Design of Structures 2025 – Introducing Architecture Students to the Fundamentals of Structural Thinking and Architecture

This year’s LSU - Design of Structures course provided architecture students with a comprehensive introduction to the relationship between architecture and structural systems. The course explored fundamental principles through the lens of built projects, enabling students to critically investigate how structure informs and shapes architecture.

How many of these iconic works can you identify?

The course methodology integrated analytical drawing, physical model making, graphical statics, and video-based representation. Students engaged with a wide range of iconic architectural works through detailed investigations of material behavior, structural logic, constructional detail, and the spatial and aesthetic qualities that emerge from these structural decisions.

More than 400 students enrolled in the course, and the majority completed it with distinction. Working in teams of two to six, students analyzed nearly 50 different architectural landmarks, each team taking on the challenge of decoding architectural masterpieces through structural reasoning.

Faced with this unprecedented number of students, a dedicated team of eight experienced instructors supported by seven committed teaching assistants ensured direct and personal engagement throughout the semester - a logistical feat in itself. The entire teaching process was driven by the ambition to provide meaningful academic dialogue despite the scale.

We would like to thank our students for their perseverance, discipline, and curiosity - as well as all members of the teaching team for their exceptional dedication, energy, and passion.

Teaching team - Serenay Elmas, Günther H. Filz, Stefan Jäger, Morteza Nikoo, Athanasios Markou, Mauricio Morales-Beltran, Wolfgang Ohnmacht, Anna Rubin
supported by Lenz Freudenreich, Philipp Kaltschmid, Christoph Marianek, Tom Markowski, Fabienne Migga, Katharina Obwegeser, Bernadette Swidrak

turn on sound - Hard Work Cadence by unknown, found on Community Audio (open source audio)