Informed by Wind

Textile architecture informed by wind

ERICA HÖRTEBORN
THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF LICENTIATE OF ARCHITECTURE
Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering
CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Göteborg, Sweden 2020

Textiles in architecture is a field of great potential, which are worth to explore further. This thesis by Erica Horteborn aims to show that the flexibility of the textile material could be better included in the architectural design, allowing it to adapt to forces, such as the wind, and viewing motion as a positive design feature.

The main methods for this were a literature study and design investigations, using physical as well as digital prototypes, with extra focus on the material flexibility and knitted textiles. The field textile architecture informed by wind is defined through three main components: the textile material, the lightweight structure, and the wind.

Textiles are, here, seen as a material with structural and aesthetical flexibility and diversity that can adapt to as well as carry applied loads. Lightweight structures are concepts for material efficiency and structural elegance.

And, wind informed architecture is the concept of including the phenomena of wind in the architectural design, as a free source of energy or force that could be used, absorbed, or directed to create beauty and to form a more comfortable environment.

The core of the thesis lies in the overlap of these three components. Results from this thesis indicate, firstly, that the field of textile architecture informed by wind is relatively uncharted territory. Knowledge and inspiration can, however, be found outside the field of architecture, such as performing arts, art installations, sailing, and fashion.

Secondly, opportunities for supporting the, often complicated, design process of textile architecture are demonstrated through the use of a combination of digital models and physical prototypes, in the presented examples.