Michael Balz

John Chilton is a chartered civil engineer and Emeritus Professor of Architecture & Tectonics, in the Department of Architecture & Built Environment, at The University of Nottingham. His research interests span lightweight and non-conventional structures, sustainable construction and history of engineering construction. He is a long-standing member of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), which is based in Madrid. Serving as a member of their Executive Council from 1998 to 2020, he is now a member of their Advisory Board and was recently made an Honorary Distinguished Member.  Reflecting his research interests, he is a member of IASS Working Groups 5: Concrete Shell Structures, 15: Structural Morphology and 17 Historical Spatial Structures. He chaired WG 12: Timber and Bio-based Spatial Structures from 1998 to 2015. From 2001 to 2004 he acted as one of the Scientific Coordinators for TensiNet, an EU-funded Thematic Network for ‘Upgrading the Built Environment in Europe through Tensile Structures’, contributing to the European Design Guide for Tensile Surface Structures (2004). Subsequently, he was Vice-Chair (2006-2017) of the TensiNet Association, based in Brussels, which emerged from EU-funded Thematic Network, contributing to the Design Recommendations for ETFE Foil Structures (2013).  He has previously published books on Space Grid Structures (1999), which was inspired by his PhD study on the Cubic Space Frame; and the work of Swiss reinforced concrete shell-builder and fellow IASS member Heinz Isler: The Engineer’s Contribution to Contemporary Architecture (2000). Most recently, with co-author Gabriel Tang, he has written on Timber Gridshells: Architecture, Structure and Craft (2016), reflecting their research into the architecture of timber spatial structures.

Introduction.- Evolution/Organic Architecture.- Built Shells.- Balz House, Stetten (1980).- Competitions.- Unrealised Shell Projects.- Urban Space Structures.