when geometry transforms into Poetry

It is very likely that at some point or another, one would have stopped to admire Space Structures around the islands – the Malta International Airport, Playmobil, St. James Cavalier and more recently the Esplora Planetarium which epitomises creativity when coupled with technology in all forms. These structural masterpieces are the work of none other than the pioneering Pillow Space Frame Ltd.

Backed by fifty years of experience in the business, this company has not only embellished our shores but has gone further afield. Design & Build had the opportunity to speak to Andrew Pillow, a Structural Engineer, and Operations Officer at Pillow Space Frame; in order to better understand this organisation’s unique core competences.

To the uninitiated, space frames are three dimensional, rigid, lightweight, truss-like structures constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. They are generally used to span large areas with few interior supports. Malta’s recent and perhaps most recognised project is the Esplora Interactive Science Centre in Bighi. Upon mention of its name, it is clear to understand that this is Andrew’s favourite project and his enthusiasm is easily felt as he sits down to describe the immensity of the project.

Despite Pillow Space Frame Ltd having an impressive portfolio that reaches way beyond Maltese shores, Esplora showcases the wide range of talents the company has – from design capabilities to project management and co-ordination. One cannot easily fathom what a herculean project this was; the complexities and intricacies required to execute it are immeasurable – but we will get to that later.

Andrew Pillow has been involved in the company as far as he can remember; his father, who still is very much involved and acts as an invaluable mentor, was tailed by a young and eager seven year old who grew into his role. Now that father and son conjointly restructured the firm, Andrew is spearheading all operations.
A qualified and practicing structural engineer, Andrew works extensively with external structural consultants, and in this manner he presents his capabilities, experience and knowledge on structural engineering. Andrew explains that all projects big and small are interesting, mainly due to the fact that no project is the same. One has to also consider that each project’s investment starts at quotation stage – there is no remuneration at this stage and this is widespread in such industries. The difficulty lies in that there is little to no standardisation between one project and another. So to present figures which make sense requires significant effort – most of the time, the company is presented with unique reference points.

Pillow Space Frame collaborates extensively with architects, structural engineers and project managers. The company has focused on amassing unique skill-sets through a team of specialists. In terms of ensuring that such key people do not leave the company, Andrew quotes Richard Branson – “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” This is a maxim Pillow Space Frame firmly believes in and is evident in the relatively flat hierarchical structure in place. Andrew believes in having a degree of hierarchy, but not so deep and with a thin layer of middle management.

 

photo: the Planetarium in Bighi, installed by Pillow Space Frame
The Sphere is supported on only 3 special points at the equator, with a total design weight of 270 tons.

 

History in the making

An ancient crane is settled proudly outside the factory premises in Ħal-Far, a testament to a long spell of time since the company was incepted. The family has been in business. (PSF is going on to its 30th anniversary) for approximately fifty years. The business evolved through time – starting off with aluminium apertures and finishes and moving on to more specialised products of the sort. It subsequently shifted its focus towards structural and architectural products which now are nearing their third decade of existence.

Andrew explains that the company’s pursuit of innovation was the reason for them to move on from the generic business of aluminium towards projects that are more specialised. “The reason we would change the industry we operate in would be through our desire to keep innovating. When my father set up the business, aluminium was the innovative product at the time. When competitors start to emulate you, offering rates which simply do not tally with high standards of production and service provision, then you move on. We don’t believe in lowering quality for the sake of sales. In the face of competition, we stick to our values of quality and innovate further.”

We don’t believe in lowering quality for the sake of sales. In the face of competition, we stick to our values of quality and innovate further

The company’s portfolio of projects includes hangars, atria, exhibition setups, hotels, multi purpose and sports halls and even multiple cable train stations in Venezuela.

Following a span of nearly thirty years in the Steel industry Andrew feels it is time for a rebrand, particularly due to their diversification strategy into quality general steel construction that the company has established.

The Quality Concept

When choosing materials and elements for a project at concept stage, it all comes down to the requirements of the task in hand. As an example, one of the first steps in selecting their customers’ structural elements is the structural design process.

An often overlooked process at these initial stages is a fluid discussion with the Architects on the possibilities to fabricate, transport and install said elements. This often results in cost savings and enhances the architecture of the project. Pillow Space Frame always seek to carry out this feasibility process. When it comes to sourcing of materials, the company has a long standing relationship with a number of reputable Italian suppliers – the choice of such was based on both sharing the same values of passion and quality towards their work as well as having good pricing structures and quick transport delivery times.

Having invested in a solid team of veterans, Pillow Space Frame is meticulous in its installations at all moments – from the selection and processing of materials to installation and subsequently, the attention to customer satisfaction.

Esplora Interactive Science Centre – Bighi

The Esplora Interactive Science Centre in Bighi can be considered to be a company flagship project. Their involvement came about when C&F Contractors, winners of the public tender, brought in Pillow Space Frame to install the specialised steel works with curved glass. The quotation stage was a complex process in itself. This was because the company had to procure figures for a non-standard construction. Thus, the actual execution of the project kicked off with the structural design and planning – this was a particularly interesting stage because it is here that the entire structural concept and methodology of execution, which was done in conjunction with QP Management consultants, took place. The immediately recognisable, innovative dome and the way it is latched onto the existing masonry structure presented a uniquely interesting structural concept wherein the configuration is supported solely on three rugged points. The end result was to be clad in spherical glass, which is a challenge in itself. The structural solution is similar to an eggshell – in that the skeleton is the spherical shell; giving the structure the required global stiffness for the glass elements and retaining a modicum of local flexibility.

As happens with all projects, numerous phases had to be completed. Andrew acknowledges that all were interesting in their own right, but the development of the custom made nodes was critical to the project. Following rigorous design and testing of these nodes, the fabrication of the entire structure followed and ultimately, the cladding process followed –
this involved the installation of custom triangular prefabricated internal layers insulated with internal acoustic panels and installed on site, and to close off the dome, the installation of the purpose made glass panels ensued.

Being able to constantly deliver the level of quality and efficiency as that enjoyed by all Pillow Space Frame’s customers “requires a high level of competence, not just by individuals but more so as a whole team seamlessly complementing each other.”

The double curved glass was another major challenge since there are very few manufacturers internationally who can achieve such double curvature at the required level of quality and accuracy. Furthermore, Andrew explained that the glass does not come out ready out of the box. A custom extrusion system of glass adhesion had to be carried out – this intricate exercise involved the creation of aluminium components custom-made by Pillow Space Frame, which serve as attachment points for the sheets of glass, and subsequently forwarded back to Italy to be completed according to the specifications given.

The final element to the project was the installation of the external veil, which is free from the actual space frame. At project initiation, it was thought to be almost impossible to accomplish, given the vast complexity behind installing such an immensely intricate job, and particularly so due to the dome and glass being already in place.

photo: Andrew Pillow

The Veil

This perfectly executed installation was implemented at steep angles with manoeuvring and hoisting proving to be very difficult, requiring very specific lifting techniques. Such situations, Andrew proudly reflected, highlight many of the unique core competences this veteran specialist company possesses. He reiterates the team’s skill – such an installation requires a high level of competence, not just by individuals but more so as a whole team seamlessly complementing each other.

“In reality we do not get surprises, our planning process is accurate and leaves no room for error. There is no room for on-site adjustments, so things have to be pre-made to perfection. Our planning prohibits mistakes of the sort,” Andrew added.

Changing Environments

With the ever-changing environment in the construction industry, Malta is focusing on taller buildings and smaller footprints resulting in areas being crowded – every square metre is vital. How is Pillow Space Frame being of service through the installation of steel in buildings, designed to Malta’s new construction requirements?

In reality, Andrew explains, the industry is still very much fascinated with concrete. But when you see the consequences of that, no one realises that it is an extremely heavy building material.

A question being posed is “Is concrete and masonry construction safer and longer lasting than steel?” Andrew’s answer is “no, very much the converse.” He continues to explain that “once steel is properly designed, then it is fit for purpose; if anything, it is much safer since it does not suffer from high quality control requirements as concrete does, both in terms of reinforcement and concrete strength requirements. Historically, we have seen this quality control issue to be a long standing problem in even Malta’s most critical public buildings.

“If designed properly, steel does not have a shelf life per se- this is because it is most often installed within the building envelope and is therefore not exposed to corrosive and natural elements. Furthermore, being so much lighter, steel buildings experience lower seismic loads, and resist lateral forces extremely well. Earthquakes plague the typical Maltese masonry construction. This is often immediately dismissed by the general public because it is not understood or directly experienced such as wind storms are, but experts in the field warn us of consequences when Malta experiences so much as a moderate earthquake.

“A case in point is Japan where due to the nature of their seismic activity, architects working on developments within Japan ensure that their buildings are as light as possible.
The University of Malta has been extensively studying this very topic in the context of Maltese construction, headed by an ex-lecturer of mine, Dr. Marc Bonello, who is a practising Structural Engineer, a senior lecturer and an expert in the field of seismic engineering.” Andrew concluded these thoughts by stressing that it is important to cater for seismic events, and for Malta to improve its standards in this regard.

Structural liberty

Apart from new buildings, steel also offers many solutions for remedial works for existing buildings.“Steel gives so much architectural freedom. When utilised correctly and designed for full optimisation, installation turnaround times are far quicker than those of concrete buildings, making steel far more economical and creates significantly less havoc on site and to neighboring properties, not to mention the lack of construction pollution. Steel installation is so clean, that we have installed mezzanines at Playmobil’s facilities whilst they used the same space, avoiding operational nightmares for them.”

photo: steel works executed by Pillow Space Frame for Playmobil (2001)

Listening to Andrew waxing lyrical about the benefits of the usage of steel in the construction industry makes one wonder whether it is being made use of within our shores. He tells us that here, steel is used more often than not in industrial projects. Aircraft hangars, and factory and manufacturing spaces are areas which have benefited from such structural works. And in this regards, Andrew points out some of their accomplishments in these sectors; the Medavia hangars, and Playmobil manufacturing spaces are two such major projects executed by Pillow Space Frame have installed.

Another benefit of such installations is the fact that steel offers much larger column-free work spaces – with practically unlimited spans! Just as an example, my father witnessed the erection of a 140metre spanning aircraft hangar. This comes also in handy when you want many small overhead cranes in one space, or when large open spaces are important – conference areas and aeroplane hangars come to mind; this is where steel really shines!” The Playmobil factory is a case in point. The factory structure is made up of a space frame, where the roof is designed to support many gantry cranes and is externally clad with a high performance cladding system which is seamless, to make it a whole continuous element enabling one to walk on it and carry a certain load. Such cladding allows for BIPVs (Building-integrated photovoltaics) with no subframe structures or penetrations to the cladding system, to be installed as well as maintenance to be carried out.

steel offers much larger column-free work spaces – with practically unlimited spans

The choice between concrete or steel really depends on the function of the roof. For example, Andrew continues to explain, “the Wasteserv facility in Gozo was built in a quarry – the roof is made up of a space frame clad with concrete – this has enabled the facility to integrate seamlessly within its landscape, and to also cater for extremely high loads. Furthermore, the precast concrete elements could not be transported to Gozo and the small elements which space frames are composed of turned out to be mission critical.”

the Wasteserv facility in Gozo was built in a quarry – the roof is made up of a space frame clad with concrete

Investing in Technology

Pillow Space Frame invested in sophisticated tools from its very start. Fully aware that this type of construction is not a straight forward plug and play process; one must be fully knowledgeable and fully conversant with the tools in question.

Whilst concrete suppliers have their own laboratories to ensure that the load being undertaken conforms to industry certification, steel does not require such testing. This is because the properties of steel are not as variable as those of concrete are; the value of its strength is near constant.

This does not mean that it is not certified, but that the quality control for material properties is done at the mill, and not subject to the conditions of the construction site.

Andrew feels that there is an even brighter future for steel buildings and structures in Malta. With such materials satisfying the requirements for economic, safe and speedy construction, one hopes it will not be long before the industry realises its full benefits.