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Nature-Inspired Fractal Geometry and Its Applications in Architectural Designs

Conference Paper · June 2014

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3 authors:

Iasef Md Rian Mario Sassone

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University bS-design
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Shuichi Asayama
Tokyo Denki University
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parametric design and computational morphogenesis of architectural structures and passive design in the field of architecture. View project

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 2 nd Int er n at ion al C onf er enc e an d W ork s h op on B iod ig i t al Arc h it ec tur e & G en et ic s

Nature-Inspired Fractal Geometry and Its Applications in

Architectural Designs

1 2
Iasef Md Rian , Mario Sassone , Shuichi Asayama3
1,2
Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy,
3
Tokyo Denki University, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract. The objective of this paper is to design architectural structures inspired by the
geometry of nature, known as ‘fractals’, as a venture for exploring a possibility of new
architectural forms that we may have rarely experienced before, but already noticed in
nature such as the botany and mountain. Two examples of natural objects having different
fractal properties are considered for the study in this paper. The first study is based on the
nature’s self-similar branching fractals taking the case of Victoria Amazonica leaf veins of
the underside, and the second study is based on the nature’s random (stochastic) fractals
taking the example of mountain terrain. In both the cases, their geometric principles of
fractal properties are investigated, and the structural and mechanical behaviours of their
fractal configurations are studied. Based on the geometric appearances of these two natural
fractal examples, two different forms are modelled that define the shapes of two different
space-frame structures, by using the Iterated Function System (IFS) algorithm and Dimaond
Square (DS) algorithm,. The geometric data of these new fractal shapes are remodelled as
finite element models (FEM) for structural analyses. Afterward, finite element analyses
(FEA) are performed on these two newly generated space-frame structures under the
gravitational loading to assess their structural stabilities and strengths. Finally, in
conclusion, the authors clarify that the structural behaviours of nature’s fractal examples
and that of the man-made architectural examples are not exactly the same because their
functional activities are reasonably different. Nevertheless, the concept of structural
rationality of nature’s fractal is an inspiration for the architects and engineers for designing
the innovative forms of architectural structures, thus opens a new vista of architectural and
structural design innovations.

Keywords. nature’s geometry; fractals; structural analysis; IFS; DS algorithm.

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