Tectonics in Architecture
Tectonics in architecture is the art of making construction meaningful: the way a building shows how its parts are made, carried and joined.
Brunelleschi's Dome: How the Florence Duomo Was Built
Brunelleschi's dome is the brick and stone vault over Florence Cathedral, built between 1420 and 1436 without a wooden centering beneath it.
Centre Pompidou: Why Its Structure Is on the Outside
The Centre Pompidou has its structure on the outside because Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and the engineers of Ove Arup & Partners wanted every floor inside to be one open, column-free plate.
What Is High-Tech Architecture?
High-tech architecture is a late modernist style that emerged in Britain in the 1970s and treats a building's structure and mechanical services as its main visual language.
Why Was the Eiffel Tower Controversial When It Was Built?
The Eiffel Tower was controversial because it put a 300 metre iron structure, designed by engineers, in the middle of a city that judged buildings by the stone traditions of the academy.
Structural Diagrams: Showing How a Building Stands Up
A structural diagram in architecture is a stripped down drawing that shows how a building carries load to the ground. It removes finishes, furniture and program so the reader can follow columns, walls, floor plates and foundations in one look. Most are drawn as exploded axonometrics or annotated sections. Students...
What Is a Truss? Common Types Explained
A truss is a structural frame built from straight members arranged in triangles and connected at joints called nodes. The triangular geometry converts bending forces into simple tension and compression, which lets a truss span long distances with far less material than a solid beam. Roofs, bridges, and stadium canopies...
What Is a Cantilever in Architecture?
A cantilever in architecture is a rigid structural element, such as a beam, slab, or truss, that is anchored at only one end and projects horizontally into open space. The fixed end resists all the load, which lets buildings carry balconies, canopies, and even whole floors with no columns underneath....
Load-Bearing Wall vs Partition Wall: What's the Difference?
A load-bearing wall supports the weight of the building above it, carrying loads from floors, ceilings, and the roof down to the foundation. A partition wall only divides interior space and supports nothing beyond its own weight. The difference matters most during renovations, because removing a load-bearing wall without temporary...
What Is a Waffle Slab and When Is It Used?
A waffle slab is a reinforced concrete floor system made of a thin top slab supported by a grid of ribs running in two directions, which leaves a waffle-like pattern on the underside. It is used where floors must carry heavy loads across long spans, typically 9 to 15 meters,...
What Is a Shear Wall and Why Do Buildings Need One?
A shear wall is a vertical structural element designed to resist lateral forces, mainly wind and earthquake loads, that act parallel to its plane. Built from reinforced concrete, wood panels, masonry, or steel, a shear wall collects horizontal forces from the floors and roof and carries them down to the...
Glulam vs CLT: What's the Difference?
Glulam and CLT are both engineered mass timber products, but they solve different structural problems. Glulam bonds lumber with all grain running parallel, producing strong beams, columns, and arches. CLT glues boards in crossing layers to create solid panels for walls, floors, and roofs. Most large timber buildings use both...
What Is Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)?
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a prefabricated engineered wood panel made from at least three layers of solid-sawn lumber, with each layer glued at a right angle to the one below it. The crosswise layup gives the panel strength in two directions, so a single CLT panel can act as a...
What Is a Tuned Mass Damper?
A tuned mass damper is a heavy mass, usually steel or concrete, mounted near the top of a tall building and tuned to swing against the structure's natural sway. By moving out of phase with wind or earthquake motion, it absorbs vibration energy and keeps the building stable and comfortable....
What Is a Space Frame Structure?
A space frame structure is a three-dimensional truss built from straight members connected at nodes, arranged so loads spread in every direction. Because each member carries only tension or compression, the system stays extremely light while spanning 100 meters or more, which makes it a favorite for airports, stadiums, and...
How Do Skyscrapers Stay Up? Structural Basics
Skyscrapers stay up because two systems work together: a deep foundation that transfers the building's weight to firm soil or bedrock, and a stiff vertical skeleton of columns, cores, and frames that resists wind and earthquake forces. Every load, from gravity to a typhoon gust, follows a continuous path down...
What Is the Core of a Tall Building?
The core of a tall building is the vertical spine that contains elevators, fire stairs, and service risers, and in most towers it also acts as the main structural element resisting wind and earthquake forces. Depending on the building's use and site, architects place the core at the center, edge,...
What Is a Retaining Wall? Types and When to Use Them
A retaining wall is a structure that holds back soil or rock to keep ground at two different heights on either side of it. Retaining wall types include gravity, cantilever, sheet pile, anchored, and mechanically stabilized earth walls. Each handles different heights, soil conditions, and site constraints, so the right...
What Is an Expansion Joint in Buildings?
An expansion joint in buildings is a deliberate gap built through a structure that lets adjacent sections expand, contract, and settle independently. It absorbs movement caused by temperature swings, moisture, and seismic activity, which keeps stress from building up and prevents cracking in walls, slabs, and facades. Every building moves....
What Is a Moment Frame in Structural Design?
A moment frame in structural design is a building system that resists lateral loads from wind and earthquakes through rigid connections between beams and columns. Instead of using diagonal braces or walls, the joints themselves carry bending moments and shear, letting the frame bend without collapsing while keeping floor plans...
