Teaching
ARCH509 Design Build Studio
Concrete Grammar
University of Kansas
2025 Spring
Students:
MJ Gruman
Megan Gluck
Drew Graff
Micah Frank
Cole Schliesman
Joseph MacDonald
Nolyn Cunningham
Sponsored by:
BuildEx
Concrete Grammar is a design-build project developed by students in the ARCH509 studio at the University of Kansas. The project explores how rule-based thinking can shape the design and fabrication of ultra-thin concrete components. Taking inspiration from linguistic grammar—where a set of rules governs the arrangement of words—students devised a formal system in which simple parts combine to generate complex spatial outcomes.
At the core of the project is a custom-designed concrete panel system, with each panel cast to include two tabs that can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. When a tab is aligned vertically with the panel, the two elements form an “L” shape. This configuration significantly enhances the component’s structural capacity, making it capable of resisting bending and compression—ideal for load-bearing elements. When oriented horizontally, the tab offers minimal structural support but serves a critical function in alignment and connection, enabling precise assembly without excess material.
This rule-based system of tab orientation governs both the logic and flexibility of the design. It allows for a wide range of formal variation while maintaining structural integrity and material efficiency. Using this system, students explored combinations of geometry, rhythm, and surface articulation. The ultra-thin concrete sections—made possible through meticulous formwork and casting techniques—underscore the project’s focus on precision and minimalism.
Concrete Grammar ultimately reveals how a clear generative framework, grounded in material intelligence, can lead to a rich architectural language. It demonstrates a compelling synthesis of logic and creativity, structure and expression, lightness and strength.
At the core of the project is a custom-designed concrete panel system, with each panel cast to include two tabs that can be oriented either vertically or horizontally. When a tab is aligned vertically with the panel, the two elements form an “L” shape. This configuration significantly enhances the component’s structural capacity, making it capable of resisting bending and compression—ideal for load-bearing elements. When oriented horizontally, the tab offers minimal structural support but serves a critical function in alignment and connection, enabling precise assembly without excess material.
This rule-based system of tab orientation governs both the logic and flexibility of the design. It allows for a wide range of formal variation while maintaining structural integrity and material efficiency. Using this system, students explored combinations of geometry, rhythm, and surface articulation. The ultra-thin concrete sections—made possible through meticulous formwork and casting techniques—underscore the project’s focus on precision and minimalism.
Concrete Grammar ultimately reveals how a clear generative framework, grounded in material intelligence, can lead to a rich architectural language. It demonstrates a compelling synthesis of logic and creativity, structure and expression, lightness and strength.
