Browsing by Author "Morales-Beltran, Mauricio"

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15

Citation - Scopus: 3
Design of Shelters for Civilians in the Event of Armed Conflict: State of the Art and Contemporary Design Guidelines
(Sciendo, 2025) Tarczewski, Romuald; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Szcześniak, Zbigniew; Pieńko, Bartłomiej; Łątka, Jerzy F.; Jörgen, Artur; Kosztołowicz, Lidia
Citation - WoS: 24
Citation - Scopus: 30
Energy dissipation and performance assessment of double damped outriggers in tall buildings under strong earthquakes
(WILEY, 2019) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Gursoy Turan; Onur Dursun; Rob Nijsse; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Dursun, Onur; Nijsse, Rob; Turan, Gursoy
The use of a single set of outriggers equipped with oil viscous dampers increases the damping ratio of tall buildings in about 6-10% depending on the loading conditions. However could this ratio be further increased by the addition of another set of outriggers? Should this additional set include dampers too? To answer these questions several double damped outrigger configurations for tall buildings are investigated and compared with an optimally designed single damped outrigger located at elevation 0.7 of the total building's height (h). Using free vibration double outrigger configurations increasing damping up to a ratio equal to the single-based optimal are identified. Next selected configurations are subjected to several levels of eight ground motions to compare their capability for avoiding damage under critical excitations. Last a simplified economic analysis highlights the advantages of each optimal configuration in terms of cost savings. The results show that within the boundaries of this study combining a damped outrigger at 0.5h with a conventional outrigger at 0.7h is more effective in reducing hysteretic energy ratios and economically viable if compared with a single damped outrigger solution. Moreover double damped outrigger configurations for tall buildings exhibit broader display of optimal combinations which offer flexibility of design to the high-rise architecture.
Citation - WoS: 2
Citation - Scopus: 1
Exploring 3D printing techniques for the hybrid fabrication of discrete topology optimized structures
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2022) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Berk Selamoğlu; Kaan Çetin; Halis Arda Özdemir; Fulya Özbey; Ozdemir, Halis Arda; Ozbey, Fulya; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Cetin, Kaan; Selamoglu, Berk
The application of topology optimization methods in architecture while useful for conceptual design explorations seems to be limited by the practical realization of continuum-type design outcomes. One way to overcome this limitation is setting up design and fabrication techniques through which continuum domains become discrete structures. This study investigates to which extent discrete optimized systems can be built using a hybrid approach combining 3D printing and analogue fabrication techniques. The procedure is based on an algorithm in Grasshopper (Rhinoceros) that translates continuum topologies obtained in MATLAB into discrete systems providing alternatives depending on the targeted volume fraction the intended surface smoothness of the structural components and building material. The study focuses on fabrication aspects and structural performance of discrete structures using 3D printed nodes. Experimental tests evaluate the compressive strength of different types of filaments with varied infill percentages. Final prototypes are fabricated using a hybrid technique involving the use of 3D printed nodes to assemble bar-arrays comprising wooden members. Results provide a critical appraisal of the limitations and potentialities of 3D printing for hybrid fabrication of real scale structures. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 7
Citation - Scopus: 8
Integrating configuration-based seismic design principles into architectural education: teaching strategies for lecture courses
(TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2020) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; B. Yildiz; Yildiz, B.; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio
The importance of teaching seismic design in architecture schools is widely acknowledged and regarded as fundamental in earthquake-prone countries. Clear and consistent seismic design guidelines are available to sustain the introduction of seismic design-related subjects in architecture curricula. Although scholars seem to agree on the suitability of studio design projects as optimal vehicles for seismic design-architecture integration research on teaching methods seems to lack specific strategies for architecture students to acquire seismic knowledge before designing. This paper introduces a set of seismic design principles based on generic earthquake-resistant configurations used as qualitative and quantitative components in two different teaching strategies applied in a school of architecture lecture course. The basis of the approach lies in a distinction between introducing seismic design and introducing seismic design principles (SDP). We argue that seismic design a primarily quantitative process does not properly match architectural design which is essentially qualitative. Hence both quantitative and qualitative learning methods are needed to provide architecture students with knowledge on the physical phenomena behind successful earthquake-resistant configurations and the skills necessary to integrate them into their studio designs. The validity of the proposed strategies is discussed through a description of methods explored by the first author during a lecture course given between 2014 and 2017. The effectiveness of these SDP-based methods is further evaluated through surveys and interviews with former students. The final discussion addresses substantial considerations that need to be taken into account when teaching architecture students subjects that are traditionally associated with engineering teaching methods.
An Investigation into Form Blending in Architecture Through Generative Form-Finding and Optimization Procedures: A Form-Finding Methodology
(Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, 2024) Neusser, Wilhelm; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Neusser, Işik Ülkün; Berthold, Manfred
Learning from Failure: Hybrid Fabrication of a Gridshell Canopy Structure Using Timber Battens and 3D Printers
(SILESIAN UNIV TECHNOLOGY, 2025) Goekalp Kalfa; Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Elif Kir; Ece Hepmutlu; Ecenur Kizilorenli; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Kir, Elif; Kizilorenli, Ecenur; Kalfa, Goekalp; Hepmutlu, Ece
Construction courses are fundamental to architectural education and prototyping is an effective way to engage students in hands-on learning and one of the most effective methods for teaching practical skills. Furthermore these courses must incorporate digital technologies as current professional trends increasingly demand their use. But how can we integrate these elements into lecture-based courses that are constrained by limited time and resources? This paper describes the design fabrication and assembly of a free-form gridshell structure as part of an undergraduate course at the Faculty of Architecture Ya & scedil,ar University. The prototype was constructed using a hybrid fabrication technique that combines timber battens with 3D-printed connections facilitating both assembly and potential disassembly. Over the course of 14 weeks students developed the structure through an iterative design-build process gaining a unique hands-on learning experience in experimental construction. The paper highlights how the development of the structure proceeded deliberately with reflections on failures between iterations. This approach not only facilitated learning but also led to relevant research findings. The final prototype serves as a proof of concept for the advantages of hybrid fabrication making it suitable for temporary structures within architectural and engineering curricula. The insights gained from this practical experience can contribute to both structural engineering and architectural education by providing valuable knowledge on digital production and structural design processes. Additionally the study contributes to the ongoing discussion about the performance of 3D-printed nodes under challenging structural conditions highlighting both the potential and the limitations of this emerging technology.
Node Design Algorithm: Based on Structural Enhancements and the Constraints of 3D-Printing
(Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, 2025) Neusser, Wilhelm; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Neusser, Isik Ulkun; Berthold, Manfred
Pop-ups can be ugly: temporary architecture built with emotions
(Routledge, 2024) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Jerzy F. Łątka; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Latka, Jerzy; Łątka, Jerzy
Pop-ups are temporary installations constructions or structures that suddenly appear in urban contexts to draw attention for commercial artistic or social purposes. Temporary pavilions whose existence is bound to their capability to engage with unknown citizens or passers-by and offer them a spatial experience are also identified as pop-ups. However what are the features that make a temporary structure a pop-up? What architectural elements do designers outsource when conceiving and materialising pop-up architecture? At what point does a pop-up become something else? This paper aims to answer these questions by providing insights into design explorations that extend the meaning of pop-ups and enquiring through a survey and interviews the boundaries of what can be understood as pop-up architecture. Collective definitions address the fundamental role of human emotions in the conceptualisation and materialisation of these temporary structures suggesting the secondary role of aesthetics when engaging with users. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 15
Citation - Scopus: 20
Redesigning for Disassembly and Carbon Footprint Reduction: Shifting from Reinforced Concrete to Hybrid Timber–Steel Multi-Story Building
(MDPI, 2023) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Pınar Engûr; Ömer Asım Şişman; Gizem Nur Aykar; Şişman, Ömer Asım; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Engür, Pınar; Aykar, Gizem Nur
To reduce carbon emissions holistic approaches to design plan and build our environment are needed. Regarding multi-story residential buildings it is well-known that (1) material choices and construction typologies play a fundamental role in the reduction of carbon footprint (2) shifting from concrete to timber will reduce significantly the carbon footprint and (3) a building designed to be disassembled will increase the potential of achieving zero-carbon emissions. However little has been said about the consequences of such shifts and decisions in terms of building architecture and structural design especially in seismic-prone regions. In this study an existing 9-story reinforced concrete (RC) multi-story residential building is redesigned with cross-laminated timber floors and glue-laminated timber frames for embodied carbon reduction purposes. Firstly the reasons behind design decisions are addressed in terms of both architecture and structure including the incorporation of specially steel concentrically braced frames for seismic-resistance. Then the outcomes of life cycle assessments and pushover analyses show that the RC residential building emits two times more carbon than the hybrid steel-timber residential building and that while the hybrid building’s lateral load-capacity is less than in the RC building its deformation capacity is higher. These results highlight the relevance of considering the carbon footprint in combination with the design decisions which seems to be the key to introducing circular projects in seismic-prone areas. © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 4
Citation - Scopus: 5
Sawtooth Method for Teaching Seismic Design Principles to Architecture Students
(ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS, 2020) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Andrew Charleson; Elif E. Aydin; Charleson, Andrew; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Aydin, Elif E.
Although acknowledged as a must in earthquake-prone countries the introduction of seismic design principles in schools of architecture is often perceived by the students as a serious limitation to their design freedom. Hence teaching methods where students are encouraged to devise architectural design strategies that embrace seismic principles and lessen students' perceptions of reduced design freedom are required. The sawtooth method presented here allows the progressive introduction of seismic design guidelines consistent with the complexity involved in architectural design. This technique comprises an iterative sequence of short tasks or workshops organized in a zoom-in or zoom-out explorative sequence and embedded within two major seismic-related frameworks: configuration and detailing phases. The sawtooth method has been implemented as a teaching and learning approach in a studio in a faculty of architecture in Izmir Turkey. The assessment of four case studies reveals that the presented approach helps architecture students to integrate seismic design principles in their projects facilitating the blending of conceptual approaches with highly realistic scenarios.
Citation - Scopus: 1
Shifting from demolition to disassembly: A hybrid timber-steel multistory residential building for circular design
(American Institute of Physics Inc., 2023) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Ömer Asım Şişman; Pınar Engûr; Onur Şeker; Gizem Nur Aykar; Şişman, Ömer Aslm; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Engür, Plnar; Şeker, Onur; Aykar, Gizem Nur; M. Marschalko , I. Yilmaz , M. Drusa
The construction sector plays a significant role in the high energy consumption waste generation and carbon emissions. To reduce these emissions we must begin by changing the way we design plan and build our environment. This research study revolves around the idea of applying circular design principles to the built environment whereby buildings are conceived as recyclable and reusable banks of materials. We focused on applications within the Turkish context because building sector is responsible for more than 35% of the country's total final energy consumption. The selected building is an 9-story RC building located in Izmir redesigned with CLT floors and GLT columns and beams offering the possibility of a design strongly resembling the original architecture. The lateral-force resisting system is based on specially concentrically braced frames and the architectural implications of choosing this system are discussed. Fire design was considered to provide practical guidelines for the design of timber buildings in Turkey. Evaluation parameters include easiness of construction price potential for disassembly mass and carbon footprint. Each apartment was designed different size for different users' demand and adaptable for different future scenarios in line with the idea of flexible spaces. From the lessons learned from the design process the relevance of considering the carbon footprint in combination with the design decisions seems to be the key to introduce circular projects in places like Turkey. This is because not all decisions are based on achieving the lower embodied carbon factor but on those that increase the potential for disassembly throughout the life-span of the building. © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Structure as source of syntactic ambiguity in contemporary architecture
(fib. The International Federation for Structural Concrete, 2021) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Pınar Engûr; Nazll Hilal Sarlsayln; Sarısayın, Nazlı Hilal; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Engûr, Pinar; C. Fivet , P. D'Acunto , M. Fernandez Ruiz , M. Fernandez Ruiz , P.O. Ohlbrock
In contemporary architecture structure has become part of the explicit language of the building often acquiring a somewhat-foreseen relevance yet conveying ambiguous visual information. This article discusses how structural elements participate in the syntax of contemporary architecture and whether the interface structure-space is becoming a source of syntactic ambiguity in contemporary architecture. Using selected case studies the concepts of transparency gravity-less and cantilevering are evaluated first as sources of aesthetical functional and semantic value in architecture and then as sources of innovation in structural design. Insights suggest that the aesthetical contribution of the structure to the architecture goes beyond the mere physicality of the structural solution. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Citation - Scopus: 2
Topology Optimization in Architectural Design A technique for obtaining discrete structures from continuum typologies
(ECAADE-EDUCATION & RESEARCH COMPUTER AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EUROPE, 2022) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Sina Mostafavi; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Mostafavi, Sina; B Pak; G Wurzer; R Stouffs
This study explores the advantages of setting a two-dimension continuum topology optimization whose output resembles structures to be assembled from discrete members within one integrated procedure. The proposed Skeleton Sketch method uses algorithms that connect virtual centers of gravity found in the continuum matrices of the well-known Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) optimization method. The connecting lines are further upgraded to steel profiles through matching required and available cross-sectional areas obtaining a discrete version of the topology optimized system. Examples of the algorithm's application on the parametric structural design of three case studies are provided. Results show that the method provides the designer with several layout alternatives through the process proving to be a versatile and feasible design tool for practical realization of the outcomes of topology optimization.
Citation - WoS: 4
Citation - Scopus: 4
Understanding 60 years of soft storey in Türkiye: an interdisciplinary perspective
(SPRINGER, 2025) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio
T & uuml,rkiye has a long history of earthquake-related disasters with extensive building damage often resulting from even moderate seismic events. Evidence suggests that at least 50% of buildings in the country lack proper design documents and permits and about 80% of the building stock consists of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The high seismic risk is exacerbated by widespread non-compliance with building codes poor structural detailing and construction quality along with significant design irregularities such as soft storeys which have the most detrimental impact on seismic performance. Despite numerous seismic advancements the persistence of soft storey designs highlights a gap between engineering solutions architectural design and the socio-cultural and economic contexts that drive building practices. Addressing soft storeys requires an interdisciplinary approach that considers not only technical solutions but also the historical cultural economic and social factors informing design decisions. The soft storey often viewed as a technical issue arising from poor architectural choices is intertwined with T & uuml,rkiye's historical urbanization processes regulatory changes and socio-economic traditions such as the preference for multi-storey RC buildings following the 1965 flat ownership law. The study argues that without addressing the underlying reasons for the persistence of soft storey designs such as self-construction practices budget constraints client demands and users' preferences efforts to mitigate this vulnerability will remain ineffective. By exploring the regulatory frameworks as well as architectural cultural and economic dimensions of soft storeys this research aims to inform future efforts in developing resilient building designs that address the root causes of this vulnerability ultimately leading to safer urban environments in T & uuml,rkiye.
Citation - WoS: 3
Citation - Scopus: 3
User-Oriented Architectural Design of Separated Infill Walls to Prevent Soft Ground Story in Reinforced Concrete Low-Rise Buildings
(ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS, 2021) Mauricio Morales-Beltran; Feyza Durmuslar; Ecenur Kizilorenli; Morales-Beltran, Mauricio; Kizilorenli, Ecenur; Klzllörenli, Ecenur; Durmuslar, Feyza
Buildings with open ground stories are more vulnerable to soft story mechanisms which might lead to building collapse in a moderate quake. To mitigate these negative effects retrofitting techniques typically introduce new structural elements or energy dissipation devices which increases the deformation capacity of the soft story without modifying the stories above. However by altering the open nature of the ground floor these solutions fail to integrate the occupants' preferences and needs into the design process. Therefore instead of modifying the ground floor this study will propose a user-centered design process which is based on separated infill walls in the upper stories to mitigate the effects of soft story irregularity. The user-centered design strategy integrates the needs and preferences of the occupants into the design solutions of their built environment. To achieve this two low-rise reinforced concrete buildings in Turkey were selected as case studies and subjected to structural analyses to determine whether the separation of the existing infill masonry walls reduced the lateral strength of the structure. In parallel preliminary designs of the infill separations was developed and discussed with architects practicing engineers and builders. The feedback helped to develop design details to achieve the separation of the infill walls from the frames in the studied buildings. The occupants that live in the existing buildings or the surrounding areas were interviewed and presented with parametric variations of these proposals. Quantitative data suggests that separation of the infill walls is a feasible solution that could be applied to new construction and for existing reinforced concrete multistory buildings and the qualitative data that was obtained from the interviews suggested that user-centered design approaches help to develop suitable seismic mitigation strategies. (C) 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.