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John Chilton

Emeritus Professor Architecture & Tectonics,

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Biography

John Chilton is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Emeritus Professor of Architecture + Tectonics in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, 糖心原创. After obtaining his BSc (Hons) Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Leeds (1970), he worked in bridge, highway and structural design. In 1984 he commenced his PhD on the 'CUBIC' Space Frame, under the supervision of the system's inventor Leszek Kubik. On completion, he worked at Burks Green and Partners on the 'CUBIC' Space Frame-roofed FFV Aerotech aircraft hangar at Stansted Airport, which was Supreme Award winner of the British Construction Industry Awards (1989). Joining the, then, Department of Architecture at the 糖心原创, in 1989, to teach structures and construction, John has also taught at Lincoln School of Architecture, where he was Head of School (2004-2006) and at Nottingham Trent University (2008-2012) before returning to the 糖心原创 in 2012.

Reflecting John's research interest in non-conventional structures, he has been an active member of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) since 1990. A member of the IASS Executive Council for 20 years, he was elected a member of the IASS Advisory Board in 2020 and awarded Honorary Distinguished membership in 2021. He is former Chair of IASS WG12 - Timber Spatial Structures and member of WG 5 - Shell Structures and WG15 - Structural Morphology. He has Chaired and Co-Chaired IASS Colloquia and was a member of the Organising and Scientific Committees for the joint IASS/IABSE/Space Structures conference held in London in September 2011.

From 2004-2017, John was Vice-Chair of the TensiNet Association , a multi-disciplinary association in the field of tensioned membrane and ETFE foil construction, which follows the initial objectives of the original EU-funded thematic network (2001-2004). He has contributed to the TensiNet publications European Design Guide for Tensile Surface Structures (2004) and Annex 5: Design Recommendations for ETFE Foil Structures (2013). He was also Scientific Committee Chair for the TensiNet - COST TU1303 Symposium 2016.

John has served as a member of the Fabric Advisory Committee (FAC) of Lincoln Cathedral since 2004 and the FAC at Sheffield Cathedral since 2017.

He is the author of three books, Space Grid Structures (2000); Heinz Isler (2000); and, with co-author Gabriel Tang, Timber Gridshells: Architecture, Structure & Craft (2016) and is currently finalising a book on the German architect Michael Balz - Shells and Visions.

Teaching Summary

John Chilton has over 30 years' experience in teaching structures and construction. As Emeritus Professor he contributes occasional lectures. He also continues to co-supervise one PhD student.

Research Summary

Candela-Isler-M眉ther International Seminars (CIMIS) 2018-2022: Participation in international research and seminars on the reinforced concrete shell structures of F茅lix Candela, Heinz Isler and… read more

Selected Publications

  • JOHN CHILTON, 2023. 1. Springer Cham.
  • JOHN CHILTON and GABRIEL TANG, 2016. Routledge.
  • FLOR, JAN-FREDERIK, DINGMING LIU, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2018. Applied Energy. 229, 335-351
  • JOHN CHILTON and CHU-CHUN CHUANG, 2017. Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics. 19(3), 763-785

Current Research

Candela-Isler-M眉ther International Seminars (CIMIS) 2018-2022: Participation in international research and seminars on the reinforced concrete shell structures of F茅lix Candela, Heinz Isler and Ulrich M眉ther, in collaboration with Universidad Nacional Aut贸noma de M茅xico (UNAM), Facultad de Arquitectura; Hochschule Wismar, Fakult盲t Gestaltung; and Eidgen枚ssische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Z眉rich, Departement Architektur, Institut f眉r Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur (gta)

CIMIS-1: November 2018 - Universidad Nacional Aut贸noma de M茅xico (UNAM), M茅xico City

CIMIS-2: May 2019 - Academie der K眉nste, Berlin

CIMIS-3: June 2022 - Eidgen枚ssische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Z眉rich (postponed from 2020)

Output: book chapters:

Guilia Boller and John Chilton, Heinz Isler's Experimental Approach to Form Finding, in:

CANDELA ISLER M脺THER

Positions on Shell Construction. Positionen zum Schalenbau. Posiciones sobre estructuras laminares

Edited by Matthias Beckh, Juan Ignacio del Cueto, Matthias Ludwig, Andreas Sch盲tzke and Rainer Sch眉tzeichel (Published November 2020)

John Chilton, Stetten free-form shells complex (Theater unter den Kuppeln) and Einfamilienhaus Balz in:

HEINZ ISLER AND HIS CONTEMPORARY FIELD Matthias Beckh, Rainer Sch眉tzeichel, Laurent Stalder, Joseph Schwartz, and Giulia Boller (eds) (expected publication late 2023)

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Michael Balz - Free Architect

Research into the career and architectural vision of German architect Michael Balz who has dedicated much of his career to the exploration of alternative architectural forms, as exemplified by his own house, an innovative reinforced concrete shell constructed in 1979-80.

In particular, the research appraises realised and unbuilt thin reinforced concrete shell projects, including competition entries, many of which were designed in collaboration with Swiss engineer, Heinz Isler (1926-2009), with whom Michael Balz had a long association.

Output: Monograph: Michael Balz: Shells and Visions (published by Springer Cham 3 June 2023) see: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19264-7

For full publications see: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jc_Chilton

Past Research

Knowledge Transfer Partnership - KTP009912 (2015-2018): To develop novel tensile membrane structures and also adaptable textile-covered building facades integrating tensile photovoltaic membranes for energy harvesting and environmental control to assist Europe's renewable energy generation targets. Industrial partner: Inside2Outside, Fenstanton

EU COST Programme Project TU1303: oc-2012-2-13283 (2013-2017): "Novel structural skins: Improving sustainability and efficiency through new structural textile materials and design". Participation as Steering Committee member, Co-Chair of Working Group 3: "Building physics and energy performance of structural skins" and Scientific Committee Chair for the TENSINET - COST Action TU1303 SYMPOSIUM 2016. Full open access proceedings are available as Procedia Engineering, Vol. 155 at:

Knowledge Transfer Partnership - KTP010169 (2015-2016): To design, develop and implement a passive heat recovery and storage system for the ETFE foil encapsulated greenhouse fa莽ade/roof using phase change material. Industrial partner: Holscot Fluoroplastics Limited

Knowledge Transfer Partnership- KTP9213 (2013-2015): To design, develop and implement a modular self-supporting structural-construction system comprised of linked ETFE foil encapsulated panels. Industrial partner: Holscot Fluoroplastics Limited

East Midlands Sustainable Construction i-Net, Collaborative Research & Development Grant, (2010-2011) Greening the Box: Retrofit of hard to treat housing. Partners: 糖心原创, Nottingham Trent University and Sustainable Ecological Architects (SEArch) Ltd

TSB/WAG, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (2009-11): To develop innovative building enclosure systems using ethyl-tetra-flouro-ethylene (ETFE) foil. Industrial partner: Architen Landrell Associates Ltd, Chepstow

AHRC/ESRC, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (2007-08): To optimise the use of Church buildings (churches, halls and church schools) in Greater Lincolnshire, through eco-refurbishment/new build (with Dr Behzad Sodagar, University of Lincoln). Industrial partner: Lincolnshire Community Foundation, Sleaford

DTI, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (2007-08): To develop a methodology for the assessment of the "carbon footprint" of buildings designed and constructed by the Simons Group, (with Dr Behzad Sodagar, University of Lincoln) Industrial partner: Simons Design, Lincoln

SEEM/SEDF strand 1 (2006) Feasibility study into Stapleford Forest Park, (with Hill Holt Wood, Norton Disney, near Newark)

DTI, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (2005-07): To develop designs for a range of autonomous eco-buildings leading to the establishment of an environmental social enterprise construction company, (with Dr Behzad Sodagar, University of Lincoln). Industrial partner: Hill Holt Wood, Norton Disney, near Newark. This project received the following awards:

  • KTP Awards 2009 - Special Award "Best ESRC funded project exhibiting Application of Management or Social Science"
  • National Housing Association's - Green Apple Awards: The Built Environment and Architectural Heritage 2009 Gold Winner; Green Champion 2009; Green Apple Champion of Champions Award 2009
  • East Midlands Lord Stafford Award - Innovation in Sustainability

EU FP5 Thematic Network "TensiNet" (G1RT-CT-2000-05010) (2000-04): Tension and membrane structures involving 22 partners from nine countries (with Professor Marijke Mollaert, Free University Brussels). Role: Scientific Coordinator. This project led to the formation of the TensiNet Association

Future Research

Heinz Isler

Ongoing research into the work of Swiss engineer Heinz Isler. Currently working on a book in collaboration with Emeritus Professor Ekkehard Ramm, Wilfried Dechau and Giulia Boller. This will be based on interviews conducted with Isler, together with Ekkehard Ramm in 2003, photographic record by Wilfried Dechau of key Isler works taken in 2021 and Giulia Boller's PhD research in the Heinz Isler archive, gta, ETH, Zurich.

  • DIANA M. BENJUMEA MEJIA, JOHN CHILTON and PETER RUTHERFORD, 2024. World Development. 177, 106534
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2024. Springer Vieweg Cham.
  • PETER EIGENRAAM, QINGPENG LI, JOHN CHILTON and ANDREW BORGART, 2024. 3D Scanning and structural analysis of Heinz Isler鈥檚 shell for swimming pools In: IASS 2024 Symposium Redefining the Art of Structural Design. 10
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2023. 1. Springer Cham.
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2023. Drawing Matter. Available at: <https://drawingmatter.org/heinz-isler-natural-hills-on-different-edge-lines/>
  • JAN-FREDERIK FLOR, XIAO LIU, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2022. Building and Environment. 209, 108650
  • GIULIA BOLLER, JOHN CHILTON, EKKEHARD RAMM and JOSEPH SCHWARTZ, 2022. Demolition of Heinz Isler's free-form shell in Sargans In: Innovation, Sustainability, Legacy: IASS 2022 Symposium / APCS 2022. 10
  • JOHN CHILTON and PAUL SHEPHERD, 2022. Drawing Matter https://drawingmatter.org/. Available at: <https://drawingmatter.org/heinz-isler-model/>
  • GIULIA BOLLER and JOHN CHILTON, 2021. Heinz Isler鈥檚 Experimental Approach to Form Finding. In: MATTHIAS BECKH, JUAN IGNACIO DEL CUETO RUIZ-FUNES, MATTHIAS LUDWIG, ANDREAS SCH脛TZKE and RAINER SCH脺TZEICHEL, eds., Candela Isler M眉ther: Positions on Shell Construction Birkh盲user Verlag, Basel. 98-109
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2021. In: Inspiring the Next Generation: Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2020/21 and the 7th International Conference on Spatial Structures. 37-44
  • JAN-F. FLOR, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2021. In: X International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures, Structural Membranes 2021. 8
  • JOHN CHILTON, ANDREAS FALK and MINJUAN HE, 2021. IN MEMORIAM - PROF. DR. ING. Julius Natterer: Outstanding educator, practitioner and innovator in the field of timber structures Journal of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures. 62(4), 238-240
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2020. . In: BILL ADDIS, ed., PHYSICAL MODELS: Their historical and current use in civil and building engineering design Wiley - Ernst & Sohn. 613-637
  • PETER EIGENRAAM, ANDREW BORGART, JOHN CHILTON and QINGPENG LI, 2020. Engineering Structures. 210, 110265
  • AMIN AL-HABAIBEH, ARIJIT SEN and JOHN CHILTON, 2020. Energy and Built Environment.
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2020. International Journal of Space Structures: Special Issue: The Legend of Mamoru Kawaguchi. 35 (1-2), 3-6
  • GABRIEL TANG and JOHN CHILTON, 2019. . In: FABIO BIANCONI and MARCO FILIPPUCCI, eds., Digital Wood Design: Innovative Techniques of Representation in Architectural Design Springer, Cham. 871-894
  • MARISELA MENDOZA and JOHN CHILTON, 2019. Preservation and reuse of reinforced concrete hyperbolic paraboloid shells in the UK In: Form and Force: Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2019 鈥� Structural Membranes 2019. 839-846
  • JAN-FREDERIK FLOR, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, YUPENG WU and JOHN CHILTON, 2019. Switchable ETFE cushion: designing and building a model for experimental testing In: Form and Force: Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2019 鈥� Structural Membranes 2019. 377-382
  • JAN-FREDERIK FLOR, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, CHRISTOPHER ROWELL, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2019. In: 9th edition of the international SOLARIS conference: IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 556. 6
  • FLOR, J. F., SUN, Y., BECCARELLI, P., ROWELL, C., CHILTON, J. and WU, Y., 2019.
  • JOHN CHILTON, PIETER HUYBERS and J脺RGEN HENNICKE, 2018. Structural Morphology Group 鈥� the First 10 Years In: Creativity in Structural Design: Proceedings of the IASS Symposium 2018. 8
  • FLOR, JAN-FREDERIK, DINGMING LIU, YANYI SUN, PAOLO BECCARELLI, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2018. Applied Energy. 229, 335-351
  • JOHN CHILTON and CHU-CHUN CHUANG, 2017. Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics. 19(3), 763-785
  • FLOR, JAN-FREDERIK, WU, YUPENG, BECCARELLI, PAOLO and CHILTON, JOHN, 2017. E3S Web Conf.: International Conference on Advances in Energy Systems and Environmental Engineering (ASEE17). 22, 00048
  • JUAN VALLEJO, MARK GILLOTT and JOHN CHILTON, 2017. In: Passive & Low Energy Architecture PLEA 2017. 3. 3738-3745
  • JOHN CHILTON and GABRIEL TANG, 2016. Routledge.
  • MARTIN B., MASIH D., LAU B., BECCARELLI P. and CHILTON J., 2016. . In: DASTBAZ M. and GORSE C., eds., Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design: Selected Proceedings from the International Conference of Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) Springer International Publishing. 47-58
  • CHU-CHUN CHUANG and JOHN CHILTON, 2016. Design and Modelling of Heinz Isler鈥檚 Sicli Shell In: 鈥� Spatial Structures in the 21st Century 鈥�, Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2016. 10
  • IBRAHIM, H., WAGDY, A., BECCARELLI, P., CARPENTER, R. and CHILTON, J., 2016.
  • CHILTON, J., GOSLING, P., MOLLAERT, M. and STIMPFLE, B., 2016.
  • LIU, X., GAO, H., SUN, Y., WU, Y., MARTIN, B., CHILTON, J., MIRZAEI, P., ZHANG, X., BECCARELLI, P. and LAU, B., 2016.
  • LAU, B., MASIH, D. A. A., ADEMAKINWA, A. A., LOW, S. W. and CHILTON, J., 2016.
  • CHILTON, J. and LAU, B., 2015. . In: Fabric Structures in Architecture 203-219
  • SABRINA AFRIN, JOHN CHILTON and BENSON LAU, 2015. Energy Procedia. 78, 477-482
  • DAWA AZAD AZIZ MASIH, BENSON LAU and JOHN CHILTON, 2015. Energy Procedia. 78, 483-488
  • S. AFRIN, J. CHILTON and B. LAU, 2015. . In: E. O脩ATE, K-U BLETZINGER and B KR脰PLIN, eds., Structural Membranes 2015: VII International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures CIMNE, Barcelona.
  • P. BECCARELLI, R. MAFFEI, R.H. LUCHSINGER and J. CHILTON, 2015. . In: E. O脩ATE, K-U BLETZINGER and B KR脰PLIN, eds., Structural Membranes 2015: VII International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures CIMNE, Barcelona. 115-125
  • BENJAMIN A J MARTIN, BENSON LAU, PAOLO BECCARELLI, JOHN CHILTON and YUPENG WU, 2015. Modular Transparent ETFE Panels for Building Envelopes: Thermal Transmittance Assessment and Evaluation In: Future Visions - International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Symposium 2015. 9
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2015. Solid Timber in Carbon Neutral Construction in the UK In: Future Visions - International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Symposium 2015. 8
  • PAOLO BECCARELLI, BENJAMIN MARTIN, BENSON LAU, JOHN CHILTON, STEFANO BONARDI and ROBERTO MAFFEI, 2015. Single-board microcontrollers applied to biaxial tests for architectural membranes In: Future Visions - International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Symposium 2015. 9
  • BENJAMIN A J MARTIN, DAWA MASIH, BENSON LAU, PAOLO BECCARELLI and JOHN CHILTON, 2015. An Evaluation of Thermal and Lighting Performance within an ETFE Structure In: SEEDS 2015.
  • BENJAMIN A J MARTIN, BENSON LAU, DAWA MASIH and JOHN CHILTON, 2015. A 糖心原创 into the Internal Environment of an ETFE Structure: Evaluation of Thermal Lighting Performance In: PLEA 2015.
  • SABRINA AFRIN, JOHN CHILTON and BENSON LAU, 2015. Thermal environment of an atrium enclosed with an ETFE foil cushion envelope In: 14th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies.
  • SABRINA AFRIN, JOHN CHILTON and BENSON LAU, 2014. Thermal Environment of an atrium enclosed by an ethylene-tetra-fluoro-ethylene (ETFE) foil cushion roof In: Shells, Membranes and Spatial Structures Footprints, IASS-SLTE 2014, Brasilia. 8
  • CHILTON, J., PEZESHKZADEH, S.A. and AFRIN, S., 2013. Embodied energy in ETFE foil construction In: Tensinet Ssymposium 2013 - [RE]THINKING lightweight structures, 8-10 May 2013, Mimar Sinan Fina-Art University, Istanbul. 457-466
  • TANG G., CHILTON J. and BECCARELLI P., 2013. Progressive Development of Timber Gridshell Design, Analysis and Construction: Paper 1387 In: Proceedings of International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium 2013, 23-27 September, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland, J.B. Obr臋bski and R. Tarczewski (eds.). 6
  • BECCARELLI P. and CHILTON J., 2013. Advantages of lightweight tensioned coated fabrics and foils fa莽ades for the building sector In: Structural Membranes 2013 VI International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures 9-11 October 2013, Munich, Germany..
  • MARKUS BALZ, MATTHEW BIRCHALL, RAINER BLUM, HEIDRUN B脰GNER-BALZ, JOHN CHILTON, JAN CREMERS, HELMUT FRISCH, CEDRIC GALLIOT, KLAUS GIPPERICH, ROGIER HOUTMANN (ED.), JOCHEN K脰HNLEIN, KARSTEN MORITZ, BERND STIMPFLE and JAMES WARD, 2013. Design Recommendations for ETFE Foil Structures: Annex 5 TensiNet European Design Guide for Tensile Structures TensiNet Association, Brussels.
  • JOHN CHILTON and SEYED ASAD PEZESHKZADEH, 2013. Effect of Cushion Geometry and Configuration on the Embodied Energy of ETFE foil Construction In: Proceedings of Structural Membranes 2013, VI International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures, K.-U.Bletzinger, B. Kr枚plin and E. O帽ate (Eds). 332-339
  • JOHN CHILTON, 2013. Proceedings of the ICE - Construction Materials. 166(CM6), 343 鈥�357
  • JIA CUI, STEVE GOODHEW and JOHN CHILTON, 2012. . In: NACER M鈥橲IRDI, AZIZ NAMAANE, ROBERT J. HOWLETT and LAKHMI C. JAIN, eds., Sustainability in Energy and Buildings: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference in Sustainability in Energy and Buildings (SEB鈥�11) 12. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 331-340
  • CHILTON, J., 2011. Heinz Isler: shells for two churches Journal of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures. 52(3), 173-183
  • JIA CUI, STEVE GOODHEW, ALAN FEWKES and JOHN CHILTON, 2011. . In: V. SOEBARTO, H. BENNETTS, P. BANNISTER, P.C. THOMAS and D. LEACH, eds., Proceedings of Building Simulation 2011: 12th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Association, Sydney, 14-16 November IBPSA Australasia and AIRAH. 2170-2177
  • CHILTON, J, 2000. Heinz Isler London : Thomas Telford.
  • CHILTON, J, 2000. Space grid structures Oxford : Architectural Press.
  • CHILTON, J. C., COWLEY G., WESTMUCKETT J. and GILROY-SCOTT B., Reciprocal frame timber roof at Hill Holt Wood - a case study. In: CHILTON, J.C. and MUNGAN I., eds., Timber Structures: From Antiquity to the Present: International Symposium, Istanbul, 25-27 June 2009 T.C. Hal铆莽 脺n铆vers铆tes铆 脥stanbul. 383-394

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