Tom

Dr.
Tom
Van Mele

Dr. Tom Van Mele

Dr. Tom Van Mele is Senior Scientist and co-director at the Block Research Group (BRG) at ETH Zurich. Tom studied architecture and structural engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium, and he received his PhD in 2008 under the supervision of Prof. Marijke Mollaert. Tom is an expert in graphic statics, graphical design and analysis techniques, computational form finding and optimisation, data structures, scientific programming and web technologies. Tom’s technical and computational developments have been consolidated into COMPAS, an open source Computational framework for collaboration and research in Architecture and Structures. Within the NCCR Tom is the lead developer of COMPAS, the open-source computational framework for collaboration and research in architecture, structures and digital fabrication.

Role in the NCCR Digital Fabrication

Associated Researcher

Affiliation

Block Research Group, ETH Zurich

NCCR publications

Digitally fabricated ribbed concrete floor slabs: a sustainable solution for construction (2022)
- Date: 06.07.2022
- Authors: Dr. Jaime Mata Falcón, Patrick Bischof, Dr. Tobias Huber, Dr. Ana Anton, Dr. Joris Burger, Dr. Francesco Ranaudo, Andrei Jipa, Dr. Lukas Gebhard, Dr. Lex Reiter, Prof. Dr. Ena Lloret-Fritschi, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Prof. Matthias Kohler, Prof. Benjamin Dillenburger, Dr. Timothy Wangler, Prof. Dr. Walter Kaufmann
Coupled Rigid-Block Analysis: Stability-Aware Design of Complex Discrete-Element Assemblies (2022)
- Date: 01.05.2022
- Authors: Dr. Gene Ting-Chun Kao, Antonino Iannuzzo, Bernhard Thomaszewski, Prof. Dr. Stelian Coros, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Understanding the rigid-block equilibrium method by way of mathematical programming (2021)
- Date: 01.12.2021
- Authors: Dr. Gene Ting-Chun Kao, Antonino Iannuzzo, Prof. Dr. Stelian Coros, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Structural design, digital fabrication and construction of the cable-net and knitted formwork of the KnitCandela concrete shell (2021)
- Date: 01.06.2021
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Lex Reiter, Prof. Dr. Robert Flatt, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Leichte Schalung für komplexe Dachgeometrie (2021)
- Date: 01.03.2021
- Authors: Dr. Tom Van Mele, Juney Lee, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Design of a funicular concrete bridge with knitted formwork (2021)
- Date: 01.01.2021
- Authors: Sam Bouten, Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Francesco Ranaudo, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Pierre Mengeot, Kenneth Wyns
- Event: IABSE Congress: Structural Engineering for Future Societal Needs
A low-carbon, funicular concrete floor system: design and engineering of the HiLo floors (2021)
- Date: 01.01.2021
- Authors: Dr. Francesco Ranaudo, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: IABSE Congress: Structural Engineering for Future Societal Needs
Analysis and optimisation of a rib-stiffened vaulted floor for dynamic performance (2020)
- Date: 15.06.2020
- Authors: Hao Wu, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
KnitCandela - Challenging the construction, logistics, waste and economy of concrete-shell formworks (2020)
- Date: 06.04.2020
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: Fabricate 2020 (virtual)
- Notes: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the conference was conducted virtually.
Redefining structural art: strategies, necessities and opportunities (2020)
- Date: 01.01.2020
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Francesco Ranaudo, Cristian Javier Calvo Barentin, Noelle Paulson
KnitCrete: Building in Concrete with a Stay-in-Place Knitted Fabric Formwork (2020)
- Date: 01.01.2020
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Optimising the load path of compression-only thrust networks through independent sets (2019)
- Date: 01.07.2019
- Authors: Dr. Andrew Liew, Ricardo Maia Avelino, Vahid Moosavi, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
A Cable-Net and Fabric Formwork System for the Construction of Concrete Shells (2019)
- Date: 01.04.2019
- Authors: Tomás Méndez Echenagucia, Dave Pigram, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Function Representation for Robotic 3D Printed Concrete (2019)
- Date: 01.01.2019
- Authors: Dr. Shajay Bhooshan, Johannes Ladinig, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design (Rob|Arch 2018)
Betonschale mit gestrickter Schalung (2019)
- Date: 01.01.2019
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Active control of a rod-net formwork system prototype (2018)
- Date: 01.12.2018
- Authors: Dr. Andrew Liew, Yvonne R. Stürz, Sebastien Guillaume, Prof. Dr. Roy Smith, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Building in Concrete with an Ultra-lightweight Knitted Stay-in-place Formwork: Prototype of a Concrete Shell Bridge (2018)
- Date: 01.06.2018
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Lex Reiter, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Robert Flatt, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Design, fabrication and testing of discrete 3D sand-printed floor prototypes (2018)
- Date: 01.06.2018
- Authors: Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Robotically controlled scale-model testing of masonry vault collapse (2018)
- Date: 01.05.2018
- Authors: Cristián Calvo Barentin, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Notes: It was possible to publish this article open access thanks to a Swiss National Licence with the publisher.
Ultraleichtes, flexibles Schalungssystem für dünne, textilbe wehrte Betonschalen (2018)
- Date: 01.03.2018
- Authors: Dr. Tom Van Mele, Tomás Méndez Echenagucia, David Pigram, Dr. Andrew Liew, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
Full-scale prototype of a cable-net and fabric formed concrete thin-shell roof (2018)
- Date: 01.01.2018
- Authors: Tomás Méndez Echenagucia, Dave Pigram, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures Symposium: Creativity in Structural Design (IASS 2018)
Compressive Assemblies: Bottom-Up Performance for a New Form of Construction (2017)
- Date: 01.07.2017
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele
Design, fabrication and testing of a prototype, thin-vaulted, unreinforced concrete floor (2017)
- Date: 15.04.2017
- Authors: Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. David López López, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
The Armadillo Vault: Balancing computation and traditional craft (2017)
- Date: 01.01.2017
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele, David Escobedo
- Event: Fabricate 2017
Beyond Bending (2017)
- Date: 01.01.2017
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Noelle Paulson
Equilibrium-Aware Shape Design for Concrete Printing (2017)
- Date: 01.01.2017
- Authors: Dr. Shajay Bhooshan, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: Design Modelling Symposium Paris 2017
Automated generation of knit patterns for non-developable surfaces (2017)
- Date: 01.01.2017
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: Design Modelling Symposium Paris 2017
The Armadillo Vault: Balancing Computation and Traditional Craft (2017)
- Date: 01.01.2017
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele
Armadillo Vault - An extreme discrete stone shell (2016)
- Date: 01.10.2016
- Authors: Prof. Dr. Philippe Block, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Matthew J. DeJong, John A. Ochsendorf, Matt Escobedo, David Escobedo
Data management and modelling of complex interfaces in imperfect discrete-element assemblies (2016)
- Date: 01.01.2016
- Authors: Dr. Tom Van Mele, Ursula Frick, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: IASS 2016 Tokyo Symposium: Spatial Structures in the 21st Century
The Armadillo Vault: Computational design and digital fabrication of a freeform stone shell (2016)
- Date: 01.01.2016
- Authors: Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Ursula Frick, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Edyta Augustynowicz, Tomás Méndez Echenagucia, Cristian Javier Calvo Barentin, Dr. Mariana Popescu, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: 5th Advances in Architectural Geometry Symposium (AAG 2016)
Complex concrete casting: knitting stay-in-place formwork (2016)
- Date: 01.01.2016
- Authors: Dr. Mariana Popescu, Dr. Matthias Rippmann, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: IASS 2016 Tokyo Symposium: Spatial Structures in the 21st Century
Non-prismatic bending/torsion beam elements for form finding by dynamic relaxation (2016)
- Date: 01.01.2016
- Authors: Maryanne Wachter, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: IASS 2016 Tokyo Symposium: Spatial Structures in the 21st Century
Decomposing three-dimensional shapes into self-supporting discrete element assemblies (2015)
- Date: 01.01.2015
- Authors: Dr. Tom Van Mele, Ursula Frick, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Event: Design Modelling Symposium 2015

Media impressions

Betonschale aus Stahlseilen und gestrickter Schalung

Email

UQ.JUKY.UQLS@YRY4.3S1@

External URL(s)

Block Research Group - Profile