Shuaizhong Wang


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Wang

First Name

Shuaizhong

ORCID

0000-0002-0157-7587

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2022 - 20237
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Publications1 - 7 of 7
  • Equilibrium as the common ground: Introducing embodied perception into structural design with graphic statics
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Shuaizhong; Kotnik, Toni; Schwartz, Joseph; et al. (2022)
    Frontiers of Architectural Research
    The analogy between the human body and architectural structures dates all the way back to ancient times and has significantly shaped the design of buildings and structures. The article examines the body's historical influence on how structures are perceived and designed, demonstrating how the body shapes the “technical truth” dimension of structural design while oblivious to the importance of an “artistic truth” or perceptual dimension. This article aims to connect recent neuroscience findings and their implications for structural design through graphic statics and its design methods. Finally, this article proposes an equilibrium-based structural design approach for designing embodied structures based on graphic statics.
  • Redefining Structural Art: A Neuroaesthetics Perspective on the Art of Structural Design
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Shuaizhong; Kotnik, Toni; Schwartz, Joseph (2022)
    Architecture, Structures and Construction
    Structural art should not be marginalised as an integral part of structural design. By reviewing historical understandings of structural art, this article discusses the ambiguous and neglected perspective of structural art on architectural design and human perception dimensions, concentrating the attention of structural art on the question of human aesthetic perception. Based on significant changes in how art is perceived due to recent neuroaesthetics research, this article introduces recent findings from cognitive neuroscience regarding embodied perception principles, sheds new light on the aesthetic experiences inherent in the built environment, and clarifies and expands previously held beliefs about structural art. Finally, while emphasising the significance of structural art, this article attempts to provide a body-informed perspective on structural art that can aid in incorporating human neuroaesthetic perception principles during the conceptual phase of the structural design process, thereby redefining the effect of structures on architectural space and aesthetics, thus redefining structural art.
  • Analogue structure: structural analogies in the context of evolving body concept
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Shuaizhong (2023)
    Architectural Research Quarterly
    The changing concepts of the body have had a significant impact on architectural and structural design thinking. This article examines the influence of historical analogies with the body on structural design, highlighting the analogies’ bias against functionalist aesthetics and their scope limitations. By contrast, recent advances in cognitive neuroscience research on the body and perception enable us to gain a new perspective on the analogy between body and structure. While exposing the traditional analogy's static and one-sided limitations, the article proposes the perspective of incorporating bodily experience dimensions into structural design considerations based on neuroscience. The article also emphasises the importance of collaboration with all disciplines in the structural design process from a biological standpoint, with the goal of refining and enriching the analogy between structure and body, thus complementing and refining the artistic and human dimensions of structural design from a body perspective.
  • Sergio Musmeci’s Search for the Structural Form
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ingold, Lukas; Wang, Shuaizhong; Cao, Ting (2022)
    Architectural Journal = Jian zhu xue bao
  • The Canopy: A Lightweight Spatial Installation Informed by Graphic Statics
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Shuaizhong; Bertagna, Federico; Ohlbrock, Patrick Ole; et al. (2022)
    Buildings
    This paper illustrates the design and fabrication process of the temporary installation The Canopy, developed as part of the fib Symposium on Conceptual Design of Structures 2021. The geometry of the perforated hanging membrane that forms The Canopy is the result of seamless integration between the disciplines of architecture and structural design, which was one of the driving inputs for the entire process. Particularly, the use of geometry-based models and graphic statics allowed activating the interplay between these disciplines. This was the key to balancing the relationship between architectural spaces and structural requirements, and to informing the multifaceted design exploration of The Canopy from conceptual design to construction.
  • The art of structural relation: Kazuo Shinohara's "strong structures" design thinking
    Item type: Journal Article
    Wang, Shuaizhong; Kotnik, Toni (2023)
    Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
    With increased interest in materials and construction in the architectural field, the use of building structure as the element of architectural expression has gained interest in recent years. In his analysis of contemporary Swiss architecture, Arthur Ruegg has coined the notion of "Strong Structures" for the tendency to activate a load-bearing structure for spatial and conceptual expression. The article applies this notion to the works of renowned Japanese architect Kazuo Shinohara, who has influenced many prominent Swiss figures in the debate over "Strong Structures." By conducting phenomenological research on his experimental practices in House in White, Tanikawa House, and House in Uehara, the article examines how Shinohara used the organisation of structural elements and relations to express the architectural and cultural context. Finally, by contrasting the structural design methods used in Switzerland and Japan, this article aims to introduce a relational structure design mindset in order to complement and extend the concept of "Strong Structures", which can enrich structural design by focusing on the art of structural relations.
  • Equilibrium as the common ground: Embodied perception-informed structural design
    Item type: Doctoral Thesis
    Wang, Shuaizhong (2023)
    When designing structures, the expressiveness of the structure should not be underestimated. Many pioneering architects and engineers in the 20th century had already emphasised the artistic aspect of structures and endeavoured to integrate it into architectural space. This thesis begins by exploring the often overlooked and at the same time ambiguous perspective on structural expression in architectural design, revealing that the expressive dimension of structure is significantly influenced by changes in body conception and the analogies between body and structure, such as aesthetic functionalism, analogical anatomy, and empathy theory. Historically, however, the impact of the body on the perception and design of structures has tended to focus almost exclusively on the “technical truth” dimension, neglecting the essential role of an “artistic truth” or perceptual dimension. As a result, the integration of the expressive dimension of structures into the design process emerges as a central theme of this thesis. By scrutinising the relationship between the body and structural considerations, the thesis establishes a comprehensive theoretical foundation for a design-oriented structural design mind-set. It incorporates recent advances in cognitive neuroscience into the study of human perception, shedding light on the underlying perceptual principles of structural expression. This approach offers an embodied, egocentric perspective on human perception and comprehension of art and structures. These insights focus on perception as a timeless topic—the body—and consider the body as the key to harmonising the physical and mental aspects of design. Starting with the principles of bodily equilibrium discovered by cognitive neuroscience and their relationship to perception, the thesis utilizes graphic statics and its operative potential as a design method to integrate the physical and psychological equilibrium of the body. An equilibrium-based design methodology for the conception of “embodied structures” is presented, employing a diagrammatic interpretation of elements of graphic statics to infuse human emotions and feelings into the structural design process. Besides applying this method in various formats in the teaching practice, the thesis also critically reviews Santiago Calatrava’s design philosophy and analyses six cases from Toyo Ito, Christian Kerez, and Liu Yichun to evaluate their design thinking and illustrate the proposed design operational method in realistic scenarios. Finally, the thesis outlines new insights and reflections on structural design and suggests future research directions on the relationship between structures, their perception, and the essential role of the body.
Publications1 - 7 of 7