Special to the Catholic Herald
Architecture students from The Catholic University of America in Washington built large spaceframe sculptures that appear to float above visitors in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum. The larger, 5,000-pound structure in “Lightness of Strength: The Wave,” stretches 64 feet long and 61 feet wide. The installation is open through Feb. 9.
The project is the culmination of an architecture course at Catholic U. and a multi-year collaboration with the National Building Museum, which is dedicated to the built world. The installation includes a prototype spaceframe that highlights an innovative technology developed in part by Tonya Ohnstad, an associate professor of architecture at Catholic U., and Dave Stephen, a graduate student. The new approach replaces traditional thick steel or aluminum struts — often reinforced with external tension wires — with struts that contain tensioned cables inside. This allows structures to use less material and weigh much less than a steel frame while maintaining strength. A patent for the technology is pending.
Spaceframes are widely used in architecture, including geodesic domes, sports stadiums, solar arrays, aerospace, long-form roofs and The Sphere in Las Vegas.
In addition to its engineering innovation, the prototype emphasizes sustainability. The structure is constructed from 100% recycled aluminum and a sustainable high-tech fabric. The reduced material requirements also lower costs and allow for greater design flexibility.
The idea for the new spaceframe system grew out of a separate project led by Ohnstad in 2023 to restore the first long-span geodesic dome erected in North America, in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Local
6/25/26
Reading Time
2
min
