Investigations on the Design Process of Eladio Dieste: 3D Parametric Modelling of Modern Latin American Architectural Heritage

The Uruguayan Engineer Eladio Dieste underwent a quest for thinness in the field of structural design which rendered his reinforced masonry thin-shell structures at a conspicuous position in Modern Latin American Architectural Heritage, so much so as to have Dieste’s work in Latin America and Europe included in an indicative list for UNESCO’s cultural heritage sites as of 2010. Nonetheless, the design process that led Dieste to such innovative structural typologies is yet to be fully academically explored. Thus, the objective of this paper is to examine the state-of-art regarding the intricate design process of Eladio Dieste’s Gaussian vaults and shed some light on the existing gaps within this process by means of the 3D parametric modelling and digital fabrication of selected case studies. The adoption methodological procedures such as 3D parametrical modelling and digital fabrication allows for the establishment of important relationships between the design process and the resulting geometry of Eladio Dieste’s designs, as well as furthering registry of Dieste’s legacy for conservation purposes.