- systems that are structural frameworks where tension and compression elements work together
- often in ways that look counterintuitive, extremely light, or even floating
- the term comes from tensional integrity
- describes a principle where rigid elements are held not by direct contact
- but by network of tensioned components that suspend and stabilize them
- permaculture & off-grid
- lightweight and low material use
- less mass = less labor, fewer resources
- resilient to earthquakes and wind
- absorbs vibration without snapping
- adaptable to local materials
- easy to scale: modules can be combined or nested
- real-world inspirations
- buckminster fuller’s domes
- kenneth snelson’s floating sculptures
- spider webs and plant root systems
- nasa’s deployable space structures