Materials and Methods

Woodbury University School of Architecture I Instructor: Eric Olsen I Fall 2017

Building this model took inspiration from the construction method used to build the Heydar Aliyev Center. The design is fluid and has a continuous relationship with the different materials used to hold it together. The Heydar Aliyev Center consists of two collaborating systems: a concrete structure combined with a three dimensional frame system made of metal. The architectural development of the building’s skin for Zaha Hadid was one of the most challenging elements of the project, and it is also where the group encountered some difficulties as well. The skin of the building was obtained using Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester (GFRP) materials which allowed the realization of the powerful plasticity. Rigid foam with a layer of resin was used to represent the materials used for the Heydar Aliyev Center.