Revisiting Konrad Wachsmann’s Dynamic Structure: Geometry, Structural Feasibility, and Constructability

In 1953, Konrad Wachsman proposed the dynamic structure (DS) for designing a rigid-frame structure comprising a single structural element. To reduce the environmental footprint and save resources and construction materials, translating a complex structure into constructible shapes, such as DS, is crucial for rationalizing the construction. This paper validates Wachsman’s idea and presents an updated design methodology for obtaining a geometry close to the DS with structural and constructible feasibility. First, the geometry of DS is reproduced according to the previous literature by using 3D CAD. Through observing the reproduced model, a revised algorithm and a new layout are proposed for improving structural and constructive performance. Furthermore, both an observation for obtained geometry and a linear static finite element (FE) analysis are conducted to investigate its structural feasibility. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method and the possibility of the application of DS are discussed.