Buildings are demolished not because they physically fail, but because their construction logic locks them into a single configuration. This cycle of waste suggests that construction logic is treated as a post-design issue after architectural form is fixed. This lecture argues that geometry can operate as an active agent in design when it carries structural behaviour, assembly logic, and spatial expression simultaneously.

Drawing from research on masonry systems, kinetic structures, and contemporary timber configurations, this lecture proposes geometry as an active agent in design. Methodologically, the work begins with the ambition of reversibility and asks what structural and constructive consequences this ambition entails. These consequences are translated into geometric conditions that generate form through iterative physical and analytical testing—from voussoir assemblies that eliminate mortar and tension ties to bending-active timber shells developed through student research. The results suggest an alternative to the demolition–rebuild cycle: extending building lifespans by integrating structural reasoning into architectural conception itself.

Biography:

Valentina Beatini is Assistant Professor at Aarhus University, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, and member of the Tectonic research unit, where she works at the intersection of architectural design and structural reasoning. A licensed architect, her research develops geometry-driven methods that integrate structural behaviour and architectural design.

She currently leads a Marie Skłodowska-Curie project on modular floating structures and collaborates with industry partners on masonry gridshell systems. Her work includes the development of open-source computational tools for masonry analysis and has been exhibited at international venues such as IASS and MarmoMac. She holds a Ph.D. in Form and Structures of Architecture from the University of Parma (2011) and previously held academic appointments at Northumbria University and Abdullah Gül University alongside professional architectural practice.