Works D-ARCH
Name
Philipp Gmür
Title
steam shapes
Chair(s)
Architectural Behaviorology / Structural Design
Supervision
Momoyo Kaijima, Jacqueline Pauli
Semester
HS24
This experimental thesis explores the potential of steam bending of wood on an architectural scale, drawing from its rich tradition in furniture and object design. While steam bending offers expressive qualities, material efficiency, and environmental benefits, its application in architecture remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this research investigates its structural, environmental, and aesthetic possibilities.Visits to four of Switzerland's nine remaining steam bending workshops revealed valuable information about existing machinery and bending techniques, crystallizing that current practices produce hardwood beams up to 5 meters long and 10 cm thick at maximum. The research also uncovered a significant untapped hardwood resource in Switzerland: although one-third of Swiss trees are hardwoods, 75% of them are currently burned for energy purposes only. Since steam bending only works with hardwood, this presents an opportunity to utilize these resources more sustainably.Additionally, the research found that steam bending preserves the wood’s cellular structure, allowing for reuse and providing a sustainable alternative to adhesive-based systems like Cross-Laminated Timber. Experiments in the range of 1:2 to 1:100 scale tested different wood types and bending techniques, refining a formwork-based method for producing precise bent beams. These experiments led to the development of woven wood frameworks, creating lightweight, robust truss-like structures that rely on geometry and gravity. Spanning spaces up to 15 by 12 meters, these frameworks combine material efficiency with dynamic spatial qualities.To overcome production limitations of current bending workshops, the thesis proposes a dedicated large-scale steam bending facility near Unterterzen, Switzerland, where this research started. The design proposal further develops the woven wood structure to demonstrate its scalability and refine both its construction logic and details, ensuring the practical implementation of steam-bent wood structures in architecture.
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Philipp Gmür
steam shapes
Architectural Behaviorology / Structural Design
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