The article examines the actuation characteristics of different basic structural schemes—basic body plans—for soft modular pneubotics in architecture are investigated. Eight basic body plans are translated from abstract expressions into their corresponding modular structures and (re)constructed in their physical form using up to 12 soft unit elements in the shape of a cube. Reconstructed basic body plans are then examined through a qualitative analysis of their ability to actuate and change the shape of the structure. Through adaptive manual inflation of an individual element, a group of elements, or all elements at once, motions and transformations are produced and evaluated. The results show that five out of eight basic body plans have higher actuation capacity while three show a less pronounced capacity to change shape. Based on the most pronounced characteristics of the examined basic body plans, design opportunities for potential architectural applications are proposed. These include structures that can self-erect, lift, tilt, bend, change thickness, curvature, etc. What is also shown is that basic body plans could be combined into one complex structural body.

Članak donosi teorijski model za projektiranje mekih pneubotskih konstrukcija koje se mogu konstruirati i pokretati koristeći jedinični modularni volumenski element. Analizom konstrukcije mekih robota, pneumatski prilagodljivih i reagirajućih konstrukcija te umjetničkih instalacija, dobiven je set od četiriju osnovnih tipova tjelesnih nacrta kao apstraktnih izraza za projektiranje složenih modularnih pneubotskih konstrukcija u arhitekturi.

Extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (3DCP) enables geometries that are difficult to realize using conventional formwork, but their translation into load-bearing building systems requires coordinated consideration of structural design, material behavior, printing, reinforcement, building services, transport and assembly. PRINTCON—3D-Printed Modular Architectural Structures—investigates prefabricated printed components belonging to controlled families and connected into larger structural assemblies. Topology optimization is used as a structural form-generation method; within a defined architectural design domain and for prescribed supports and loading conditions, it identifies principal force-transfer paths and an initial material distribution. The resulting form is subsequently regularized to ensure printability and enable reinforcement integration, then divided into transportable segments and detailed for jointed, post-tensioned assembly. This conceptual paper develops a constraint-oriented workflow; organizes the relevant inputs, design variables, constraints and verification requirements; and formulates a focused research agenda for subsequent numerical and experimental work.

This paper presents the evolution of pneumatic structures as a specific structural polytype. The development of pneumatic structures began with the first hot air balloons in the 18th century. During World War II they were used for military purposes and afterwards for civilian purposes. Rapid development of contemporary design techniques and computer control in the late 20th and the early 21th century led to a combination of a robotic component and a pneu matic structure resulting in a new type of pneubotic structures.