For the Zeil 111 building (completed at the end of 2018), TEK TO NIK Architekten developed a double façade with a plastic baffle plate in a flat pyramid shape for functional and aesthetic reasons. The junctions were particularly complex to produce at the time. Now, in issue 11/2021, Bauwelt reports on an innovation that emerged directly from this problem. It enables the production of any number of customised connecting nodes for complex geometric building shells or domed structures – using a highly developed additive manufacturing process, i.e. 3D printing of polygonal geometries. Even complete free forms can be realised without manual mitring and welding. In addition to the Institute of Structural Mechanics and Design (ISMD) at TU Darmstadt, four companies were involved: Imagine Computation, Kegelmann Technik, Rossmanith Fenster + Fassade and the system manufacturer Wicona. Thanks to the designs, advanced designs no longer have to fail due to cost. Plastic façades can dampen noise, minimise the heating of façades, reduce wind loads and enable new design developments. The innovation has been on the market for several months now.
Further information on the research project can be found at www.amvelope.com
