Hypar Roof Structures

Steel completed and topping out ceremony on lincoln center hypar roof.

Hypar roof structures.

The hypar thin shell concrete roof is a roofing system developed by george nez and albert knott of tsc global who trained groups in several developing countries in how to construct them. Often these are tall structures such as towers where the hyperboloid geometry s structural strength is used to support an object high off the ground but hyperboloid geometry is also often used for decorative effect as well as structural economy. George nez pioneered and wrote the book on hypar roofs along with albert knott. The hypar thin shell concrete roof is a roofing system made from a mixture of cement sand water and acrylic latex on a mesh base forming a thin shell.

Newer post twilight of the idols. Hypar structures have been built for decades but the most closely observed demo structure was built in boulder in 1996 enduring colorado freezes thaws winds and up to 3 feet of snow and is in near perfect condition after 14 years. This twist produces the hypar form while opposing tension forces keep the canopy membrane tight across the span. Hypar roofs are lightweight enough they can be built on the ground and lifted into place.

This is the same type of roof used on the free burma ranger clinic posted earlier. Hyperboloid structures are architectural structures designed using a hyperboloid in one sheet. The umbrellas line the coast and remain upright during normal operation providing shade and shelter along the waterfront while not limiting access to the shore. Utilising the hyperbolic paraboloid orion hypar fabric canopies are probably the simplest of all tensile structures with a distinctive shape created when the diagonally opposite corners of a sail are raised.

In warmer climates these roofs should last many decades. They re extremely durable and practical and have been used around the world for decades.