Cantilevered Structures-Form, Material, Design and Construction

Cantilevers are a fascination for designers, whether architectural or structural. Ever since the invention of steel and concrete, engineers and architects have designed masterpieces with cantilevers. To achieve a proper balance between design and function, it is important that architects and structure engineers collaborate. Cantilevers also work at the mass level where they symbolize an expression of freedom and boldness. Some of the most notable architects and engineers to use the cantilevers as an expression were Frank Lloyd Wright, Peter Rice, Norman Foster, Mahendra Raj etc. Frank Lloyd Wright’s falling water and Robie house changed the perception of housing and created a new style. The mushroom columns at the Johnson Wax museum are a testimony to the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright believed in expressing every material to its fullest. The objective of the course is to inquire and explore the cantilever structures by introducing, studying, examining and analyzing with the knowledge of different materials and properties. Through examples, study materials and exercises, students will response, engage and develop the understanding of cantilever structural form with stability, serviceability & strength.