Experimental Vault for ITESM, Queretaro

Dec, 2016 – ITESM, Queretaro, Mexico

While building a simple nubian vault or a catenary vault is easy, for the sake of complicating form, if the form were to be a series of varying catenaries… the following questions arise. This student (4th year undergraduate) project explored the following challenges.

1. How would one plan a brick arrangement with minimum cuts of brick. Or that can bricks be parametrically calculated, arranged and fitted to the new form? Can computers  (use of SketchUp / Rhino / Grasshopper) aid this formfitting?
2. What would the structural implications of this form?
3. Can Gypsum based mortars be used for vault masonry?

Students learnt the following

1. How to generate curves manually, and using Sketchup.
2. How to transfer a sketch to a scaled live curve, in a project.
3. How to fabricate forms for arches
4. How to setup arches and build arches on site.
5. How to work with gypsum mortar and setting times.
6. Masonry and masonry patterns
7. Masonry interlocking and force distribution
8. Removing form work