*Winner of the 2021 TAA Textbook Excellence Award*

Honorable Mention of the 2021 BTES Book Award

Structures by Design: Thinking, Making, Breaking is a new type of structures textbook for architects who prefer to learn using the hands-on, creative problem-solving techniques typically found in a design studio. Instead of presenting structures as abstract concepts defined by formulas and diagrams, this book uses a project-based approach to demonstrate how a range of efficient, effective, and expressive architectural solutions can be generated, tested, and revised.

Each section of the book is focused on a particular manner by which structural resistance is provided: Form (Arches and Cables), Sections (Beams, Slabs, and Columns), Vectors (Trusses and Space Frames), Surfaces (Shells and Plates), and Frames (Connections and High-Rises).

The design exercises featured in each chapter use the Think, Make, Break method of reiterative design to develop and evaluate different structural options. A variety of structural design tools will be used, including the human body, physical models, historical precedents, static diagrams, traditional formulae, and advanced digital analysis.

The book can be incorporated into various course curricula and studio exercises because of the flexibility of the format and range of expertise required for these explorations. More than 500 original illustrations and photos provide example solutions and inspiration for further design exploration.

• Shows readers how to use structural design ideas to figure out architectural design problems.
• Readers will learn to think about what to do, make models and prototypes of their ideas, break them to see how they fail, and then evaluate how to make their ideas better.
• Each chapter includes historical precedents, additional readings and resources, frequently asked questions, and additional design problems to work on in a structures lab.
• Includes more than 400 color images, a glossary, and both imperial and metric units throughout.