Abstract

In recent years, a renewed interest in structural matters and interdisciplinarity has risen, bringing forward challenges in professional and academic practices. The present work seeks to contribute to this discussion by unfolding a conscious proposition as implemented by the Chair of Structural Design at the Department of Architecture of ETH Zurich. Founded on the intrinsic features of architectural education, the "Constructing Equilibrium" second-year structural design exercise shifts the focus to the synthetic aspect and the conceptual component of structural education. The exploration of the structural concept is introduced as a playful activity of a qualitative nature, based on an intuitive understanding of structural performance in three-dimensional space, informed by the interaction with material constructs in an interplay between the concrete and the abstract.