loads only are shown. In each case the same two shear walls provide
longitudinal stability. Gravity-only columns are not shown. As in the pre-
vious figure, each structural option contributes a unique spatial charac-
ter to every floor that can strengthen the design intent. The six options
are but just a taste of the huge range of possibilities. For example, the
next stage of the exploration might involve shifting some or all of the
one and two-bay frames off the building centreline – perhaps placing
them on a curved line running between the ends of the building. While
the structural performance is unaltered, such a move could create a par-
ticularly innovative and memorable building interior.
The following buildings illustrate the diverse range of architectural qual-
ities that interior structure can help achieve. To begin, several spaces
where structure itself creates a strong impression of being inhabited
are examined. That is, occupants sense they inhabit structure that is
located within a larger volume, rather than inhabiting the overall vol-
ume itself.
First, design studios in two schools of architecture are considered. In
both, high spatial structural density and small-scale structural members
114 STRUCTURE AS ARCHITECTURE
(a) (b) (c)
(d) (e) (f)
▲6.15 Alternative structural layouts for resisting transverse lateral loads on a multi-storey
building.
