Structural Design of Lightweight Architecture

***Winner of Best Technical Study at the Architectural Book Awards 2026***

This survey of lightweight specialty structures provides in-depth case studies supplemented with technical guidance and an overview of fundamental theories.

Drawing on almost 75 years of combined professional and academic experience, the authors guide readers through the design of lightweight systems: space frames, grid shells, cable nets, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) membranes, rails, stairs, and canopies. Each chapter provides an overview of the evolution of each system and provides technical references for further study. Images, details, and calculations from 18 actual projects showcase the process of design and the importance of close collaboration among all members of the project team. These case studies include a discussion of design intent, analysis methods, architectural constraints, detailing, fabrication, and construction methods. Because lightweight structures blur the lines between architecture, engineering, and fabrication, care is taken to share key lessons learned from over half a century of firsthand design. These topics can be highly technical and broadly extensive, and this book serves as a tractable introduction for designers.

Written for structural architecture students and early career professionals, this book is an essential introduction to the fundamentals of each lightweight structural system.

Joshua Schultz, PhD, PE, LEED AP is a licensed professional engineer with nearly two decades of experience designing, teaching, and researching lightweight structural systems, particularly structural glass and mass timber. Currently, he is a professor of architectural and structural engineering in the department of civil engineering at Gonzaga University. Previously, Joshua worked at both Stutzki Engineering and Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) as a structural engineer for a number of lightweight, high-profile, high-rise buildings around the world. He has designed, researched, and published widely on various lightweight structural systems. Joshua is an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ExCEED Fellow as well as the recipient of the inaugural AISC Innovation Scholar Fellowship.

Christian Stutzki, PhD, PE was the owner, co-founder, and president of Stutzki Engineering (started in 2004). He has over 50 years of experience in the structural analysis of steel and glass structures and structural solutions for lightweight architecture. His experience includes working as chief engineer at MERO Structures, in both the United States and in Germany. He also taught architectural engineering courses in the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has authored numerous publications and collaborated on many significant architecture projects worldwide. Chris is a Fellow of the Façade Tectonics Institute (FTI) and has served in leadership roles for FTI as well as the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures.