Structural Expressions in Masonry 2.0

With the new normal, it has never been more important to face our shared problems with new ways of interdisciplinary thinking and understanding. Structural Design and Space making cannot exist without the other but always been like two lines of a railway track; parallel yet never intersecting. The growing gap between the two in today’s structural as well as architectural practices is what we shall address in this course with the help of masonry systems. Drawing inspiration from master buildings which have successfully woven together with the matrix between space and structures in masonry; we will understand what one means by the ‘LANGUAGE OF STRUCTURE’ and its significance in not only structural design but also in space making. Masonry construction is synonymous with the low to medium-rise buildings because of its low-cost material, provides good environmental insulation and rigid vertical and lateral load resistance in India. Changing the Perception of Load Bearing Structures from being bulky to being lighter and flexible in nature is one of the key inferences of the studio. The idea of infill being just the non-structural material to playing an important role in providing overall structural stability to the system will be another learning outcome from this studio.