Nature Structure

s k i d m o r e , o w i n g s & m e r r i l l l l p
nature structurE
Structural Efficiency Through Natural Geometries

1
Introduction
2
Growth Patterns
China World Trade Center Competition
3
Mesh-Tube
Jinling Hotel Tower Competition
4
Diagonal Screen Frames
Poly International Plaza
5
HurricanE Strength
Transbay Tower Competition
6
Sacred Geometries
The Cathedral of Christ the Light
7

Pivotal Movement
The Pin-Fuse Joint®
8

The Rocker
The New Beijing Poly Plaza
9
The Web
The New Beijing Poly Plaza

Inspired by the efficiency and adaptability of natural organisms,
the SOM San Francisco Structural Engineering Studio develops
sustainable structural solutions for some of the world’s tallest
buildings. “Forms found in nature have superior engineering,
inherent memory, and a great deal of elasticity,” says Director
Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, LEED®
AP. Amalgamating engineering
with biology enables high-rises to be super-efficient and durable.
The benefits of using organic precedents for SOM projects
has had a resonating effect throughout a design, improving
the overall quality.
For nearly a decade, many of SOM’s most iconic tower designs
have synthesized biomimicry (derived from the words bios,
meaning life, and mimic, meaning imitate) and structural
system design. Biological influences have led to innovative
strategies in SOM architecture, yielding elegant, sustainable
tower designs with high value in the global development market.
Sarkisian began by investigating the cross-section of natural
structures that exhibit an exponential growth pattern with
mathematically predictable segmentations that brace the form,
considering the growth patterns of bamboo and the fractal
geometry of the chambered nautilus shell for clues about
natural strength. The high-rise applications of these principles
borrow specific sequences of the organic structures to replicate
their most attractive attributes: a high strength-to-weight ratio,
elasticity, long-term endurance, and a highly efficient form
that resists loads and maximizes stability. As building structure,
organic bracing is capable of fragmenting forces by sharing
loads more uniformly within the structure and transferring
them into the building foundation.
SOM’s building systems like the Pin-fuse Joint®
and the New
Beijing Poly Plaza’s rocker mechanism use the agility of
systems found in nature to enhance their ability to cope with
large forces. Applied to buildings in areas of high seismicity,
these systems supply superior longevity to the structure. “The
performance, reliability, and repairability of structural elements
in the seismic force resisting system contribute to sustainable
design. Time and cost savings can also be achieved since the
building will be less disrupted for repair or rebuilding after an
earthquake,” reports SEAONC’s Sustainable Design Committee.
New organic structural strategies rely on biological precedents
to manage resource consumption and have a global impact
on climate preservation. By integrating biomimicry into high-
rises, SOM has increasingly refined and economized many
structural forms, yielding multiple environmental benefits to
the local microclimate over conventional structures. The use
of efficient structural forms similar to those found in nature
reduces the overall volume of materials required and eliminates
large quantities of waste. Less building mass allows more
ventilation to penetrate the urban landscape and prevents the
urban degradation of natural wind flows which aid ventilation
and cooling. It also increases the opportunities for natural
daylight through enhanced connectivity to the outdoors.
Additionally, reducing the surface area of the built mass
minimizes thermal exchanges with the urban environment
that disrupt its natural state.
I n t r o d u c t i o n
1 As building structure, organic bracing
is capable of fragmenting forces by
sharing loads more uniformly within
the structure and transferring them
into the building foundation.
Biomimicry: Structural Efficiency
Through Natural Geometries

growth patterns
2
China World Trade Center Competition

While SOM developed the competition scheme for the China
World Trade Center, Beijing, interest in bamboo as an
architectural form led to the discovery of the properties of
bamboo and how they might relate to the extreme high-rise.
The natural formation of bamboo reveals unique structural
characteristics. Long, narrow stems provide support for large
foliage during its growing life while providing strong and
predictable support for man-made structures after harvesting.
Even when subjected to tsunamis, bamboo responds effectively
and efficiently to lateral loads exhibiting the genius of natural
structural properties and geometric proportioning. The nodes
or diaphragms, as seen in rings over the height of the culm
or stack, are not evenly spaced—closer at the base, further
apart through the mid-height, and close again near the top.
These diaphragm locations are not random and can be
predicted mathematically. They are positioned to prevent
buckling of the thin bamboo walls when subjected to gravity
and lateral loads. This growth pattern is common to all bamboo.
The wall thicknesses and diameter of the culm can be similarly
calculated. They are also proportioned to prevent buckling of
the culm. All equations that define the diaphragm locations,
diameter, and wall thickness are based on a quadratic
formulation. When plotting the required diameter of the culm
against height (with the relationships of diaphragms and wall
thicknesses similar), it mimics the bending loading diagram of
a cantilever subjected to uniform lateral loads—the engineering
theory is the same for bamboo and other cantilevered structures.
Bamboo consists of a culm, or stem, comprised of nodes and
internodes. Nodes mark the location of diaphragms and provide
the location for new growth. A slight change in diameter exists
at node locations. Internodes exist between nodes. Internodes
are hollow creating an inner cavity surrounded by a culm wall.
Material in the culm is located at the farthest point from the
stem’s neutral axis, providing greatest bending resistance,
allowing gravity loads to exist only in the outside skin which
impedes uplift due to lateral loads and minimizes overall
weight. The cellular structure of the bamboo wall reveals
tighter cellular density near the outer surface of the wall and
less density near the inner wall. Again reinforcing the idea of
maximum material efficiency when subjected to bending loads.
The geometric characteristics of bamboo are applied to the
structural systems of the China World Trade Center Tower
Competition submission. The tower is divided into eight
segments along its height. The structural demand from lateral
load is highest at the base of the culm (or tower) therefore
internode heights are smaller compared to the mid-height.
Smaller spacing increases moment capacity and buckling
resistance. Beyond the mid-height of the culm (or tower) the
heights of the internodes decrease proportionally with the
diaphragm diameter. Thus, the form of the culm (tower)
responds to structural demands due to lateral loads. The
competition scheme for the China World Trade Center
Superstructure developed with an internal core interconnected
to a perimeter tube at mathematically defined locations to
brace the frame against buckling in accordance with the growth
pattern of bamboo are extremely efficient.
Even when subjected to tsunamis,
bamboo responds effectively and
efficiently to lateral loads exhibiting
the genius of natural structural
properties and geometric proportioning.

m e s h -t u b e
3
J INLING H O T EL T OWER c o m p e t i t i o n

Drawing upon biology for structural concept for the Jinling
Hotel Tower Competition in Nanjing, China enabled substantial
reductions to be made in the amount of structural material and
size of the structural members required for the perimeter
frame. The spacing of the horizontal and vertical members
in the frame of the tower utilize an efficient ratio. A smaller
material mass for the structural frame allowed the SOM design
team to enhance the quality of the interior spaces with natural
daylight access, views, and natural ventilation while lowering
its carbon footprint and environmental impact.
The mesh tube structure for this innovative tower is a hybrid
of previously developed orthogonal structural systems and
recently developed organic systems. The grid, which provides
the outer structural frame, replicates the strong mesh of
biological cell structures. This frame consists of a closely spaced
diagonal membrane that is much tighter than a conventional
diagrid form. “To resist lateral loads and achieve the goal of
100% structural efficiency, the verticals and the horizontals
in the lateral system are combined to create a fine diagonal
mesh, where every member is in tension or compression
without bending, resulting in a structure that is optimally
efficient with the strength and stiffness for a tall building,”
explains Mark Sarkisian. The external structure doubles as an
integrated shading device, mitigating energy-intensive cooling
loads from solar heat gains on the glazed façade. The structural
grid members are designed to be manufactured off-site to
minimize construction waste and reduce on-site construction time.
As the building height increases, the concentric floor plates
rotate to give the tower mass its organic structural stability.
The spacing between the four vertical massing elements gets
tighter at mid-height then the forms converge at the base so
that the ground floors provide rigidity and balance while the
upper floors are able to be less rigid where the wind forces
are naturally greatest.
The grid, which provides the outer
structural frame, replicates the strong
mesh of biological cell structures. This
frame consists of a closely spaced
diagonal membrane that is much tighter
than a conventional diagrid form.

diagonal
screen f r a m e s
4
p o ly i n t e r n at i o n a l p l a z a

In 2007, natural forms and the goal of minimizing a structure’s
carbon footprint lead to SOM’s structural advancements in the
design of the multi-award-winning Poly International Plaza in
Guangzhou, China. The design for this tower uses principles
of the natural segmented structural bracing found in plant
organisms to form the innovative double lattice structural
screen frame. External braces were engineered to support
the loads of the column-free floor plates in the exceptionally
slender, almost “billboard-like” towers. “The south working
frame has two levels of diagonalization, working with the
vertical piers to manage loads,” Mark Sarkisian explains of
this perimeter structure. With the introduction of only three
two-story diagonal steel members at the mid-height and top
of the building, the south-braced frame was engaged with
the north conventional frame in resisting lateral loads in the
narrow dimension of the towers.
The super-efficient structures of Poly International Plaza provide
a high degree of openness and minimize the use of virgin
materials to achieve a dramatically lower carbon footprint. The
planar external bracing structure on the south facade, which
Sarkisian says, “was purposely pulled forward off the external
wall to control temperatures,” acts as an integrated self-shading
device controlling excessive heat gain and glare, especially in
the summer months when sun angles are high. The spacing
between the bracing structure permits low winter sun angles
to bring daylight and warmth to the interior spaces during the
cooler months. The design team implemented a shallow floor
plan concept, which enhances natural daylight penetration in
the building, improving the quality of the interior spaces,
increasing productivity, and lowering energy demands for
lighting. The bracing system on the south façade allows for a
conventional orthogonal frame on the north façade resulting
in open views to the Pearl River.
Natural forms and the goal of minimizing
a structure’s carbon footprint lead to
SOM’s structural advancements.

hurricane
strength
5
T R A NS B AY T OWER C OMPE T I T ION

Designed to exceptional standards of structural safety and
environmental consciousness, the Transbay Tower Competition
design for San Francisco, a city of high seismic risk, was an
evolution of the external structural designs developed for the
Jinling Tower and Poly International projects. The ground-
breaking structural form, which is the result of the elegant
adaptation of natural forces to the building structure, has an
inherent organic symbolism and creates a unique design
derived from the forces experienced in San Francisco.
The structural grid composition was based on the specific
mathematical derivation of the perfect cantilever originally
developed by Anthony Mitchell in 1904, offering an exceptionally
strong and efficient geometry. Contrary to conventional belief,
the purest cantilever is one with a bulbus shape, composed
of radial force flow lines. Founded in the Fibonacci Sequence
and proportional to the spiral patterns of a nautilus shell or
a hurricane, the structural grid was developed with a scaling
factor that is most concentrated at a point and spirals out,
becoming less concentrated. “The inner areas of the hurricane
have the highest level of force with the forces reducing along
the spiralling arms,” describes Mark Sarkisian of the energy
that’s created by the natural forces of a hurricane.
Influenced by the hurricane, Sarkisian and his team developed
a structure that would respond to the natural concentration
of force in this super-tall tower. According to Sarkisian:
“The spiralling form provides the resistance and is based on
the idea that every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction.
The spiral, which has the greatest resistance at the center and
the least resistance at the outer arms, was translated into
bracing that would resist the lateral loads where they were
naturally the highest with the tightest part of the spiral and
lowest where the bracing was more open. The diagonals
radiate from the corners of the tower where forces are the
highest and transform to more open geometries near the top
where forces are lowest. The applied wind load increases with
height, therefore it is best to reduce the building plan size to
reduce the surface area that will be subjected to wind. Integral
forces generated by ground motions during an earthquake are
collected within the superstructure and transmitted back into
the ground. They too are attracted to supports in a radial fashion.”
This bold structural move allowed the design team to use the
bracing for control of heat gain through shading of the façade
while allowing for natural daylight and ventilation.
Founded in the Fibonacci Sequence
and proportional to the spiral patterns
of a nautilus shell or a hurricane, the
structural grid was developed with a
scaling factor that is most concentrated
at a point and spirals out, becoming
less concentrated.

sacred geometries
6
T H E C AT H EDR A L O F C H RIS T T H E LIG H T

Two interlocking spheres create the principal geometry for
The Cathedral of Christ the Light. The planar section of the
geometry results in the sacred “vesica piscis” form, evoking
the symbol of a fish. The shape recalls the ancient symbol of
congregation, implements a sign of Christianity, and responds
to the site’s close proximity to water. These interpenetrating
circles are related to one another through the square roots of
2, 3, and 5, the first three digits of the Fibonacci Sequence
(other than binary digits). The height and the shape resulting
from the intersecting circles are related by the square root
of 3. The height, or the longitudinal length of the cathedral,
is equal to the diameter times the square root of 3, or 1.7305,
and the width or the transverse length of the cathedral is equal
to the longitudinal length divided by the square root of 3. The
geometric and mathematical applications of the resulting
shape are the same as those commonly occurring in nature
and in the order of the universe itself. Many natural phenomena
express this sequence in their geometric structure, including
the sunflower seedpod and the shape of hurricane patterns.
The principle geometry defines the interior volume, while
creating truncated vesici at the Alpha (genesis and the first
letter of the Greek alphabet) and Omega (ending/everlasting
and the last letter of the Greek alphabet) Walls. The reliquary
walls used to define both the inside of the sanctuary and
outside of the structure are formed by overlapping circles with
the same radii, simply offset in plan. The interior spherically-
defined volume supported on the inside face of the reliquary
wall is enclosed with a conical form supported on the outside
face of the reliquary wall. The conical form, if continued to its
apex, would close, but is instead truncated, symbolically referring
to the Cathedral’s openness to the sky and thus, the heavens.
As an extension of the Cathedral’s fundamental architectural
concept, the Great Doors are inscribed with adjoining circles.
When closed, the doors form the vesica piscis shape. The
Fibonacci sequence orders their vertical articulation. Custom
door pulls emerge directly from the vesica piscis, their surface
texture a topographic map of the spiraling Fibonacci sequence.
Many natural phenomena express this
Fibonacci Sequence in their geometric
structure, including the sunflower seedpod
and the shape of hurricane patterns.

Roof Skylight
Oculus Ceiling
Fritted Glass
Wood Louvers
Glu-lam Structure
Alpha Wall
Omega Wall
Reliquary Wall
Entry Vestibule

pivotal movement
7
th e p i n - f u s e j o i n t ®

While structural grid systems successfully provide exceptional
strength and rigidity to SOM towers, resisting the shear forces
of earthquakes also demand elasticity. Explains Sarkisian,
“These buildings need to move, and where you find the need
for movement the most is in certain areas of high seismicity.”
Incorporating his patented Pin-fuse Joints®
, the internal
structural elements of towers are designed to have superior
ductile strength. Pin-fuse Joints®
emulate the pivotal movements
of a human shoulder joint to work with the shear stress forces.
This joint uses materials that allow engineers to define a certain
coefficient of friction, so the joint remains fixed and then it
slips during high loads. As soon as the load gets large enough,
the joints start to move. By using this joint to provide localized
flexibility, the earthquake forces can be dissipated and damage
to the structure minimized. The increased durability of the
materials in SOM structural designs provides the environmental
benefits of a lower initial carbon footprint and the economization
of lower life-cycle costs.
Pin-fuse Joints®
emulate
the pivotal movements of
a human shoulder joint to
work with the shear
stress forces.
Conventional Structural Steel Frame
Original concept sketch
Pin-Fuse Joint®
Frame
Subjected to an Earthquake
Pin-Fuse Joint®
Frame Subjected
to an Earthquake
Compromized after an Earthquake
Pin-Fuse Joint®
Frame Intact without
Permanent Deformations after an
Earthquake

the rocker
8
th e n e w b e i j i n g p o ly p l a z a

The New Beijing Poly Plaza is located in an area of high
seismicity, similar to San Francisco. SOM pursued a design
concept that would allow the building to be displaced when
subjected to a major earthquake. As part of the design, the
eight-story museum element was suspended by diagonal cables
in the lofty 295-foot-tall daylit atrium space. To prevent
overstress in the cables during a large earthquake, a cast-steel
rocker mechanism was devised to allow the building to move
without inducing force into the cables. “You are able to design
for a force level that is much lower than it would have been
if you fixed this connection,” says Mark Sarkisian, whose
inspiration for the three-story tall rocker mechanism came
from the multi-direction rotation capabilities of the human arm.
Statically the rocker mechanism stays in place, and then during
an earthquake, the rocker moves. The rocker, which looks like
a giant pulley system, is similar to the Pin-fuse Joint®
concept.
“The natural response of the joint in the body is to release
itself; the muscles respond to the different configurations but
ultimately keep a fairly modest size allowing that rotation arm
movement to happen,” Sarkisian explains.
Inspiration for the
three-story tall rocker
mechanism came from
the multi-direction
rotation capabilities
of the human arm.

t h e w e b
9
th e n e w b e i j i n g p o ly p l a z a

The world’s largest cable-net supported glass wall enables
daylight and views into the main atrium enclosure of The New
Beijing Poly Plaza building. According to Sarkisian, this wall,
which moves with the wind loads in Beijing, shares its principles
of flexibility with spider webs that move considerably when
exposed to loads. “They have to be very elastic because other-
wise they’ll fracture,” says Sarkisian in reference to the delicate
structure of spider webs. “It would be as if you took a spider
web and filled glass panels over the top of individual cells and
allowed for relative movement between those panels,” he explains.
The cable net is stiffened by two V-shaped cables that are
counterweighted by the suspended museum. This expansive
glazed cable-net system resists gravity and lateral loads using
the giant rocker mechanism to return to its original position
after deformation.
The flexibility of the web-like mesh system prevents fracturing
under large loads, which eliminates future material waste. In
this building, structural biomimicry helped SOM to advance
structural innovation, create an iconic building, greatly reduce
material quantities, and be sustainable in the process.
It would be as if you took a spider web
and filled glass panels over the top of
individual cells and allowed for relative
movement between those panels.

Nature Structure

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