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The Contribution of Discrete Differential

Geometry to Contemporary Architecture
Helmut Pottmann
Vienna University of Technology, Austria

Project in Seoul, Hadid Architects

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Lilium Tower Warsaw, Hadid Architects

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Project in Baku, Hadid Architects

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Discrete Surfaces in Architecture

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triangle
meshes

Zlote Tarasy, Warsaw

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Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG
Chapter 19 - Discrete Freeform Structures

Visible mesh quality

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Geometry in architecture
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The underlying geometry representation

may greatly contribute to the aesthetics
and has to meet manufacturing constraints
Different from typical graphics applications

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nodes in the support structure

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triangle mesh: generically

nodes of valence 6;
`torsion: central planes of
beams not co-axial

torsion-free node
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quad meshes in architecture

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Schlaich Bergermann

hippo house, Berlin Zoo

quad meshes with planar faces (PQ meshes) are

preferable over triangle meshes (cost, weight,
node complexity,)
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GEOMETRIE

Discrete Surfaces in Architecture

Helmut Pottmann1, Johannes Wallner2, Alexander Bobenko3

Yang Liu4, Wenping Wang4
TU Wien
2 TU Graz
3 TU Berlin
1

University of Hong Kong

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Previous work

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Previous work
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Difference geometry (Sauer, 1970)

Quad meshes with planar faces (PQ meshes)
discretize conjugate curve networks.

Example 1: translational net

Example 2: principal
curvature lines
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PQ meshes
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A PQ strip in a PQ mesh is a discrete model of a

tangent developable surface.
Differential geometry tells us: PQ meshes are
discrete versions of conjugate curve networks

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Previous work
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Discrete Differential Geometry:

Bobenko & Suris, 2005: integrable systems

circular meshes: discretization of the network of
principal curvature lines (R. Martin et al. 1986)

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Computing PQ meshes

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Computational Approach
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Computation of a PQ mesh is based on

a nonlinear optimization algorithm:
Optimization criteria

planarity of faces
aesthetics (fairness of mesh polygons)
proximity to a given reference surface

Requires initial mesh: ideal if taken

from a conjugate curve network.

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subdivision & optimization

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Refine a coarse PQ mesh by repeated

application of subdivision and PQ optimization

PQ meshes via Catmull-Clark subdivision and PQ optimization

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Opus (Hadid Architects)

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Opus (Hadid Architects)

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OPUS (Hadid Architects)

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Conical Meshes

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Conical meshes
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Liu et al. 06
Another discrete
counterpart of network of
principal curvature lines
PQ mesh is conical if all
vertices of valence 4 are
conical: incident oriented
face planes are tangent to
a right circular cone

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Conical meshes
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Cone axis: discrete

surface normal
Offsetting all face planes
by constant distance
yields conical mesh with
the same set of discrete
normals

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Offset meshes
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Offset meshes
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Offset meshes
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Offset meshes
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normals of a conical mesh

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neighboring discrete
normals are coplanar
conical mesh has a
discretely orthogonal
support structure

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Multilayer constructions
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Computing conical meshes

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angle criterion

add angle criterion to PQ

optimization
alternation with
subdivision as design
tool
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subdivision-based design
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combination of Catmull-Clark subdivision and

conical optimization; design: Benjamin Schneider
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design by Benjamin Schneider

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Mesh Parallelism and Nodes

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supporting beam layout

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beams: prismatic,
symmetric with
respect to a plane
optimal node (i.e.
without torsion):
central planes of
beams pass through
node axis
Existence of a parallel
mesh whose vertices
lie on the node axes
geometric support structure
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Parallel meshes
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M*

meshes M, M* with planar faces are parallel if

they are combinatorially equivalent and
corresponding edges are parallel

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Geometric support structure

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Connects two parallel meshes M, M*

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Computing a supporting beam layout

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given M,
construct a
beam layout
find parallel
mesh S which
approximates
a sphere
solution of a
linear system
initialization
not required
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Triangle meshes
GEOMETRIE

Parallel triangle
meshes are scaled
versions of each
other
Triangle meshes
possess a support
structure with torsion
free nodes only if
they represent a
nearly spherical
shape

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Triangle Meshes beam layout with optimized nodes

We can minimize torsion in the supporting beam layout for
triangle meshes

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Mesh optimization
Project YAS island (Asymptote, Gehry Technologies, Schlaich
Bergermann, Waagner Biro, )

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Mesh smoothing
Project YAS island (quad mesh with nonplanar faces)

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Mesh smoothing
Project YAS island (quad mesh with nonplanar faces)

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Optimized nodes
Torsion minimization also works for quadrilateral meshes
with nonplanar faces

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Optimized nodes
Torsion minimization also works for quadrilateral meshes
with nonplanar faces

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YAS project, mockup

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Offset meshes

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node geometry
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Employing beams
of constant height:
misalignment on
one side
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Cleanest nodes
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Perfect alignment on both sides if a mesh with

edge offsets is used

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Cleanest nodes
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Offset meshes
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at constant distance d from M is

called an offset of M.
different types, depending on the definition of

vertex offsets:
edge offsets: distance of corresponding (parallel)
edges is constant =d
face offsets: distance of corresponding faces (parallel
planes) is constant =d

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Exact offsets
GEOMETRIE

For offset pair

define

Gauss image

Then:

vertex offsets
vertices of S lie in S2 (if
M quad mesh, then circular mesh)
edge offsets
edges of S are tangent to
S2
face offsets
face planes of S are
tangent to S2 (M is a conical mesh)

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Meshes with edge offsets

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Edge offset meshes

GEOMETRIE

M has edge offsets iff it is parallel to a

mesh S whose edges are tangent to S2

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Koebe polyhedra
GEOMETRIE

Meshes with planar faces and

edges tangent to S2 have a
beautiful geometry; known as
Koebe polyhedra. Closed
Koebe polyhedra defined by
their combinatorics up to a
Mbius transform
computable as minimum of a
convex function (Bobenko
and Springborn)

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vertex cones
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Edges emanating from a vertex

in an EO
mesh are contained in a cone of revolution
whose axis serves as node axis.

Simplifies the construction of the support

structure

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Laguerre geometry
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Laguerre geometry is the geometry of oriented

planes and oriented spheres in Euclidean 3space.
L-trafo preserves or. planes, or. spheres and
contact; simple example: offsetting operation
or. cones of revolution are objects of Laguerre
geometry (envelope of planes tangent to two
spheres)
If we view an EO mesh as collection of vertex
cones, an L-trafo maps an EO mesh M to an
EO mesh
.

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Example: discrete CMC surface M (hexagonal

EO mesh) and Laguerre transform M
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Hexagonal EO mesh
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Planar hexagonal panels

GEOMETRIE

Planar hexagons
non-convex in
negatively curved
areas
Phex mesh layout
largely unsolved
initial results by
Y. Liu and W. Wang

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Single curved panels, ruled panels and

semi-discrete representations

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developable surfaces in architecture

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(nearly) developable surfaces

F. Gehry, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

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surfaces in architecture
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single curved panels

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D-strip models
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One-directional limit of a PQ mesh:

developable strip model (D-strip model)

semi-discrete surface representation
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Principal strip models I

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Circular strip model as limit of a circular mesh

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Principal strip models II

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Conical strip model as limit of a conical mesh

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Principal strip models III

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Conversion: conical model to circular model

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Conical strip model

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Conical strip model

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Multi-layer structure
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D-strip model on
top of a PQ mesh

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Project in Cagliari, Hadid Architects

Approximation by ruled surface strips

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Semi-discrete model: smooth union of ruled strips

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Circle packings on surfaces

M. Hbinger

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Project in Budapest, Hadid

Architects

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Selfridges, Birmingham
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Architects: Future Systems

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Optimization based on
triangulation

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Circle packings on surfaces

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Conclusion
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architecture poses new challenges to geometric

design and computing: paneling, supporting beam
layout, offsets,
Main problem: rationalization of freeform shapes,
i.e., the segmentation into panels which can be
manufactured at reasonable cost; depends on
material and manufacturing technology
many relations to discrete differential geometry
semi-discrete representations interesting as well
architectural geometry: a new research direction
in geometric computing
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Acknowledgements
GEOMETRIE

S. Brell-Cokcan, S. Flry, Y. Liu,

A. Schiftner, H. Schmiedhofer,
B. Schneider, J. Wallner, W. Wang
Funding Agencies: FWF, FFG
Waagner Biro Stahlbau AG, Vienna
Evolute GmbH, Vienna
RFR, Paris
Zaha Hadid Architects, London

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Literature
GEOMETRIE

Architectural Geometry
H. Pottmann, A. Asperl,
M. Hofer, A. Kilian
Publisher:
BI Press, 2007
ISBN:
978-1-934493-04-5
725 pages, 800 color figures

www.architecturalgeometry.at

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D-strip models via subdivision

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