ABSTRACT
The Unikabeton prototype is an installation constructed to test the optimization of doubly curved, non-uniform, reinforced concrete assemblies. The system was attempting to maximize structural expression and material efficiency through dynamic forms. The design evokes the structural logic of Frei Otto's Tree Columns, which shift the size and number of their elements as they branch outwards from a central column. The software used in the development of this project was Optistruct. The designers defined a set of rules in which the software operated to develop a form which was both optimized and formally expressive. The designers began with a curved slab condition cantilevered from three columns and defined by a structural condition of thickened ribs, which would not require reinforcement outside of the columns and the top of the slab. The optimization strived to minimize the amount of concrete necessary to carry the dead and snow loads on the structure.
