QuaDror: A structural support system.  New. Simple. Versatile. QuaDror is a new space truss geometry that unfolds manifold design initiatives and can adapt to various conditions and configurations.

1. QuaDror Structure
System ICE-KSU

2. • QuaDror: A structural support system.
New. Simple. Versatile.
• QuaDror is a new space truss geometry that unfolds manifold design
initiatives and can adapt to various conditions and configurations.
• Our goal
“Our goal is to inspire change. Working with creative and innovative experts
from various fields, we aim to share and implement this geometry in urban
design, architecture, philanthropic work, and public art. When realizing that
the system could potentially bring a groundbreaking solution to the global
issue of habitat, we were eager to complete our experimentations and share
this discovery with the world”
says Dror

3. QuaDror
• Four years ago Dror Benshetrit came up with an apparently very simple
piece of engineering; two interlocking members - pieces of wood cut in a
particular way - that could fall apart but stay together in a unique and very
supportive way. Benshetrit soon realised that he had something potentially
revolutionary on his hands - real structural strength achieved very simply.
He spent the next four years thoroughly testing his design and now has a
patented system that can be applied to everything from trestle tables to
temporary housing, sound barriers to seductive lighting.
• He has launched the system with an emphasis on the potential for cheap
and easy-build kit homes for developing countries or to be used in disaster
relief. But Benshetrit is now looking for design and architecture partners to
put QuaDror to use in all sorts of remarkable ways.

4. Q ua Dro r is, a t the m o st b a sic level, a struc tura l syste m . It's a sp a c e
truss g e o m e try tha t m a inta ins the stre ng th o f a so lid c ub e w ith o nly
20% o f the vo lum e .
The Q ua Dro r fo rm func tio ns a t a va rie ty o f sc a le s, fro m the ha nd -
held to the urb a n. Q ua Dro r Ho m e is p e rha p s the m o st a m a zing : the
kit o f p a rts (inc lud ing instruc tio ns, to o ls a nd Q ua Dro r "unive rsa l jo ints")
w o uld a llo w p e o p le to c o nstruc t their o w n e m e rg e nc y ho using using
w ha teve r struc tura l m a te ria l (w o o d , b a m b o o , p ip e s, fe nc ing , e tc )
the y ha ve a va ila b le .
The rea l bombshell: 1,750 of the kits ca n be shipped in a single 40-
foot conta iner. The p a st d e c a d e ha s se e n so m a ny d e b a c le s
invo lving the im p le m e nta tio n o f d ista ste r-re lie f ho using - Q ua Dro r
o ffe rs a so lutio n no t o nly to the b uild -a b ility issue b ut a lso to p ro b le m s
like d elivery a nd susta ina b ility.

5. Applications (Dividing – Dwelling)
Dividing Wall:
Dividing
Main ad vantages
· Self-stand ing panels
· 43° tipping angle
· Every single panel has the sta bility and load -bearing c apac ity of a c ube with
only 1/ 5 of the volume
· The c ollapsibility of the rotomold ed wall allows saving over 50% spac e in
transp orta tion and storage in c omparison to typic al self-stand ing jersey barriers
· Tremend ous ac oustic properties d ue to the shape of the geometry
· The irregular shape of the c onstruc ted wall reduc es sun reverbera tion
· The panels c an be pre-manufac tured and shipped flat, red uc ing both
c onstruc tion time and use of heavy mac hinery on-site.

6. By stacking blockswhich use the QuaDror geometry, an easily assembled, and
aesthetically pleasing, interior dividing wall isformed.

7. Highway Barrier:
Dividing
The unique geometry of the wall is ideal, due to its properties as an acoustic
barrier, to serve as a divider between highway noise and residential
neighborhoods. Not only does the inner air space prevent the transmission of
sound through the wall, but the faceted surface reduces the reverberation of
sound off of the wall.
With the use of a simple metal strut, the units are not only secured to one
another, but are restrained to a maximum opening dimension.

8. Other advantages:
- Easily assembled requiring fewer workers and less heavy machinery
- The units are able to be transported flat, requiring fewer trucks
- No mortar is necessary for the wall assembly
- The unique geometry of the wall provides a more aesthetically
pleasing alternative to traditional highway acoustic barriers.

9. The QuaDror design is highly stable, meeting the same stability criteria as a solid cube with
20% of the volume when flat packed.
The structure has a 43 tipping angle.
15° is the optimal angle for maximal load carrying structure.

10. Rotomolded Wall
Dividing

11.  QuaDror design is highly stable meeting the same stability criteria as a solid cube with 20% of the
volume when flat packed
 Design can withstand high stack loading when it is in a filled or unfilled state and can be stacked up
to 50 units high when rotomolded and 6 units high when filled with water
 The design can withstand hurricane force winds when filled with water with no additional supports
 An innovative system has been proposed for assembly which meets engineering requirements and
would be cost effective and flexible to implement
 Known material grade for the structure has been selected which again is cost effective low density
and meets environmental requirements
 Mass of the rotomolded empty units is below 25kg meeting international requirements for safe
handling by a single person so ensures easy of installation

14. Frame system—build ings of all kind s.
Dwelling

15. Dwelling
The housing units employ the QuaDror interlocking frame technology as comprised of
eight laminated wood beams. This structural unit works with the same geometric concept
as the table, but at a larger scale. The houses take advantage of the collapsibility of the
frames, and are designed as pre-fabricated modular housing units. These structural units
are able to ship to site flat, and can then be erected with the corners secured to form
four triangular trusses. The trusses are responsible for the downward and lateral forces
acting on the house.
The QuaDror House options range from 900 sqft to 3000 sqft and are able to be on grade
or elevated. Due to the separation of skin and structure, different options are available for
the type and location of solid and glazed walls, allowing for a variety of configurations and
appearances.

17. Main advantages
· Comparable to an internal diagrid, the diagonalized QuaDror elements provide vertical
and lateral support for efficient member design
· QuaDror elements are made from axially loaded, dual-purpose members
· The bearing of the structure is spread to many points consistent with spread footings or
plates on grade
· No uplift exists in the structure, which means no anchoring or modification of temporary
grounds
· The Quadror elements are perfectly suited for gravity loads
· The use of typical I-beams for beams and columns
· The performance of the structural support systems lies partially in its collapsibility (self-
opening from flat to 3d space truss) and its structural efficiency (which allows for less
material)
· Pyramid-, dome- and other polyhedra-solutions for shelters often don’t maximize an
urban density grid, whereas QuaDror can co-exist with cuboids and rectangular frames.

18. Dwelling
The housing units employ the QuaDror interlocking frame technology as comprised of
eight laminated wood beams. This structural unit works with the same geometric
concept as the table, but at a larger scale. The houses take advantage of the
collapsibility of the frames, and are designed as pre-fabricated modular housing units.
These structural units are able to ship to site flat, and can then be erected with the
corners secured to form four triangular trusses. The trusses are responsible for the
downward and lateral forces acting on the house.
The QuaDror House options range from 900 sqft to 3000 sqft and are able to be on
grade or elevated. Due to the separation of skin and structure, different options are
available for the type and location of solid and glazed walls, allowing for a variety of
configurations and appearances.

19. Advantages
 All QuaDror Houses are pre-fabricated, allowing for shorter
construction timelines, less labor and less financing fees, minimal
material waste, and a reduction of on-site problems, all of which
provide for an overall lower cost of construction.
 Increased quality as a result of greater control within an enclosed
factory environment, strength and durability of construction as it
needs to be ready for transport, and minimal site impact.
 The QuaDror structural system allows for a separation of the skin
and the structure, permitting moving enclosure and
separation walls.
 This separation allows for the house to transition from open to solid
for protection during harsh climatic conditions, or when unused.

21.  The glazing of the house is able to be completely opened for
uninterrupted connection to the exterior.
 Adaptability and changeability for unseen future demand is
possible when all structure is concentrated to solely the QuaDror
structural system.
 The house is able to be shipped with flat components, allowing for
more square footage to be shipped per flatbed trailer.
 The QuaDror system is able to reduce the amount of foundation;
reducing cost, allowing it to be elevated, and permitting it to be
placed in difficult sites.
 The houses contain an efficiently packaged bathroom and kitchen
unit which is able to concentrate all utilities to a single area, which
can simply plug into a grid.

23. THREE PROPOSALS FOR
RESIDENTIAL TOWERS IN
NEW YORK BY DROR
BENSHETRIT
“We disrupt conventional building design by
rethinking structure, where beauty and
efficiency result from an imaginative, clever
framework. Developed as a means to
implement new ideas, these three buildings
illustrate principles that lay at the heart of our
practice. The studio recently created
enhanced renderings to highlight our forward-
thinking concepts, and as a prelude to the
future: we will soon announce details on the
exciting commissions we’ve won for two major
architectural projects” “I’m always interested
in thinking about unconventional ways of
looking at set typologies,” Benshetrit says.
Location: New Yourk, USA
Architect: Dror Benshetrit
Year: 2015

24. For 100 Varick
Structure and skin create a new,
intimate support system. An elegant
dance of geometry, shadows, and
light, 100 Varick embodies a new
relationship between structure and
skin. A QuaDror exoskeleton replaces
the interior support system of a
traditional high-rise, allowing glass
volumes to be inserted into individual
apertures formed by the frame.

25. The structure’s twenty-five floors are
effectively divided into independent five-
story units, disseminating its weight in
smaller, lighter increments throughout the
QuaDror system. By placing the
supporting framework on the outside, the
building provides unusually open,
uninterrupted living spaces for its
tenants. 100 Varick’s thoughtfully
supported, independent volumes redefine
the residential tower as an intimate,
sculptural dwelling in lieu of a restrained
rectangular mass. “The geometry, which is
similar to some of Norman Foster’s
buildings, is super efficient,” Benshetrit
says.

26. For 350 Bowery
How can a new urban building respect
its surroundings?
Cities are synonymous with densely
populated concrete jungles.
Renovation and re-building is
imminent, but descends upon a plot of
land according to its own timeline.

28. When an empty lot appeared in
downtown Manhattan, we wondered what
kind of structure would both enhance and
respect its surroundings—healthy, historic
parts of the urban fabric. 350 Bowery
consists of three curiously stacked glass
volumes, each thoughtfully sized to align
with its neighbors: the base of the top and
middle units follow horizontal planes
formed by the roofs of adjacent buildings,
kissing each structure’s northeast edge in
a gesture of respect.

29. A forest of columns elevates the residential units to
achieve this connection, creating an outdoor sculpture
garden that offers glimpses of the surrounding
environment. Anchored by a retail space at street level,
350 Bowery is a new typology of building that lets the
existing locale determine its distinctive shape.

30. For 281 Fifth
Avenue
A pinwheel shape yields sweeping
views to each resident
In a typical residential tower where
floors are divided into four units, views
from no more than two sides of the
building are possible at a time. I
started thinking about ways to
incorporate a third view, supplying
every tenant with the luxury of a vast,
uninterrupted perspective.

31. Our concept for 281 Fifth Avenue
achieves this feat by orienting its core
structure into the shape of a pinwheel.
A residence protrudes from each of
the pinwheel’s four arms on every
floor, centralizing the unit’s wet wall
and support system on a single side.
At the building’s base, each arm fans
out into a subtly curved V-shaped foot
to form a strong, sculptural anchor.

32. Of the remaining three glass walls, one
faces the adjacent unit’s wet wall, which
doubles as a projector screen: real-time
imagery of the environment directly
behind the wall can be projected there,
seamlessly connecting with existing
views to provide an increased
perspective. The wall can also be used
as a surface to view other media, or
switched off completely. For now, these
structural systems are concepts, but the
Architect expects that real buildings are
coming soon.Source by Dror Benshetrit.