Design Solution · Structural Systems
Design Solution · Dream about it
Branching glulam columns forming a structural lattice vault.
Branching glued-laminated timber columns rise and interlace into an octagonal lattice vault that carries the roof, replacing a steel or concrete frame with low-carbon timber. The structure doubles as the architectural and spiritual centrepiece. The geometry distributes load while creating a forest-canopy interior.
Branching glulam columns that rise into an interlacing lattice vault integrate structural and spatial roles in a way that few other systems achieve: the geometry distributes load efficiently to multiple points, the natural material stores carbon, and the forest-canopy interior is a spatial experience that concrete and steel cannot replicate at comparable cost. In a place of worship the timber vault also carries symbolic and sensory weight that reinforces the brief. As a claimed record without provided evidence, there is no structural performance data, no deflection record, and no lifecycle cost comparison with a conventional steel-frame and suspended ceiling alternative. The engineering complexity is real: each branch joint must be individually calculated and fabricated, tolerance management during erection requires precise sequencing, and the geometry is not readily parametric — small section changes propagate through the whole system. For a specifier considering this on a civic or cultural project, the key question is whether the budget and programme can absorb the specialist timber engineering and fabrication lead time; it is a high-value approach for buildings where the structural expression is the brief, and a disproportionate investment for buildings where it is decoration applied to a conventional programme.
#glulam #mass timber #long span