STEEL ROOFING

Southern Cross station on Spencer street

MAJOR PROJECT

Architect - Mies Van der Rohe

Van der Rohe explains his approach to structure, stating, “I believe that in architecture you must deal with construction directly, you must, therefore, understand construction. When the structure is refined and when it becomes an expression of the essence of our time, it will then and only then become architecture.”

Employing structural systems in accordance with the
respective functions, revealing the structure internally and
externally, spatial universality and minimalism are some of
the essential characteristics which Mies perceived as that
defines modern architecture. His later works serve as
monuments, to the success he achieved in his attempt to
develop an architectural style responsive to the needs of
the epoch and the will of the time, integrating the finest
available material and the newest of technology. By
incorporating constructional clarity and functionality, Mies
achieved his ultimate aim; an architecture that portrayed
order, truth and practical beauty which served man kind.

Constructional clarity and athletic repose,
usage of material in a manner in which
their true nature is acknowledged in his work.


The Crown Hall in Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois
1950-56), displays ultimate unity of spatial, aesthetic and
technological organsation. This building also carries the
same identity as the Farnsworth house and the Mainheim
Theatre (1952-53) which were buildings in which, similar to
the Farnsworth house, the interior space displays decellula
risation. The structure is constructed solely of a single
universal space, making it possible to allocate spaces
based on the changing functionality of the spaces through
out the life of the building.

The Crown Hall, with dimensions spanning 120 by 220 feet
(over 40 metres clear), proves with its spatial qualities as
well as qualities of aesthetic and technological organisation
to serve as a base precedent for this design brief. The
construction of both the warehouse and the office
incorporate the Miesian style and adopt the desig
n concepts to ultimately create a potential universal space
which can serve those dwelling in the building as a space
which can be used ultimately for whatever purpose they
desire.

1 Carter P, Mies van der rohe at work, Praeger Publishers,
Inc., United States of America, 1974, p 160

2 Blake P, The Master Builders, George J. McLeod
Limited, Toronto, 1920, p 243

Precast Concrete, Tilt-up Construction and Tiltwall:

Several terms - tilt-up panel construction, tiltwall construction, precast concrete building construction - are used to reference new or nontraditional cement building processes. Do they all mean the same thing? If not, what are the differences?

As previously stated in this article, tilt-up and tiltwall are two terms used to describe the same process. For a tilt-up concrete building, the walls are created by assembling forms and pouring large slabs of concrete called panels directly at the job site. The panels are then tilted up into position around the building's slab. Because the concrete tiltwall forms are assembled and poured directly at the job site, no transportation of panels is required. One major benefit of this is that the size of the panels is limited only by the needs of the building and the strength of the concrete panels themselves......

Full text - http://www.generalcontractor.com/resources/articles/pre-cast-concrete-tilt-up-construction.asp

Construction detail...

Wall Section..
Gutter detail..