Projects in this category include non-prestressed structures such as domes and shells made from more traditional materials like concrete.
Prestressed structures may include saddle shaped cablenets, planar wall or roof glass surfaces supported by a stressed cable network.
Externally supported roofs (cable supported) also come into this category. Articles are in random order.
Ronstan Ribbons of Light
Ronstan Tensile Architecture provides full-service engineering, design assistance, and installation services for an innovative catenary lighting system that spirals through the Watergardens Town Centre in Taylor Lakes, Victoria.
Watergardens Town Centre is a 56 hectare community hub that offers shopping, dining, entertainment, hospitality, and other business services. The area has been a vibrant and growing part of Taylor Lakes township since its 1997 opening, attracting droves of visitors to its 200+ specialty stores and community events.
Recently, the Centre has expanded to include a dining-focused "eat street" called Station Streat, which is now outfitted with a custom Ronstan catenary lighting system. This system, designed by Electrolight and Ronstan, stylishly assists in making the area functional after dark without being obstructive to walking paths. More importantly, the system creates a spectacular entry statement with its unconventional 3-D "ribbon like" design that speaks to the geometric language of the Centre's existing graphic motif.
Entered into the LSAA 2007 Design Awards (3837) Project Category Cablenets
Entrant: UFS Australasia Pty Ltd
Client: Sydney Attractions Group
Architect: Misho & Associates/ RIHS Architects – Misho & Gerry Rihs
Structural Engineer: Fabric: Wade Consulting - Joseph Dean,
Steel: S2 Corporation Murray Allen Fabricator(s): Fabric Shelter Systems Graham Griffin
Application and Function:
Located on the eastern side of Darling Harbour the recently opened Sydney Wildlife World adds an iconic landmark to the Darling Harbour foreshore. The urban zoo is an extension to the facilities at the Sydney Aquarium. The wildlife park has been created to accommodate Australian wildlife in as natural an environment as possible to give short stay Sydney visitors exposure to the unique Australian fauna and floor.
LSAA 2011 Design Award Entry (Cat 2, 2019)
APPLICATION OF PROJECT: Separation Enclosure for Chimpanzees.
The Taronga Zoos’ chimpanzee troop is one of the largest captive groups in the world with recognized wild behavior patterns and a sophisticated social hierarchy. With its population including four maturing sub-adult males jockeying and promoting themselves within the group, the zoo cited a need for the construction of a fully enclosed and semi-transparent separation paddock within the chimpanzee exhibit to allow the chimpanzees to be easily divided as needed, without moving them to an entirely new location, and thus avoiding potential commotion.
Entered in the LSAA 2009 Design Awards (1099)
Entrant: Aurecon - Adelaide - Designer / Consultant
Location: Adelaide Botanical Gardens - North Terrace Adelaide SA
A new glasshouse was required to replace the dilapidated Victoria House, in a very sensitive location in the centre of Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens. The heritage-listed 1867 Lily Pond in the Victoria House had to be preserved and the design was not to detract from the adjacent heritage-listed buildings. Glass was chosen as the main structural material as the designers wanted a solution that would not detract from the surrounding heritage buildings, but that would still provide a modern, minimalist and elegant centrepiece for the Gardens’ future.
This Project was entered into the 2016 LSAA Design Awards (5047)
Entrant: Taylor Thomson Whitting (Engineer)
Location: 50 Martin Place, Sydney. Completed: Unknown Client: Macquarie
Team: Johnson Pilton Walker, Taylor Thomson Whitting, Brookfield Multiplex, Sharvain Pacific Steel
Application: Glazed Roof over an Atrium.
Description:
50 Martin Place was refurbished to provide a communal office from a very important heritage building. To increase light into the Atrium, the Atrium was increased in size by removing the perimeter slab, leaving the beams and columns. To provide maximum light, the roof was fabricated from glass. The final design incorporated a dome on steel trapezoid section suspending triple layer glazed panels, some of which were adjustable.
LSAA 2013 Design Award of Excellence
Wintergarden Art Façade: Judges Comments
"Will probably settle in to become a heritage icon in Brisbane."
"Now that's how to disguise a carpark. Makes a great contribution to the public realm. Vivid, joyful - makes excellent use of contemporary steel design and fabrication technology."
APPLICATION OF PROJECT:
The vertical façade works is part of the redevelopment of the wintergarden shopping centre. This façade creates a uniform streetscape, providing a visual barrier to a number of existing carparking levels and different buildings along Queen Street Mall.
Pitt Street Lighting System
The City of Sydney turned to Ronstan to upgrade Pitt Street Mall's lighting to an energy-efficient catenary system as part of the overall redevelopment at the precinct. The result is a ladder-like series of lights supported by a Ronstan high-tension stainless steel cable framework.
The system illuminates the pedestrian areas below and the facades of the buildings, without needing large self-standing poles or heavy-looking supports. The 16m high tensile cable web is almost invisible, with bowstring support cables anchored every 20 meters into the facades of the buildings along the mall.
The catenary lights themselves comprise long tubes, combining downward illumination and a sequence of LEDs along the vertical length, which can be programmed for different colors depending on seasonal requirements – reflecting specific moods and occasions.
LSAA 2007 Design Awards Entry 3348 Category:Projects -- Glazing
Entrant: Taylor Thomson Whitting
Client: University of Sydney Architect: FJMT
Structural Engineer: Taylor Thomson Whitting
Specialist Consultant(s): MPG Façade Innovations
Builder: A W Edwards Fabricator(s): Long Span Steel
Application and Function: This is an office and lecture building. It forms the entrance to the Engineering walk.
Overview of Cablenet Structures
Australia can bost a very early cable net structure in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
The modern cablenet structures burst on the international scene with the Expo 67 German Pavilion constructed in Montreal, Canada.
This was a larger version of the cablenet roof prototype designed by Frei Otto's team and used now to house the IL at the University of Stuggart.
This project was entered in the 2013 LSAA Design Awards (Cat 5, #5202)
PROJECT APPLICATION AND DESCRIPTION: Light weight structure used to control interior environment
Aluminium tube sun shade screen designed by Fitzpatrick & Partners to control interior environment and to add to overall aesthetic impact of building.
Structural Dynamics Australia contracted by Colt International (sun shade fabricator and installer) to help design, supply and install stainless steel cable system to structurally support this element.
Project: SG4 500m2 Big Dish Solar Concentrator
Entrant: Solar Thermal Group - Designer / Fabricator
Location: Garran Road - Acton Canberra ACT
Client: ANU / Wizard Power
Struct. Eng.: ANU Solar Thermal Group
Fabricator: ANU Solar Thermal Group & Austec Engineering
This project was entered in the LSAA 2009 Design Awards: Entry: 4433 Category 4
This project was entered in the 2013 LSAA Design Awards (#4966)
Perth Zoo Wetlands & Penguin Enclosure
PROJECT APPLICATION AND DESCRIPTION: Zoological Enclosure
Structural Dynamics was contracted by The Slatter Group WA to assist with the design, material selection/supply and installation of a lightweight zoological enclosure that would cover an area of 90 meters long, 34 meters wide and 10 meters high.
The enclosure was covering two existing exhibits at the Perth Zoo, namely the penguin display and wetlands area, so needed to have minimal impact on the existing flora and infrastructure.
Pritchard Francis had already conducted the majority of the structural design and calculations of loads - Structural Dynamics assisted both The Slatter Group WA and Pritchard Francis with final material specifications to meet demanding requirements.
LSAA 2011 Design Award Entry (Cat 5, 5042) Jagged Edge - Queenstown NZ
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
An Atypical design and Construct project involving a house for a confidential client. The design was prepared and presented as a “Design+Construct” package that was purchased as a package by the Client. The Builders Team had prepared preliminary documentation based on advice from specialist consultants and Architects. The design was then proposed for sale to the market as a complete delivery vehicle.
The project is a residential building built on the side of hill with an impressive vantage point. The main goal of the design is to maximise transparency to optimise the view.
LSAA Design Awards 2009 Entry
Entrant: Taylor Thomson Whitting - Designer
Location: Surry Hills NSW
Client: City of Sydney Council
Architect: Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Struct. Eng.: Taylor Thomson Whitting
Specialist: Mech Eng: Steenson Varming
Others: Austress
Builder: WBHO Probuild
No further details of this project have been entered. Project Category - Glazing
Project Entered in the LSAA 2009 Design Awards (42087)
Entrant: Aurecon - Sydney – Designer
Location: 405 Crown Street - Surry Hills NSW 2010 Client: Austress Freyssinet
Architect: FJMT Struct. Eng.: Aurecon - Facade Engineer
Concept Design: Taylor Thomson Whitting Builder: Austress Freyssinet / Probuild
Application: Library and neighbourhood centre with structural glass bio-filter atrium.
This project was an entry in the 2016 LSAA Design Awards (0481)
Entrant: Tensys Engineers Pty Ltd (Engineer)
Location: 155 Queen St Mall, Brisbane. Completed: 2015 Client: ISPT Super Property
Team: studio 505 / JWA, Tensys Engineers, Tensys (Façade), UAP Company, Broad Construction
Application
The implementation of form and function. Creation of shade function with a sculptural form
Cable Net Facade Feature - New Entrance
The redevelopment of Whitten Oval formed a pivotal piece in a plan to reinvigorate the western suburbs of Melbourne by providing services and facilities that would promote a sense of community. The plan had involvement from both State and Federal Governments and sort to place Whitten Oval at the centre of the community as a hub for local sporting and health service activities.
The Whitten Stand conversion, designed by Peddle Thorp Architects in Melbourne, called for a feature on the façade that responded to its context, was an identifiable entry, and provided an environmental benefit in the form of shading for the glazed façade behind. The resulting design was a series of floating panels that would display the team colours of the grounds home AFL team, the Western Bulldogs. The façade feature would run from the first floor to the roof acting as a gateway for supporters.
Entry in the LSAA 2007 Design Awards (Cat 4, 4113)
Entrant: S2 Corporation
Client: Boeing Australia Limited Structural Engineer: S2 Corporation Pty Ltd
Specialist Consultant(s): Healey & Castle Associates
Fabricator(s): Casa Engineering, CAD Tech, UFS
Application and Function
S2 designed, engineered and managed the implementation of the aircraft shelter for Boeing Australia at Amberley, QLD. This roof product developed for the Aviation industry is called airspace.
The 67.5 metre x 67.5 metre shallow domed roof is anchored to the ground by just four columns and stands 14.2 metres tall.
Projects from 2018 LSAA Design Awards - Category 5 Facades
Category 5 "Glazing and Facades"
5431 RNA Brisbane Large Animal Pavillion.
Application: Zoo Enclosure for Sumatran Tigers.
This project was entered in the LSAA 2018 Design Awards (Cablenets, 4100)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Sumatran Tiger Enclosure at Taronga Zoo consists of three separate enclosures.
Enclosure 1 and 3 are free form tensile roof canopies constructed from X-Tend Mesh. X-Tend Mesh effectively acts as a tensioned cable net structure.
The mesh is tied to catenary cable boundaries connected to masts with tieback cables and is pushed / pulled up with 4 flying masts in each enclosure. The flying masts are supported on a structural cable net that is attached to a large central mast and tied back to the perimeter masts structures.
This project was entered into the LSAA 2009 Awards - Category 4 (4220)
Entrant: Ronstan – Contractors
Location: Barkley St, Footscray Vic Client: Western Bulldogs, Whitten Oval
Architect: Peddle Thorp Struct. Eng.: Irwin Consultants
Builder: Salta Fabricator: Ronstan
Design Brief: The Architect called for a transparent screening element that would act as a billboard for the oval as well as the local community. It needed to be light enough that it did not detract from the facade but provided adequate passive solar protection to enhance the sustainability of the building.
Other Structural Forms - Cablenets, Glazing, Facades, Spaceframes
The LSAA has groups of members interested in cablenets, high technology glazing and facades.
In fact one main reason for the creation of the LSAA from the MSAA was to cater for the growing number of projects which involved large glazed areas being supported by pretensioned cable truss systems or cablenets.
In modern times, when the overall energy usage for the life of a building is taken into account, the use of high technology facades will become more important. There is also a growing use of "green facades" or vertical gardens.
The traditional spaceframe structures are becoming rarer - those with many small elements that are man-handled and connected together on site. Labour costs and erection times are now outweighed by fewer larger assemblies that can be installed quickly by cranes.
The LSAA would welcome articles and links to projects in this category.
