Capital C, geometric optimization of a free-form steel gridshell towards planar quadrilateral glass units

The former Diamond-exchange building in Amsterdam, now called Capital C, is restored to its former glory and currently undergoing a major renovation. This listed building has been returned to its original design and topped with a spatial gridshell roof structure of glass and steel, designed by renowned architect office ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects. This paper focuses on the geometric optimization of the free-form gridshell towards planar quad glass units.   The final shape of the gridshell is determined by a parametric computer model. With a by ZJA in-house written program, the boundary conditions were defined, where after the software searches the ideal shape. In the case of Capital C, the ideal shape was a geometrical free-form shape but with planar or minimal curved quadrilateral glass. This to represent the faceted aesthetics of the diamond, representing the building’s heritage. In addition to the look, optimizing to planar glass panes also increased the feasibility and cost-efficiency of the design. During this process Octatube, as a specialist Design and Build contractor, was approached and challenged to realize this innovative and complex design.   In principle the gridshell has one repetitive structural steel connection. However due to its shape every connection is unique and itself composed of many unique parts. In the final design, approximately 1000 different steel elements and 200 different glass units are applied. With a traditional design method, where all elements are modelled one by one, a minor change to the geometric shape of the shell would lead to a large amount of labour. A time-consuming and error-prone job. Therefore the design is automated, by means of an in-house developed parametric tool by Octatube, which converts the complex basic geometry into a FEM-model and detailed production model.   The applied methods of parametric design and engineering allowed the team to not only optimize the glass-design until late in the engineering phase, incorporating a file-to-factory workflow, it also allowed for fast and very precise pre-fabrication. Not unimportant when installing a free-form glass and steel gridshell on top of a listed building in the heart of Amsterdam

Design of a Transparent Column in Glass and Steel

The use of in-plane loaded glass panes allows for highly transparent and material efficient structures. This research focuses on the design of a transparent and safe column in glass and steel, in which an extremely slender steel column is laterally supported by in-plane loaded glass panes. Full-scale experiments have been carried out to determine the stability behaviour of the glass-steel column and to obtain valuable data to calibrate a Finite Element model. Most importantly, it is shown that the concept of the glass-steel column is perfectly feasible

Glass Floor Plate Design for Sustainable Building Operation

Large glass floor plates are usually designed as laminates of three or more glass leaves, bonded together with an interlayer. This means that, in the event of accidental breakage, the entire plate must be replaced, sometimes at considerable cost. In addition, where access is difficult, the costs and the disruption to the owner’s operations are increased. Finally, it is difficult to recycle laminated glass. An alternative is outlined whereby a sacrificial layer is loose laid on top of the structural laminate. In the event of breakage, only this top layer is replaced, with the lower structural laminate remaining in place to provide safety throughout the operation. This design differs from the conventional construction where the top sheet is bonded to the rest. An in situ trial was carried out, and this proved the effectiveness of the loose laid approach