What is the most significant benefit of fabric forming concrete in the world of contemporary architecture?
BY KATIE TOWNSEND
Introduction My interest in fabric forming concrete developed after completing a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) from the University of Bath on modern sustainable architecture, which discussed contemporary building techniques that could help make the world of construction more sustainable. One of the techniques it briefly discussed was fabric forming concrete, and how it could help decrease our concrete usage. Therefore, I knew that improved sustainability was one of the benefits before I even started researching.After reading into the topic a little, I identified the other main benefits as being decreased costs, improved functionality, and an increased range of design possibilities. Once I had my main benefits, I split them up into three sections, grouping design and functionality to- gether, in order to be able to later compare each benefit against the next.The aim of this essay is to explore the relationship between fabric formwork and the aforementioned merits – sustainability, cost, design and function – in order to eventually evaluate which benefit I would consider most significant. In construction, fabric forming concrete, also known as fabric formwork, is characterised as a particular method of casting concrete where flexible fabric membranes are used as moulds to set concrete within, creating a different finish to the more common ways of setting concrete and more organic shapes and forms.The first recorded large scale application of fabric formwork was by an engineer named James Waller in the early 1900s (Veenendaal,West and Block, 2011), who coated stretched hessian in layers of concrete to create organic shapes and an incredibly strong surface.There is, however, evidence to suggest the technique dates as far back as the Roman age, as similar techniques are
Design and Functionality Architecture is a profession and therefore buildings, inherently, are a product.The very nature of architectural work revolves around creating a design that fits the wishes of the purchaser, and so it is imperative that the product is as good as it can be. While there are many factors that contribute to the success of the building, two of the most important characteristics to consider are design and functionality.Vitruvius stressed the importance of upholding these characteristics to a high level in his well-known ‘Principles of Architecture’, where he states that integral to any successful building are “firmitas, utilitas, and venustas”. These translate literally from Latin into “firmness, commodity and delight”, but we can modernise the phrasing in order to understand that he is talking about “strength, utility and aesthetics”. As well as a building needing to be strong enough to support itself, it is key that it is functional and fit for purpose, and that it is aesthetically and visually pleasing, with good design. Some of the most praised things about fabric formwork are how it lends itself to interesting visuals and to more effective design – that these are the areas that it can really benefit. Fabric formwork in concrete is characterised as a building technique that makes use of flexible membranes in the moulding stage of creating a concrete structure.These flexible membranes can shift under the weight of the wet concrete, allowing for an entirely new realm of possibilities concerning shape and structure.This sets the technique apart from traditional methods of moulding concrete, and brings the opportunity for architects and structural engineers to utilise its differences in the pursuit of more efficient architecture. When discussing functionality, fabric formed concrete bears a whole host of benefits, as
described in Vitruvius’ ‘Ten Books on Architecture’ (Vitruvius Pollio, 27BCE).
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