On the Computational Design of Free-form Masonry Vault

For many years, shell structures have had an important role in architecture and engineering. After the industrial revolution and shifting from masonry construction to steel and concrete, the social, economical and environmental role in masonry construction has been underestimated. Targeting to use the digital tools, this thesis is proposing a method to re-design vaults and domes at the present time, respecting the current architectural requirements. Reviewing the brief background of masonry construction and looking over the recent researches, two workshops have been processed in Politecnico di Torino. Both workshops were concentrated on designing and constructing free-form masonry shells by help of digital tools and computational methods. Regarding the results of these practical experiments, a tool has been created developed, which helps the masonry shell designers to model the brick patterning automatically on a curved surface. This research is exploiting the process of developing this method by means of digital tools. The bricklaying is simulated inside the 3D virtual environment by integrating the scripting language, Python, and commercial CAD software, Rhinoceros. Not ignoring the role of the designers in the decision-making procedures, this tool is implemented as an interactive method between the designers and the digital tools.