Tessellated roof
Encyclopedia
In architecture
a tessellated
roof
is a frame
and a self-supporting structural system
.
A simple ridged roof may inside be a tessellated system, it is built in many types of buildings. The interlinking shapes are replicated across the moulded surface and in a specific technique with rigid beams, having characteristics similar to woven fabric
, it is one of the most flexible framed systems to design, the measurements and precision are complex and commonly part of a computer architectural software process of production. It is used in a honeycomb geometry
form, in the biomes of the Eden Project
.
It can be fabricated to fit a wide range of situations. The size of the geometric gap used can customised, with a multitude of the same gap throughout the structure, an even and equal load is shared by the interlocking structural integrity of the frame as a whole.
s is an increasingly implemented architectural feature of modern public buildings, covering walkway
s and over retail centers
. A transparent roof being for shelter from the weather, has an advantage during daylight with electricity for artificial lighting in solid roof buildings being a financial cost.
A modern tessellated roof for roofing public areas is a variation of a greenhouse
or glass roof in different shapes and sized, the roof can be held aloft with column
s, that may have branches to support and connect to the roof latticework, these stabilise the roof to create a strong structure.
The material of the roof in-between or covering the tessellated frame may be a light composite
, toughened glass
or insulated glazing
There are roofed boulevards with columns that can form a colonnade, some tessellated roof shapes connect to the ground in place of conventional rain gutter
s, for example the FieraMilano, or it can be supported entirely by the surrounding buildings.
A tessellated roof can convert previous outdoor space into a dry public area, some examples of this method are Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
and many other shopping complexes
or the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
at the British Museum
in London
.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
a tessellated
Tessellation
A tessellation or tiling of the plane is a pattern of plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps. One may also speak of tessellations of parts of the plane or of other surfaces. Generalizations to higher dimensions are also possible. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art...
roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
is a frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
and a self-supporting structural system
Structural system
The term structural system or structural frame in structural engineering refers to load-resisting sub-system of a structure. The structural system transfers loads through interconnected structural components or members.-High-rise buildings:...
.
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, it is one of the most flexible framed systems to design, the measurements and precision are complex and commonly part of a computer architectural software process of production. It is used in a honeycomb geometry
Honeycomb (geometry)
In geometry, a honeycomb is a space filling or close packing of polyhedral or higher-dimensional cells, so that there are no gaps. It is an example of the more general mathematical tiling or tessellation in any number of dimensions....
form, in the biomes of the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
.
It can be fabricated to fit a wide range of situations. The size of the geometric gap used can customised, with a multitude of the same gap throughout the structure, an even and equal load is shared by the interlocking structural integrity of the frame as a whole.
Public spaces
The use of a tessellated roof for public areaPublic space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
s is an increasingly implemented architectural feature of modern public buildings, covering walkway
Walkway
In US English, a walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. These include sidewalks, footbridges, stiles, stairs, ramps, paseos or tunnels...
s and over retail centers
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
. A transparent roof being for shelter from the weather, has an advantage during daylight with electricity for artificial lighting in solid roof buildings being a financial cost.
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
or glass roof in different shapes and sized, the roof can be held aloft with column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, that may have branches to support and connect to the roof latticework, these stabilise the roof to create a strong structure.
The material of the roof in-between or covering the tessellated frame may be a light composite
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
, toughened glass
Toughened glass
Toughened or tempered glass is a type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering creates balanced internal stresses which cause the glass, when broken, to crumble into small granular chunks instead of...
or insulated glazing
Insulated glazing
Insulated glazing also known as double glazing are double or triple glass window panes separated by an air or other gas filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope....
There are roofed boulevards with columns that can form a colonnade, some tessellated roof shapes connect to the ground in place of conventional rain gutter
Rain gutter
A rain gutter is a narrow channel, or trough, forming the component of a roof system which collects and diverts rainwater shed by the roof....
s, for example the FieraMilano, or it can be supported entirely by the surrounding buildings.
A tessellated roof can convert previous outdoor space into a dry public area, some examples of this method are Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a double arcade in the center of Milan, Italy. The structure is formed by two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala....
and many other shopping complexes
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
or the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
The central quadrangle of the British Museum in London was redeveloped to a design by Foster and Partners, from a 1970s design by Colin St John Wilson, to become the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, commonly referred to simply as the Great Court, during the late 1990s...
at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.