UC Berkeley Rowing Center

A delicate racing shell is the epitome of streamlined form, a visible expression of the forces it must resist. The roof structure of the UC Berkeley boathouse is similarly optimized, defining a lean, airy gymnasium for the Olympic level athletes who train here.

The gymnasium roof trusses are supported by tree-like frames that project above a rigid deck that covers a large boat storage area below. The tensile and compressive forces the trusses must sustain are expressed by the shape of their components.

The truss joint resolving the tension in the steel rods and the compression in the wood chords is a section of steel pipe, elegantly transferring the opposing forces around an empty center.