Thames & Kosmos Architectural Engineering User manual

EXPERIMENT MANUAL
Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizerstr. 5-7, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany | [phone] | www.kosmos.de
Thames & Kosmos, 301 Friendship St., Providence, RI, 02903, USA | 1-800-587-2872 | www.thamesandkosmos.com
Thames & Kosmos UK LP, 20 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3HE, UK | 01580 713000 | www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk

Anchor pin lever
When you want to take your model apart again, you will need
the anchor pin lever. Use the narrow end of the lever (A side) to
remove the anchor pins from rods and flexible rods.
Use the wide end of the lever (B side) to pry pieces apart, as
shown with the two-to-one converter here.
You can also use the A side of the lever to push pieces apart
through holes, as shown with the two-to-one converter here.
› › › IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Safety Information
Warning! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Choking hazard
— small parts may be swallowed or inhaled. Strangulation
hazard — long flexible rods may become wrapped around the
neck.
Store the experiment material and assembled models out of the
reach of small children.
Keep packaging and instructions as they contain important
information.
Assembly Tips
Dear Parents and Supervising Adults,
Before starting the experiments, read through the instruction
manual together with your child and discuss the safety
information. Check to make sure the models have been
assembled correctly. Assist your child with the experiments,
especially with reading the assembly diagrams and putting
pieces together that may require more dexterity or hand
strength than the child currently possesses.
We hope you and your child have a lot of fun with the
experiments!
Anchor pins and connectors
Take a careful look at the different components. The small
pieces, especially the two different lengths of gray anchor pins,
can all look pretty similar at first glance. When you assemble
the models, it’s important to use the right ones.
Flexible rods
The flexible rods are a key feature of this engineering kit. There
are two lengths: 5-hole and 7-hole. They can be twisted and
bent into many different shapes.
You can connect the flexible rods together end to end with the
two-to-one converters to make longer lengths. It’s easier to do
this if you lay the rods on a flat surface and press the two-to-
one converter down into the holes.
Do not fold the flexible rods and crease the folds. They will be
permanently deformed if they are bent too much. Do not remove
the anchor pins by twisting or pulling the flexible rods.
Half-hexagon connectors
The angle between the two pegs on the half-hexagon connector
is 120°. With three of these and three rods of the same length,
you can make an isosceles triangle.
See the inside back cover of this manual for tips on resetting
deformed flexible rods and adjusting the flexible rods to look
perfect in the models.
1
3
2
There are two types of new “FLEXIBLE ROD” : 5 holes and 7 holes, which own both
rigid and flexible characteristics.
120°
The “FLEXIBLE ROD” can become any shape like O shape, C
shape or U shape.
A side
B side
A side
Do not bend the “FLEXIBLE ROD” excessively.

No. Description Qty. Item No.
Short anchor pin, gray  WCS
Long anchor pin, gray  WCS
Two-to-one converter, white  WGW
-hole connector, white  WBW
-degree converter Y, white WYW
Button pin, white  WWW
Curved rod, white WVW
-hole wide rounded rod, white WCW
Half-hexagon connector, white  WBW
 -hole rod, white  -W-KW
 -hole flat rounded rod, white  WCW
 -hole flat rounded rod, white  WCW
 -hole cross rod, white W CW
 -hole rod, white WPW
 -hole dual rod, white WZW
 Tube,  mm, white  WGW
 Axle,  mm, black  -W-QD
 Hexagonal hub connector, gray WAS
 -hole flexible rod, white  -W-AW
 -hole flexible rod, white  -W-AW
 Anchor pin lever WBY
 Die-cut cardboard sheet K#
1
What’s inside your experiment kit:
Checklist: Find – Inspect – Check off
234
› › › KIT CONTENTS
GOOD TO KNOW !
If you are missing any parts, please contact
Thames  Kosmos customer service.
US: [e-mail]
UK: [e-mail]

625416-02-020419
5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Geckobot

› › › TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Information and Assembly Tips ................. Inside front cover
Kit Contents....................................................................................................... 
Table of Contents............................................................................................. 
What Is Architectural Engineering? ............................................................. 
Models of Basic Architectural Elements:
Square and braced square .................................................................................. 4
Cylinder and braced cylinder ............................................................................ 5
Flexed triangle and convex polyhedron ........................................................ 6
Forces and Loads ............................................................................................. 
Triangle and triangular prism ........................................................................... 8
Square and rectangular prism .......................................................................... 9
Flat pentagon ....................................................................................................... 10
Dome made of pentagons ................................................................................ 11
Flat and bowed triangles, and simple arch ................................................ 12
Form and Function......................................................................................... 
Intersecting arches ............................................................................................. 14
Shell ........................................................................................................................ 15
Roman arch ...........................................................................................................16
Models of Buildings:
Wrought-Iron Laice Tower ............................................................................. 17
Giant Catenary Arch .......................................................................................... 21
Ferris Wheel .......................................................................................................... 23
About the Eiffel Tower, Gateway Arch, and High Roller ....................... 
Giant Dome ........................................................................................................... 28
Olympic Stadium ................................................................................................ 30
Neo-Futuristic Skyscraper ............................................................................... 34
About the Riechstag Dome,  St Mary Axe,
and Beijing National Stadium ............................................................... 
High-Tech Hotel ................................................................................................... 38
Concrete Shell Performance Center............................................................... 41
About the Sydney Opera House and Burj Al Arab ................................. 
Engineering Design Challenges ...................................................................... 44
More Assembly Tips ........................................................... Inside back cover
Publisher’s Information .................................................... Inside back cover
TIP!
At the top of each model assembly page, you will find a red bar:
››› It shows how difficult the model’s assembly will be:
easy medium hard

WHAT IS DESIGN
Architects and engineers use the word “design” to describe what
they do. Design is a sequence of steps that are used to take an
idea from concept to reality. The engineering design process is
iterative, meaning steps can be repeated multiple times and then
improvements can be made each time, until the correct or optimal
outcome is achieved.
ENGINEERING
DESIGN PROCESS
IDENTIFY
NEEDS AND
CONSTRAINTS
DEVELOP
POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS
BUILD A
PROTOTYPE
IMPROVE
DESIGN
TEST AND
EVALUATE
PROTOTYPE
Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and spaces that humans use.
Engineering is the application of science and math to the design, creation, and use of just
about anything humans make. Architectural engineering refers to the engineering aspects
of architecture. An architectural engineer uses engineering principles to design buildings.
Architects plan, design, and manage the construction of a building. The primary focus of
an architect is to design a building to meet the needs of the users or occupants.
Architectural engineers focus on the design of a building’s systems including its structural
systems; its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (or HVAC for short) systems; and its
plumbing, fire protection, electrical, and lighting systems. Architectural engineers use
new materials and technologies, like computer modeling. They balance factors like cost,
time, and quality to make decisions. Architects work with architectural engineers to make
their designs become reality.
In this kit, you will learn about some of the design elements and structural components
of buildings with hands-on projects.
Engineering?
What Is
Architectural

Architectural Engineering

1
3
2
1 2
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
With the square flat
on a table, hold one
corner of the square
in one hand and try to
deform it by moving
the opposite corner. Does
the square deform? Also try bending one
corner of the square upward from the table
while holding the other corner. Does it bend?
Stability of a square
Done!
WHAT’S HAPPENING
When you are pushing or pulling on the corner of the square, you are
applying a force, or load, to the structure. A goal of architectural
engineering is to achieve the stability of a structure under different
loads. All structures will change shape to some degree when loads
act on them. In a stable structure, the changes in shape, or
deformations, are small, and forces within the structure return the
structure to its original shape after the load is removed.
In an unstable structure, the changes in shape are large and usually
increase as long as the forces are applied. An unstable structure
does not have the internal forces required to restore the structure to
its original shape. Is the square a stable or unstable structure?
Not only is the structural shape unstable, but the flexibility of the
plastic material itself makes it easy to bend.
SQUARE
BRACED SQUARE 3
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Repeat Experiment 1 with
the braced square. How
does the braced square
react to the load?
Reinforced structures
Done!
x
4 5
WHAT’S HAPPENING
By adding the two cross pieces and connecting the two corners,
you made the square model into a much more stable structure.
The cross pieces lock the angle of the other rods. When you
push on the corner of the square, you can feel the model
move a lile bit. As you stop pushing on it, you can feel it
return to its original shape. It’s also significantly more
resistant to bending. However, you used more material to
achieve this. That is called a trade-off in engineering.

Architects need their buildings to be
structurally stable and to remain
standing despite the all the loads that
act on them. Let’s build some simple
models and conduct simple experiments
with them to show how connecting
structural elements together in different
ways can affect the strength and
stability of a structure.

CYLINDER
1
1
2
2
BRACED CYLINDER
3
3
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Build the cylinder
and then the
braced cylinder.
Push down on
each model with
your hand. What
do you notice?
Reinforced structures
Done!
Done!
x
x x
4
4
5
6 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING
When you added the braces, you
made the cylinder much more
resistant to deformation. Even
the flexible plastic rods become
more rigid when connected like
this. It’s partly thanks to
triangles. Continue to the next
page to find out more.

Architectural Engineering
Architects want to design buildings in
all sorts of different shapes and sizes
to meet the needs to the inhabitants
and users of the spaces in them. Let’s
try building a simple three-
dimensional volume — a cylinder. And
then, we’ll make it more structurally
stable by adding braces to it.

1
1
4
2
5
3
6
2
CONVEX POLYHEDRON
x
FLEXED TRIANGLE
Done!
Done!
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Push inward on the model with your hands. Is the model
fairly rigid and stable?
Rigid polyhedron
WHAT’S HAPPENING
A polyhedron is a three-dimensional shape with
many sides. Here, you made a six-sided
polyhedron out of the flexed triangles. Because it
is made up of triangles, this shape is very rigid
and hard to deform.

Triangles are often said to be the strongest shapes.
They are rigid and stable. This is because a triangle
simply cannot deform into another shape as long as
its sides don’t deform. Triangles are therefore the
basis of most rigid structural frames. In this model,
you can see how when the flexible rods are flexed
and formed into a triangle, a strong shape results.
What happens
when you combine
many of these
flexed triangles
into one 3D shape?

Tension Compression Shear Torsion Bending
CHECK IT OUT
Architectural engineers often use
five terms to describe how a load can
affect a structure: tension,
compression, shear, torsion, and
bending.
Tension is any force that pulls (or
stretches) an object apart.
Compression is any force that pushes in
on (or squeezes) an object.
Shear is a force that causes parallel
internal surfaces within an object to
slide past each other.
Torsion is a force that causes the
twisting of an object due to a moment.
Bending force is a force that causes an
object to bend.
FORCES AND LOADS
A force is an interaction between objects. You can think of a
force as a push or pull on an object that changes the motion
of that object. If the object resists that motion, the object
might deform — part of the object might move relative to
another part of the object rather than the entire object
moving. Architectural engineers must analyze the forces
acting on buildings to make sure the buildings will stay
standing. Forces acting on a building are called loads.
Pull on the flexible rod from both ends. It’s very strong in
tension, isn’t it?
Now push both ends together. It’s not very rigid in
compression. It buckles when you push the ends together. In
terms of shear, it’s prey resilient. And when you subject it
to torsion by twisting it, it twists.
Hold one end of the rod and push down on the middle. The
rod bends. One side of the rod is under tension and the other
side is under compression.
This is a special type of plastic that is designed to have just
the right amount of flexibility for building the models in this
kit. These flexible rods are used in the models to mimic steel
beams in real buildings. Like plastic, steel is incredibly
strong under tension but it isn’t so great under compression.
It will bend under too much force, but it’s very hard to pull
it apart from end to end.
Why aren’t more buildings built with plastic rods? Steel and
other metals are much more resistant to heat and less likely
to degrade under normal conditions. Steel is stronger,
harder, and more durable than plastic.
Plastic and Steel

Architectural Engineering
Loads Acting on a Building
Architects must design buildings to withstand many
different types of loads that could pull them down or
push them over. Loads can be divided into two
categories: Dead loads and live loads.
Dead loads include the weight of the building itself
and all the permanent things installed in the building.
Gravity pulls these loads downward.
Live loads include the weight of the people, furniture,
and other objects inside the building. The snow load and
rain load — the weight of the snow or water on the roof
— are also live loads.
Some live loads act laterally on the building, instead
of pulling downward. The wind load is caused by the
wind pushing on the side of the building. The
groundwater and earth around the building’s foundation
push laterally on it. And even the load from occasional
earthquakes must be considered when designing a
strong, stable building.
Gravity LoadsGravity Loads
Snow Load
Lateral Loads
Wind Load
Water and
Earth Pressure
Earthquake
Load
Dead Load
Occupancy Load

EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Hold the top triangle in one hand and the
boom triangle in the other. Gently twist the
prism by rotating the triangles in opposite
directions. Try bending and compressing the
prism. What do you notice?
Prisms
1 2
Done!
Done!
1
3
4
2
TRIANGLE
TRIANGULAR PRISM
x
x
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You made two triangles into a prism. A prism is a 3D geometric
figure whose two end faces are similar, equal, and parallel
shapes, and whose sides are parallelograms — in other words,
sides formed with parallel lines. The triangle prism is prone to
twisting, bending, and compressing. The triangles at the ends
may be stable, but the rectangles in the middle are not as
strong. Nevertheless, countless buildings are built using
shapes like this, and due to the strength of the materials they
are made of, they are strong enough to stay standing.

Now, let’s investigate form. Form is a
very commonly used word in
architecture — it basically just means
the shape and configuration of a
building. The opposite of form is space.
The space is the empty area defined by
the forms of a building. Together, form
and space make up all buildings. Let’s
build some forms.

EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Test the square prism the same way you tested
the triangular prism. What do you notice?
Which is more resistant to deformation?
More prisms
Done!
Done!
1
1
2
2
3
4
SQUARE
RECTANGULAR PRISM
x
x
WHAT’S HAPPENING
There are no triangles in the square prism at all. Therefore, it can
twist, bend, and deform more than the triangular prism.
However, you can see that even the square prism is strong
enough to stay standing on its own. By combining the 12
flexible rods into one structure, you have created a three-
dimensional form with volume, or space inside. It’s easy to
imagine this prism shape as the basis for countless buildings.

Architectural Engineering
There are lots of
different types of
prisms. Let’s build
a square prism.

EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Pressing down on one anchor pin of the
pentagon, hold the shape by an anchor pin
across from the first and pull up. What happens?
Five lines in one plane
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You made a flat pentagon. A pentagon is a shape with five sides.
All five rods are in the same plane. In geometry, a plane is a flat,
two-dimensional surface that extends infinitely far. Three
points always define a plane.
When you hold part of the pentagon down and pull up on the
other part, the pentagon bends and no longer occupies a
single plane. The warped pentagon is now a curved sruface.
Imagine all the buildings that have curved surfaces like this!
1
2
3 4
56
x
Done!
FLAT PENTAGON


EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Place a stack of magazines, one by one, on top
of the dome. How many magazines does the
dome support before it starts to deform?
Dome of pentagons
WHAT’S HAPPENING
You made a dome using the flexible rods. The dome is supported
by five arcs. An arc is part of the circumference of a circle or
other curve. By connecting the arcs together at certain points,
you have made stable triangular shapes. Can you count all the
triangles in the model?
The model resembles a star dome, which is one of the first
types of shelters built by humans. They were built out of thin,
flexible tree trunks or branches.
DOME MADE OF PENTAGONS
3
3
33
3
2
2
3
4 5
6 7
x
x
x
Perform this step five times, aaching
the X shapes to each set of two gray pins
around the ring and the top of the dome.

Architectural Engineering
Start with the flat pentagon from the
previous page. We will now bend it to
form it into a dome.
1
Done!

Done!
Done!
Done!
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Build the three shapes on this page. All three
use only three rods, but each forms a different
shape. Push down on the top of the arches.
What happens?
Forces in the arch
WHAT’S HAPPENING
When you push down on the top of the arch, the sides of the arch
bow outward. Imagine you had forces pushing downward and
inward along the entire length of the arch. If the sides were
prevented from being pushed outward, then the top of the arch
would be prevented from being pushed downward. This is the
principle behind why the arch is such a strong structural shape,
and why it is used in so many buildings. The inner surface of an
arch is under compression. The arch channels forces down from
the top through the sides and down to the base.
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
5
BOWED TRIANGLE
SIMPLE ARCH
x
1
2 3
FLAT TRIANGLE

An arch is a curved structure that is
symmetrical on both sides and spans an
opening. It often supports a load on top
of it; e.g., a wall, bridge, or roof.

Form and Function
Architects design buildings and spaces for people to use. From
the simplest house to the most complex skyscraper, buildings
must serve the needs of the people who inhabit them. In
architecture, it is often said that “form follows function.” This
means that the form, or shape, of a building and the spaces in
and around it depends on what the building is used for. In
addition to the usefulness, architects are also concerned with
the durability and beauty of buildings. If a building falls down
or doesn’t protect the inhabitants from the weather, it cannot
fulfill its function. The beauty of a building is perhaps the hardest quality to define. The way
people feel when they look at a building or occupy a space is an extremely important
consideration of the architect. In this way, art is an important element of architecture. In
addition, the environmental impact of buildings is a growing concern today.
Elements of Architecture
People have been designing buildings and spaces for thousands of years. Over the years, the field of
architecture has developed and with it, a wealth of know-how, terminology, and technology all
related to the design and construction of buildings. Just like writers must understand leers and
words before they can write books, architects must understand the basic elements of architecture
before they can design complex buildings. Here are some examples of the elements of architecture:

Load
The Materials Maer
While architects may be primarily concerned with a building’s form and function for the users, the
architectural engineer’s primary concerns might center around geing the building’s systems to support its
form and uses: Does the building’s structure support the weight of its inhabitants? Does the building have
light, heat, electricity, and water in all the necessary places?
How do modern-day architectural engineers achieve the amazingly tall skyscrapers and fascistically
shaped buildings that architects design? Largely the answer lies in the materials they use. Three of the most
critical materials used in building today are steel and concrete.
Steel is a metal that is an alloy, or
mixture, of iron and carbon. It is a
common building material due to its
high tensile strength and low cost.
When you combine the high tensile
strength of steel bars and the high
compressive strength of concrete,
you get another common building
material called reinforced concrete
that is strong in both tension and
compression.
Concrete is a composite material made of
fine and coarse aggregate, like sand and
gravel, bonded together with a liquid
cement that hardens over time. Because of
its high strength in compression and low
cost, it is a common building material.
Open gable Shed Saltbox Flat M shaped
Dormer Hip and valley Gambrel
Pyramid hip Buerfly Lean-to Mansard Dutch gable
Box gable Clerestory
Cube Square pyramid Cylinder Sphere Hemisphere Hexagonal
prism
Cone Half cylinder
ShoulderedHorseshoeSegmentalLancetRound Trefoil Convex Tudor Ogee Tented Parabolic Moorish
multifoil
CHECK IT OUT
Elements of Form
Types of Arches
Types of Roofs
+ =

Architectural Engineering

Done!
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
Look at the model you built. Can you find
two arches in the model? Look closely at
the shape of the arches. What shape do
they have?
Push down on the dome. What happens?
Arches and domes
WHAT’S HAPPENING
In this experiment, you can see how a dome is like a combination
of multiple arches. You built a structure with two arches in
different planes. The arches are called concave arches or
reverse ogee arches based on their shape.
These two arches define a three-dimensional space. This is
not a common shape for a dome. You can see why when you
push down on it: The dome bows inward. Ogee arches are
not the strongest arches. The combination of convex and
concave curves makes them rather weak structurally.
They are more often used decoratively in buildings.
1
2 3
4 5
6
INTERSECTING ARCHES
1 3 8
14 20
2x
4x
4x
5x 1x

Arches are great, but
sometimes you want to
enclose more space
under a roof. Imagine
rotating an arch around
its top point to define a
three-dimensional
space — that’s a dome!

SHELL
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Imagine a curved surface covering the outside of
this model. In architecture, a shell is a structural
element that is defined by its shape. It is a curved
three-dimensional shape that is very thin in one
dimension compared to the other two
dimensions.
A shell is a curved plate. A plate is another
architectural element defined by its shape. Like a
shell, it is a three-dimensional shape that is very
thin in one dimension compared to the others.
The difference is that it is flat, not curved. The
surface of the plate is in one plane.
Done!
1
2
3 4 5
678
9
Keep aligned
Keep aligned
Keep aligned
1 5 9 10
16 19 20
5x 1x
2x 6x 1x
2x 3x

Architectural Engineering
Now let’s build another type
of modern structural element:
the shell.

Done!
OK
EXPERIMENT
HERE’S HOW
When you bend the
top of the arch in
step 5, what
happens?
Tension
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The five 5-hole rods splay outward. They get farther
apart from one another. In this way, you can see how the
outer surface of the arch is being pulled apart — it is
under tension. But the inside of the arch is being pushed
together. It is under compression.
By the way, this classic semicircular arch shape is known
as a Roman arch. It’s semicircular shape makes it very
strong. It was widely used in ancient Roman architecture.
Now that you’ve built
many of the basic
structural elements of
architecture, let’s move on
to build some larger and
more challenging models
of buildings that use the
principles and elements
you have just explored,
starting with this iconic
tower!
1
2 3 4
5 6
x
x
ROMAN ARCH
1 3 10 11
13 14 19
16x 2x
4x
5x
4x 4x
6x

Let’s build one more
arch shape to
investigate tension
and compression.

WROUGHTIRON TOWER
7
Plan
Plan
3 x4
2
2
1
1
20
19
20
19
19
19
19
20
4
4
20
1
2 3 4
5 6
x
x
x
x
1 3 4 7 9
10 17 19 20
26x
16x 1x 25x 29x
47x 8x 4x 8x
6
5
8
Note: Steps 1 and 2 are slightly different!
In architecture, a plan
is a diagram of a
building shown from
above, looking down
on the building. A
plan diagram shows
everything below a
certain cross-section
sliced horizontally
through the building.

Architectural Engineering

WROUGHTIRON TOWER
7
7
Plan
7
7
Plan
20
19
19
19
20
20
9
9
9
9
20
20
20
99
9
9
19
19
19
19
20
20
19
19
9
10 11
x

12 13 14
15 x