Three arches for a roof – case study of a multi-disciplinary design process

Abstract

In this article, the design process for the remarkable curved roof for a sports hall in Genk (BE) is traced. The project was granted to the partnership of young architects and a renowned office for structural engineering. The new building is roofed with three oversized arches, proposed as a shell structure in concrete in the competition, but executed as a steel truss system. The research is based on files from the archives of both the architect and the structural engineer. Close observations are made on six key moments in this design process. For these pivotal points sketches, documents and communication, are discussed in detail. The goal of this article is to make observations specifically on the collaborative design process between the architect and the engineer, in the specific context of a design competition. The research exposes the messy reality of a design process. It is observed how the final structure got its form, how design decisions were made and how the collaboration defined the project. It is illustrated how relative positions of team members evolve throughout the process and how progressive insight, conflict and mutual understanding are key during the design.