As the basement and the edge of the roof run wavelike around the building, each column is unique.
Timber Construction
The Finnforest Merk timber construction company in Aichach, Germany was in charge of the design for the specially manufactured timber-glass facade, the acoustic ceiling and roof elements, and the exposed columns made of larch glued-laminated timber.
The German engineering office pbb GmbH in Ingolstadt was responsible for the structural analysis and planning of the timber structure. The team developed standard connections with special modifications for respective situations in order to meet, for example, the requirements of the architects, who wanted the timber connections to be covered as much as possible.
Analysis in RSTAB
The model was entered in Tekla Structures and exported to RSTAB using the direct interface.
RSTAB calculated the roof structure and the timber facade construction consisting of more than 1,700 members.
The applied wind loads were highly elaborated because of the freeform structure that is reinforced by external ribs. Furthermore, the vertical loads from the roof structure, as well as the restraining end moment from the cantilevering roof, which may overhang up to 9.8 ft, had to be applied to the column head.
| Structural Engineering | pbb Planung und Projektsteuerung GmbH, Ingolstadt, Germany www.pbb.de |
| Construction | Timber Construction, Project Management Finnforest Merk GmbH, Bremen, Germany www.merk.de |
| Architecture | Arts Team of RHWL Architects London, UK www.aedas.com/aedasartsteam |
| Investor | Aylesbury Vale District Council Aylesbury, UK www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk |
