Structures - in their widest sense - are mechanisms for the support and the distribution of forces within the technological (i.e. buildings, land-water-air-space- vehicles) and the natural realm (living and non-living nature). Adequate structural arrangement of material enables the uptake of forces and their distribution until a desired equilibrium-state is achieved accompanied by acceptable deformation. The principal aim of the course is to stimulate a general deeper understanding of efficient structures, how they work and how their behaviour can be influenced by intelligent design.

Concepts of structural efficiency in nature and engineering: - empirical processes - optimisation processes - analogies to natural structure (i.e. cells, bones, trees, skins) based on examples of practical structures.