Abstract:

For more than twenty years, the School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Valencia proposes a full-practical course on structural design in order to complement the theoretical background, providing quite satisfactory results. This special subject is formulated as a “metaphor” of the whole process of structural design and construction, following an inductive methodology in which most of the knowledge is obtained after the analysis of many different cases and trial-and-error tests within a “project-based learning” framework. The scope is to design and build up different structures, made of average paper sheets and loaded with single masonry bricks, which must reach different targets: resistance up to and no more than a certain load, homogeneous safety factor across the structure, absence of global instability, minimum amount of material or formal intention. Behaviour of paper as a structural material could be somehow assimilated to steel in the real practice: modular construction, thin-wall hollow sections, specific solution of joints, hinging, load concentration along edges, poorer performance in compression than in tension, local buckling of flanges, difficulty of warrant global stability, geometric tolerances, etc. Large working groups –up to 10 students— are chosen in order to provoke disagreement and to reveal weaknesses regarding the nature of each component. A three-step learning method is followed: “build without design”, “design without build” and “re-design after build”. Aimed at recreating the real process, the construction of the specimens is carried out by a different team from the one who designs it, thus requiring some “site management”. Finally, evaluation of specimens is reciprocal between the students, which increases their critic judgement abilities. Such a course makes the students aware of all the consequences of their design choices, especially regarding economy or fabrication, within a very powerful atmosphere of creativity, healthy competitiveness and knowledge sharing culture.

Keywords:

Working group, induction, trial and error, learning methodology, structural design, paper structures, self evaluation.