Structural typologies and the architectural space—studies of the relationship between structure and space by application of structural types to multistory buildings

Abstract

Today, architectural deliberations on structural form and structural systems unfortunately play a minor role in developing the architectural design of most buildings. This is particularly true for multistory buildings of the most common type; those for housing and for commercial purposes. Consequently, spatial, and programmatic qualities that might have emerged from an architectural study of the load-bearing structure, as well as visual and tactile experiences linked to these very fundamental tectonic elements, are in danger of being lost. Besides, a resilient and versatile load-bearing structure of a high quality may increase the building’s prospects for survival over time and is hence a strong environmental argument. To counteract this present-day limitation of the structure’s architectural significance, and to investigate what can be achieved by an increased architectural awareness of the spatial potential of structural form, these problems are studied in an academic context. The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) addresses in its curriculum what is here identified as a weakness in current architectural practices and offers courses on these very topics.