The document describes Bosjes Chapel, a chapel located in South Africa designed by Steyn Studio. It has a slim concrete cast shell roof structure that dramatically falls to meet the ground. The roof supports itself through undulations and rises to peaks with expanses of glazing. Inside, the open assembly space has highly polished terrazzo floors that reflect light and a whitewashed undulating ceiling.

1. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5
SHELL STRUCTURE
BOSJES CHAPEL / STEYN STUDIO
SUBMITED BY :
VIPASHA DARUWALA – 4
VIBHA DUDHWALA – 5
HETVI PATEL – 15
SHELL STRUCTURE

2. ARCHITECTS STEYN STUDIO
LOCATION BREEDERIVER VALLEY, R43, WITZENBERG
MUNICIPALITY, SOUTH AFRICA
CATEGORY CHAPLE
AREA 430.0 M2
PROJECT YEAR 2016
PHOTOGRAPHS ADAM LETCH
MANUFACTURERS TERRAZZO & MARBLE, SIKA, PERI,
PG SMARTGLASS
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

3. • A VINEYARD IN SOUTH AFRICA, IS DESIGNED BY SOUTH-AFRICAN BORN COETZEE STEYN OF
LONDON BASED STEYN STUDIO.
• SURROUNDED MOUNTAIN RANGES, PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HISTORIC CAPE DUTCH GABLES
DOTTING THE RURAL LANDSCAPES OF THE WESTERN CAPE.
• CONSTRUCTED FROM A SLIM CONCRETE CAST SHELL.
• THE ROOF SUPPORTS ITSELF AS EACH UNDULATION DRAMATICALLY FALLS TO MEET THE
GROUND.
• ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE FINISH.
• HEIGHT OF CHAPEL IS 6 METER.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

4. • WHERE EACH WAVE OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE RISES TO A PEAK, EXPANSES OF GLAZING
ADJOINED CENTRALLY BY A CRUCIFIX ADORN THE FAÇADE.
• ELEVATED UPON A PLINTH, THE CHAPEL RISES FROM THE FLAT LAND ITS SITS UPON, PROVIDING
A HIERARCHICAL FOCAL POINT WITHIN ITS SURROUNDINGS.
• A REFLECTIVE POND EMPHASISES THE APPARENT WEIGHTLESSNESS OF THE STRUCTURE.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

5. • NEW PLANTING INCLUDING A VINEYARD AND POMEGRANATE ORCHARD CREATE A LUSH
GREEN OASIS ON THE OTHERWISE EXPOSED SITE.
• INSIDE, A LARGE AND OPEN ASSEMBLY SPACE IS CREATED WITHIN A SIMPLE RECTANGULAR
PLAN.
• HIGHLY POLISHED TERAZZO FLOORS REFLECT LIGHT INTERNALLY.
• THE UNDULATING WHITEWASHED CEILING CASTS AN ARRAY OF SHADOWS WHICH DANCE
WITHIN THE VOLUME AS LIGHT LEVELS CHANGE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
• THIS MODEST PALETTE OF
MATERIALS CREATES
A NEUTRAL BACKGROUND TO THE
IMPRESSIVE FRAMED VIEWS OF THE
VINEYARD AND MOUNTAINS BEYOND.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

6. • EXTREMELY COMPLEX ROOF STRUCTURE WITH STRONGLY CURVED SHAPES (LENGTH: 20 M,
WIDTH: 12 M, HEIGHT: 6 M)
• RAINWATER IS DISCHARGED FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOF VIA A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP WITH
SUMP, THROUGH A PIPE CAST INTO THE CONCRETE WHOSE OUTLET IS HIDDEN UNDER THE
LOWEST PART OF THE ROOF, WHERE IT MEETS THE REFLECTION POND.
• THE ROOF STRUCTURE IS FORMED USING A COMBINATION OF TRUSSES AND RIBS. A TOTAL OF
584 TRUSSES ARE ENGINEERED WITH AUTODESK INVENTOR AND THEN PRODUCED AT A LOCAL
ROOF TRUSS MANUFACTURER. ALL TRUSSES ARE MARKED AND CHECKED BEFORE THEIR
DELIVERY TO THE JOBSITE.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

7. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE
• ALL FORMWORK WAS PURPOSE-MADE, AND WAS DESIGNED AS A SYSTEM OF PREFABRICATED
TRUSSES WITH A BENT PLYWOOD SKIN. IT TOOK ALMOST FIVE MONTHS TO CONSTRUCT THE
FORMWORK ON SITE. A 1:2 SCALE SAMPLE SECTION OF THE ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE
CONTRACTOR’S CAPE TOWN YARD TO WORKSHOP ALL DETAILS AND FINISHES.
• THE SHELL COMPRISES 74 CUBIC METRES OF CONCRETE AND 8175 KG OF HIGH TENSILE STEEL
REINFORCEMENT. IT IS SUPPORTED BY FOUR HIDDEN REINFORCED CONCRETE BUTTRESSES,
EACH WITH A VERTICAL LOAD OF CLOSE TO 50 TONNES.
• DUE TO THE UNUSUAL FORM OF THE SHELL, EACH REINFORCING BAR (TOP AND BOTTOM) HAD
TO BE INDIVIDUALLY CUT AND HAND-BENT TO FIT. THE CONCRETE WAS POURED IN THE FORM
OF SHOTCRETE – PNEUMATICALLY PROJECTED AT HIGH VELOCITY THROUGH A HOSE. THIS HAD
TO BE DONE FROM MOBILE PLATFORMS, AND WAS FREQUENTLY DELAYED BY STRONG WINDS
AND RAIN, TAKING SIX WEEKS INSTEAD OF THE TWO ALLOWED IN THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMME.

8. • THE WHITEWASHED CEILING
CASTS AN ARRAY OF SHADOWS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE
• POLISHED TERAZZO FLOORS HELP
REFLECT LIGHT.
• A NEUTRAL MATERIAL PALETTE
ENABLES THE VIEWS OF THE
SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE TO
TAKE PROMINENCE.

9. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SHELL STRUCTURE

10. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE

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20. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE

21. BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY- 5 SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE

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