Skip to content
UC Berkeley logo
  • Resources
  • Apply
  • Give
    • CED
      • About CED
        • Vision
        • People
        • Community
        • Our Spaces
        • Work at CED
        • Giving
        • Visit Us
        • Contact Us
      • Academics
        • Degrees + Certificates
        • Summer Programs
        • Study Abroad
        • Courses
      • Admissions
        • Undergraduate Admissions
        • Graduate Admissions
        • Fees & Financial Aid
      • Advising
        • Undergraduate Advising
        • Graduate Advising
      • News + Events
        • News
        • Events
      • Explore
        • Student Work
        • Publications
      • Research + Design
        • Centers & Institutes
        • Research Collaborations
      • Resources
        • Awards, Scholarships and Fellowships
        • Student Support
        • Environmental Design Library
        • Environmental Design Archives
        • Fabrication + Materials
        • IT + Computing
        • Internships + Careers
        • Student Fees and Waivers
        • Student Organizations
        • Facility Services
        • Building Safety
    • ARCH
      • About Architecture
        • Diversity
        • Leadership
        • Accreditation and Licensure
      • Degrees + Admissions
        • Admissions
        • Bachelor of Arts
        • Minor in Architecture
        • Minor in Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries
        • Minor in the History of the Built Environment
        • Minor in Social and Cultural Factors in Environmental Design
        • Minor in Sustainable Design
        • Master of Architecture (M.Arch)
        • Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD)
        • Master of Science
        • Ph.D.
        • Concurrent Programs
      • Courses
        • 2023 Spring Courses
      • People
        • Faculty
        • Emeriti
        • Students
        • Staff
      • Gallery
      • Advising
    • LAND
      • About LAEP
      • Degrees + Admissions
        • Admissions
        • Bachelor of Arts
        • Minor in Landscape Architecture
        • Master of Landscape Architecture
        • Ph.D.
        • Concurrent Degrees
      • Courses
      • People
        • Faculty
        • Emeriti
        • Students
        • Staff
      • Gallery
      • Advising
    • CITY
      • About DCRP
      • Degrees + Admissions
        • Admissions
        • Ph.D.
        • Master of City Planning
        • Bachelor of Arts
      • Courses
      • People
        • Faculty
        • Lecturers
        • Emeriti
        • Students
        • Staff
      • Gallery
        • Student Work
        • Faculty Work
        • Studio Work
      • Advising
    • URBANISM
      • About IURD
      • Real Estate Development + Design
        • About MRED+D
        • Admissions
        • Courses
        • People
      • Urban Design
        • About MUD
        • Admissions
        • Courses
        • People
      • Sustainable Environmental Design
        • About SED
        • Courses
        • People
      • People
      • Gallery
      • Advising
  • CED
    • About CED
      • Vision
      • People
      • Community
      • Our Spaces
      • Work at CED
      • Giving
      • Visit Us
      • Contact Us
    • Academics
      • Degrees + Certificates
      • Summer Programs
      • Study Abroad
      • Courses
    • Admissions
      • Undergraduate Admissions
      • Graduate Admissions
      • Fees & Financial Aid
    • Advising
      • Undergraduate Advising
      • Graduate Advising
    • News + Events
      • News
      • Events
    • Explore
      • Student Work
      • Publications
    • Research + Design
      • Centers & Institutes
      • Research Collaborations
    • Resources
      • Awards, Scholarships and Fellowships
      • Student Support
      • Environmental Design Library
      • Environmental Design Archives
      • Fabrication + Materials
      • IT + Computing
      • Internships + Careers
      • Student Fees and Waivers
      • Student Organizations
      • Facility Services
      • Building Safety
  • ARCH
    • About Architecture
      • Diversity
      • Leadership
      • Accreditation and Licensure
    • Degrees + Admissions
      • Admissions
      • Bachelor of Arts
      • Minor in Architecture
      • Minor in Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries
      • Minor in the History of the Built Environment
      • Minor in Social and Cultural Factors in Environmental Design
      • Minor in Sustainable Design
      • Master of Architecture (M.Arch)
      • Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD)
      • Master of Science
      • Ph.D.
      • Concurrent Programs
    • Courses
      • 2023 Spring Courses
    • People
      • Faculty
      • Emeriti
      • Students
      • Staff
    • Gallery
    • Advising
  • LAND
    • About LAEP
    • Degrees + Admissions
      • Admissions
      • Bachelor of Arts
      • Minor in Landscape Architecture
      • Master of Landscape Architecture
      • Ph.D.
      • Concurrent Degrees
    • Courses
    • People
      • Faculty
      • Emeriti
      • Students
      • Staff
    • Gallery
    • Advising
  • CITY
    • About DCRP
    • Degrees + Admissions
      • Admissions
      • Ph.D.
      • Master of City Planning
      • Bachelor of Arts
    • Courses
    • People
      • Faculty
      • Lecturers
      • Emeriti
      • Students
      • Staff
    • Gallery
      • Student Work
      • Faculty Work
      • Studio Work
    • Advising
  • URBANISM
    • About IURD
    • Real Estate Development + Design
      • About MRED+D
      • Admissions
      • Courses
      • People
    • Urban Design
      • About MUD
      • Admissions
      • Courses
      • People
    • Sustainable Environmental Design
      • About SED
      • Courses
      • People
    • People
    • Gallery
    • Advising
  • Resources
  • Apply
  • Give
BACK
BACK
Faculty Work

Bending-active Plates: Form-finding and Form-conversion

In this paper, the authors Simon Schleicher and Riccardo La Manga aim to contribute to the discourse on bending-active structures by highlighting two different design methods, form-finding and form-conversion. The authors compare the two methods through close analysis of bending-active plate structures, discussing their advantages and disadvantages based on three built case studies. This paper introduces the core ideas behind bending-active structures, a rather new structural system that makes targeted use of large elastic deformations to generate and stabilise complex geometrical forms based on initially planar elements.

Previous research has focused mainly on form-finding. As a bottom-up approach, it begins with flat plates and recreates the bending and coupling process digitally to gradually determine the final shape. Form-conversion, conversely, begins with a predefined shape that is then discretized by strategic surface tiling and informed mesh subdivision, and which in turn considers the geometrical and structural constraints given by the plates. The three built case studies exemplify how these methods integrate into the design process. The first case study applies physical and digital form-finding techniques to build a chaise lounge. The latter two convert a desired shape into wide-spanning constructions that either weave multiple strips together or connect distant layers with each other, providing additional rigidity. The presented case studies successfully prove the effectiveness of form-finding and form-conversion methods and render a newly emerging design space for the planning, fabrication, and construction of bending-active structures.

Bending-active Plates: Form-finding and Form-conversion (PDF Download Available)

TEAM MEMBERS

Simon Schleicher, Assistant Professor Architecture, Riccardo La Manga, Dipl.-Ing

PARTNERS AND AFFILIATES

Collaborating Institutions
University of California, Berkeley – Department of Architecture
University of Stuttgart – Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE)

MORE INFORMATION

Design Innovation From Nature

More information on this project is available here.

CONTACT

Simon Schleicher, Asst. Professor Architecture

×
Berkeley CED Logo

COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
University of California, Berkeley
230 Bauer Wurster Hall #1820
Berkeley, CA 94720-1820

  • ARCH
  • LAND
  • CITY
  • URBANISM
  • Contact
  • Visit
  • For Faculty & Staff
  • Linkedin
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Privacy

© 2023 UC Regents; all rights reserved.     Credits