Designing Spaces in Steel

Man initially learnt molding and building mainly from the materials that he found in his immediate surroundings. He learnt that applying common sense to basic materials, one can build unimaginable and unique structures for its time. Steel being discovered as a building material since 1800s, offers enormous possibilities in terms of form and design. One needs to be aware of these properties along with technicalities and meanings that can be drawn from it. Engineers here become important part of the design process, leading to innovative, aesthetically appealing and functional structures. The studio aimed at cultivating a rounded understanding of steel as a building material, not only in terms of the technicalities and calculations based on standardized codes but also understanding the same for its limitations and opportunities with respect to its intrinsic properties. This was done through exploration at the conceptual stage in terms of form, through scaled models and conceptual sketches, to prototypes and detailed junction designs with architectural, structural drawings and 3D models. The students got a chance to peek into the negotiations that architects and structural engineers make amongst each other in order to realize a project.