Gaussian Curvature and Surface Paneling
As the design of free-form architectural surfaces becomes easier, questioning and foreseeing the feasibility of the construction of these surfaces becomes important. Such an inquiry requires sufficient knowledge of architectural geometry besides the knowledge of materials and structural systems. In this article, we present a preliminary example of a guide. It supports the design and production process of building surfaces with different geometric properties is presented. This guide aims to reveal the relationship between Gaussian curvature and surface paneling. It is an intrinsic geometric feature of architectural surfaces and some of the widespread paneling strategies. The article includes a literature review and the description and classification of Gaussian curvature and paneling concepts via architectural examples. Then we created a comparative table.
The resulting table facilitates answering the research question. It shows whether it is possible geometrically to build architectural surfaces with different paneling strategies. We elaborated on this, especially in the early phases of architectural design. Besides, it contains information about the planarity and the equality of the surface panels. Thus, we can present the preliminary information designer about the estimated cost of surface construction and the materials and technologies. Further development of such guides will help architects and students to use geometry more consciously and hence more strongly.
This is a paper I wrote in 2019. It is in Turkish, and the external link directs to the journal. Also, here is the English translation of the paper if you wish to read it:
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