Tensile was engaged by a consulting company to design and engineer a challenging hyperboloid green facade for the One Flintoff project in Melbourne. A ‘hyperboloid’ is a solid or surface having plane sections that are hyperbolas, ellipses, or circles.

The project involved the addition of four new levels to the top of the existing WaterMarc Aquatic Centre that would house Council staff accommodation and office facilities. Tensile was responsible for the design and engineering of the green facade as well as its construction, supply and installation.

Given that Melbourne’s suburban streetscape has changed significantly in recent years, revolutionary projects such as the hyperboloid green facade take modern building design to a completely new level.

The 3D hyperboloid green facade was designed to fold over the building to become a roof at higher levels. Though the hyperbolic shape of the facade was structurally quite difficult to create, Tensile was able to achieve it very easily using the high flexibility and adaptability of their unique Webnet mesh.

It works perfectly as a substrate or trellis for climbing plants, and will add shade and an inviting atmosphere to the building. The curves of this design will look stunning once the plants have grown and matured to cover the roof of the structure.

Tensile will complete the project in April 2017.