyn, I will be discussing timber's evolving role across markets - from the Kansas University School of Architecture to mass timber in new markets - alongside folks from @fayjonesschool , @tylininternational , and @big_builds .
Thanks to @archpaper for the invite - should be a thought provoking session, not only addressing where we are with timber but the industry norms we need to be challenging to design efficiently with all materials.
Registration link in bio.
#facadesplus #newyork
We are engineering North America's longest-span bending-active timber gridshell - and we're looking for talented and driven structural engineers with an interest in complex structures to join us in our Vancouver, Abbotsford, Seattle, or Trento offices.
If you are...
➡️Passionate about efficient and beautiful structures and details
➡️Deeply interested in "how it gets built": will you work alongside our carpenters to realize your own designs? Will your concepts be buildable?
➡️Fluent with sketching & concepts (you need to beat Leif Johnson!)
➡️Skilled at communicating your design ideas to creative architects worldwide
...then shoot me or @structurecraft_ a DM, or apply at the link in their bio
We're hiring in Abbotsford, Vancouver, Seattle, and Trento (Italy) for a variety of engineering positions. But if you are somewhere else, and passionate about what we do, please also get in touch.
Pictured below: the Assembly Studios Bandshell for Assembly Atlanta, designed in collaboration with @smithdalia.arch . It features a Chebyshev gridshell created with elastically bent timber members, anchoring into a doubly curved glulam ring beam (which is currently being manufactured in our shop).
#hiring #structuralengineering
Calling all Software X Structural engineers: are you interested in revolutionizing the future of structural design and manufacturing software? and defining how we integrate AI?
Come join us at @branch.3d - a manifestation of the master builder model in the software age. Branch integrates...
✔️ Real-time structural design
✔️ 3D modeling / detailing
✔️ Carbon analysis
✔️ Shop drawings, BOMs, CNC files
... enabling much faster exploration of the structural design space, and bringing the designer to the POV of the builder.
👥 We care deeply about quality and performance. If topics like these interest you...
● How to analyze thousands of elements in <20ms, client-side on the web
● Scaling models to represent and display millions of details in a unified platform
● How AI should be integrated into the future of engineering software
● “Food4Rhino” for the world’s structural calculations
● Challenging existing engineering software and creating beautiful tools with tuned, modern UX (who says FE models need to be ugly?)
...and you’re a talented software developer or structural engineer interested in pushing forward the industry and working with some of the sharpest minds to do so - DM me, or apply at the link in my bio!
Hiring:
👉 Full-stack - to architect end-to-end features, optimize performance, explore novel UI/UX.
👉 Analysis - to build and improve our core structural analysis engine.
🤔 What feature excites you? Share your thoughts below!
#structuralanalysis #aiinengineering #hiring #engineeringjobs
The Bloomberg Student Center reimagines the traditional student union as an open "living room" for the campus.
The building’s design by @big_builds features a "cascading" roofline composed of 29 distinct roof planes that step down the sloping site. This geometric complexity required a hybrid structural system utilizing glulam beams and columns supporting acoustic dowel-laminated timber roof panels.
A primary architectural requirement was a "clean ceiling" free of visible conduits and pipes, which is particularly difficult in exposed timber construction where there are no dropped ceilings to hide services. The team developed an innovative solution using intentional, purpose-built chases integrated directly into the roof system. These chases run between DLT panels to conceal electrical conduits, AV systems, and sprinkler pipes, maintaining the seamless visual continuity of the acoustic wood ceiling while meeting fire rating requirements.
Client: @johnshopkinsu
Architects: @big_builds@bjarkeingels , @shepleybulfinch
Engineer of Record: @knippershelbig
Contractor: Clark Construction
StructureCraft was responsible for the competition structural concept as well as the detailing and construction of the timber and steel superstructure.
Photography by @nic.lehoux
#masstimber #johnshopkins #structuralengineering #architecturaldesign
✨In the closing lecture of the first day at Design-Tech Talk 8.0, Lucas Epp (@lucasepp ), Head of Engineering at @structurecraft_ , gave an inspiring talk about their innovative structural design approach, combining creativity, advanced technology, and architecture to shape the future of our built environment.
🎥Recordings are now available on our website: paacademy.com!
Design-Tech Talk is an exclusive and engaging panel discussion featuring distinguished experts, each offering unique insights into the latest advancements in architecture, design innovation, and emerging technologies reshaping industries today.
Tap the🔗 link in our bio for more information.
#artificialintelligence #parametricdesign #computationaldesign
A special announcement: study your building structural performance in real time. 🚀
We are thrilled to launch Branch Concept Lite – available for free to all. Ever wanted to understand structural options for your buildings instantly during concept design? Need to compare quantities for concrete, steel, timber, or hybrid options while tracking embodied carbon?
Branch Concept Lite allows you to study geometry, framing systems, and carbon interactively.
Here is what you can do right now:
✔️Real-time analysis: Size & analyze structures instantly.
✔️Speed: Model your building in just 15s!
✔️Carbon data: Get detailed breakdowns & compare schemes.
✔️Mass Timber: Explore suppliers & specific properties.
✔️BOM: Generate real-time bills of materials.
Our goal is to redefine how designers and builders engage with digital tools - speeding up the early conceptual phases to enable robust exploration of design options.
This first 'Lite' release focuses on extruded building shapes so you can explore design concepts and understand material quantity and carbon impacts instantly as massing changes.
This work is the result of the incredible effort of the Branch 3D team including Dan Cascaval, Lily Hui Huang, Nicholas Martino, Justin Jao, Márcio Sartorelli de Souza, Siebren Kwekkeboom, P.Eng., Andrey Dimitrov, Mark Skepasts, Shasan Chokshi, Cecilie Brandt-Olsen, Yam Chumpolphaisal, and Christian Slotboom, and there is LOTS more to come.
Stay tuned for the full version of Branch Concept which will enable studying and comparing much more complex, real building geometries (think setbacks, transfers, differing framing systems throughout each floor or level), with full transparency to structural and carbon calculations.
What features excite you most? Let us know below! ⬇️
Go try out Branch Concept Lite now at my link in bio.
Excited to share some of our work and engineering philosophy at this years' Edward and Mary Allen Lecture at MIT @mitarchitecture - also serving as a keynote at the Advances in Architectural Geometry 2025 conference.
This graphic illustrates the impact of various 'interfaces' existing between humans and the buildings we build. I hope to revisit traditional master builder approaches to design, engineering, and construction - and a return to natural materials shaped in their rawest form.
Special thanks to Caitlin Mueller and John Ochsendorf for the invitation - what an honour.
See you this week Tuesday in Boston!
#MIT #AAG2025 #advancesinarchitecturalgeometry
