ABSTRACT
Using folding, vaulting, ribs, inflation and other means, natural organisms have created effective forms that demonstrate astonishing efficiency. The many manifestations of this in natural organisms provide a rich sourcebook of ideas for structures that could be radically more efficient than those found in conventional architecture. Many steel and concrete structures are designed so that the most onerous load conditions determine the size of the whole beam or column. One of the simplest ways to transform a planar surface into something that provides protection is to roll it. The brilliant structural engineer Pier Luigi Nervi closely studied structures in biology and explored strategies to develop shells towards even greater efficiency. In the Palazzetto dello Sport, completed in 1957, he employed the principle of using ribs to give effective structural depth to a thin planar surface, combined with the benefits of dome/shell behaviour.
