Hey guys, I was wondering, since hexagons are the most efficient shape proved by the honeybee conjecture, why do we not see more hexagons in today's architecture such as floor plans, or why are they not so common. If hexagons are truly as efficient as they are, would it not make sense to try to incoporate them more into our designs, or is it because of aesthetical reasons?
Right on - question what is "efficient" in different situations. Hexagons might be efficient in terms of packing but not necessarily in terms of building construction.
worth pointing out bees occupy the hexagons stacked vertically too, not in plan. not much use for a room with a small flat floor and four wide sloped sidewalls. accessibility from the corridor would be a nightmare...
FLW designed several homes with hexagonal elements. Thomas Jefferson designed Monticello and Popular Forest with octagonal elements. The roofs on both of those leaked badly.
Mar 26, 21 7:17 am ·
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archanonymous
I don't think the leaky roof is necessarily correlated with the geometry?
I haven't seen a new kitchen or bathroom without hexagonal tiles in quite a while. Building with angles other than 90°, or curves, always costs more than building with right angles. Hexagons and triangles may be structurally efficient but they are not always budget-efficient.
"A bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality."
If you have a typical hexagonal structure (such as a structural panel with the hexagons sandwiched between two aluminum panels) each side of the interior hexagons shares a common wall with other hexagons. You can't do that with pentagons or octagons. Which is why it probably is the strongest structure for those applications. Or for beehives.
hexagons are structurally efficient in systems where there are relatively short stacked layers of closed cells. structural efficiency isn't the most important factor in building design though - usable space is.
the most useful situation for honeycomb structures is the same as the one bees use them for - stiffening layers of thin flexible material. and construction does indeed use them in this way. look up honeycomb panels.
I was also thinking about the kraft paper cores for hollow core wood doors, IKEA shelves, etc. ... but it isn't always hexagons. This guy knows what I'm talking about...
The AIA was headquartered in a hexagon house for many years and still uses the building. The irregular hexagon plan was more about fitting an odd shaped lot than structural efficiency though. And for obscure reasons it is given the misnomer of Octagon House - I guess there were no geometry consultants available at that time.
Question about Hexagons
Hey guys, I was wondering, since hexagons are the most efficient shape proved by the honeybee conjecture, why do we not see more hexagons in today's architecture such as floor plans, or why are they not so common. If hexagons are truly as efficient as they are, would it not make sense to try to incoporate them more into our designs, or is it because of aesthetical reasons?
hexagons are not as efficient as you think they are
how and why are they most efficient? Answer that question and you’ll get your answer. I predict you’ll be disappointed.
Right on - question what is "efficient" in different situations. Hexagons might be efficient in terms of packing but not necessarily in terms of building construction.
Or... space planning.
worth pointing out bees occupy the hexagons stacked vertically too, not in plan. not much use for a room with a small flat floor and four wide sloped sidewalls. accessibility from the corridor would be a nightmare...
FLW designed several homes with hexagonal elements. Thomas Jefferson designed Monticello and Popular Forest with octagonal elements. The roofs on both of those leaked badly.
I don't think the leaky roof is necessarily correlated with the geometry?
Maybe the lack of 90 degree corners didn't help.
hexagons and the bestagons
*are
I am here for this reference.
somehow I f-d up a one line meme, but your support is appreciated!
Triangles are the most efficient shape. Ask Bucky Fuller.
A hexagon is just six triangles.
you can make a hexagon with only 4 triangles if you know what you're doing
I haven't seen a new kitchen or bathroom without hexagonal tiles in quite a while. Building with angles other than 90°, or curves, always costs more than building with right angles. Hexagons and triangles may be structurally efficient but they are not always budget-efficient.
"A bee puts to shame many an architect in the construction of her cells. But what distinguishes the worst architect from the best of bees is this, that the architect raises his structure in imagination before he erects it in reality."
--Karl Marx
Damn, this Karl guy sure have a way with words. He should write a book or something...
If you have a typical hexagonal structure (such as a structural panel with the hexagons sandwiched between two aluminum panels) each side of the interior hexagons shares a common wall with other hexagons. You can't do that with pentagons or octagons. Which is why it probably is the strongest structure for those applications. Or for beehives.
hexagons are structurally efficient in systems where there are relatively short stacked layers of closed cells. structural efficiency isn't the most important factor in building design though - usable space is.
the most useful situation for honeycomb structures is the same as the one bees use them for - stiffening layers of thin flexible material. and construction does indeed use them in this way. look up honeycomb panels.
https://www.arrow-dragon.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-aluminum-honeycomb-panel/
I was also thinking about the kraft paper cores for hollow core wood doors, IKEA shelves, etc. ... but it isn't always hexagons. This guy knows what I'm talking about...
right unless it's extruded or cast obviously triangular infill strips are easier to make
The AIA was headquartered in a hexagon house for many years and still uses the building. The irregular hexagon plan was more about fitting an odd shaped lot than structural efficiency though. And for obscure reasons it is given the misnomer of Octagon House - I guess there were no geometry consultants available at that time.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octagon_House
i realized as i posted that i am looking at this lol
ye old fllw
this
I wasn't drunk, just couldn't attach the images from the phone
https://archinect.com/news/art...
triangles are the best
NASA likes hexagons:
https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/cont...
So does FREE (Soumaya Museum):
Soumaya is the most hackneyed piece of shit building I've ever experienced.
the shipping container is the most efficient shape.
very efficient shape indeed ;-)
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