Morphological Insights from Asterolampraceae for the Development of Bio-inspired Shell Structures
Loading...
Access rights
openAccess
publishedVersion
URL
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A4 Artikkeli konferenssijulkaisussa
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Date
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
12
Series
Proceeding of the IASS Annual Symposium 2025, pp. 1-12, Proceedings of IASS Annual Symposia
Abstract
This research explores the potential of transferring diatom-based bionic principles to architectural shells. Diatoms, unicellular algae with silica shells, serve as natural exemplars of lightweight, efficient design. Among their 200,000 species, the Asterolampraceae family stands out for its functional complexity, featuring centrally radiating walls, bifurcating T-sections, and layered porous membranes. Their surface undulations, tear-shaped cut-outs, and hexagonal patterns draw parallels to Frei Otto’s tensile designs and Félix Candela’s hypar shells, inspiring new bionic design possibilities. A ‘universal’ parametric model is developed in Rhino-Grasshopper, incorporating key morphological characteristics from three representative species: Asterolampra marylandica, Asteromphalus heptactis, and Asteromphalus elegans. This model captures essential traits such as global shell geometry, opening type and count, and membrane mechanics. A theoretical morphospace is then explored using Colibri iterator, with structural analysis performed in Karamba and data visualized in Design Explorer. Findings demonstrate that Asterolampraceae-inspired attributes may be successfully transferred to architectural shells, offering a promising new paradigm for diatom-inspired shell structures.Description
Keywords
Other note
Citation
Bachir, S, Hamm, C & Kotnik, T 2025, Morphological Insights from Asterolampraceae for the Development of Bio-inspired Shell Structures. in J Gerardo Oliva, J Ignacio del Cueto & E Drago (eds), Proceeding of the IASS Annual Symposium 2025 . Proceedings of IASS Annual Symposia, International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), Madrid, pp. 1-12, Annual Symposium of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, Mexico City, Mexico, 27/10/2025.