This course aims to strengthen students’ conceptual understanding of the background mechanics behind diverse structural systems as how they transfer the external loads (in terms of axial forces, shears, moments and torsions) to the foundation through interconnected structural components. Students will see the relationships between the materials, structural elements, and architectural forms by studying the properties of construction materials (including concrete, masonry, steel, timber, and polymers), assembly of structural components (e.g., design and fabrication of connections/joints and boundary elements), and the force-resisting mechanism of various types of structural systems featuring distinct visual/aesthetic perceptions (such as the frames, trusses, arches, plates/shells, cables, and membranes). They will also investigate the behaviors and failure modes of the structural elements/systems through case studies, design exercises, and load testing of physical models. This course nourishes the students' abilities to develop innovative, healthy and effective architectures that are shaped naturally and explicitly by succinct structural patterns.