Structural Systems Compared
Something holds every building up.
Soon you'll know exactly what.
Survey the skeletons buildings choose from — frames, walls, shells and more — and learn to pick and discuss structure with genuine ease.
You’ll pick the right structure before engineers ask.
- Map the options — understand every major way a building can stand
- Match structure to design — choose systems that serve the architecture instead of fighting it
- Feel the forces — develop real intuition for how loads travel through form
- Draw smarter schemes — sketch early ideas that engineers can actually build
- Join structural conversations — contribute in engineering meetings instead of just nodding along
- Explain with clarity — help clients understand why the structure is the way it is
Built by one of the most-read architecture platforms in the world.
RTF | Rethinking The Future has spent over a decade publishing the ideas, projects and voices shaping architecture — and now brings that depth to learning. Every course is researched, written and produced by the RTF team.
Stand behind buildings that stand up.
A clear path. Five steps.
Everything unlocks instantly with membership · learn at your own pace
If you see yourself here, start today.
A few hours from now, you could already see differently.
Structural systems were a chapter I skimmed and a consultant I leaned on. Comparing frames, walls and long-span options with their spatial consequences showed me that structure is a design choice I was giving away. I now bring a structural idea to the first meeting instead of waiting to receive one.
Simple by design.
Watch
Short, focused video lessons — each one a single idea, clearly explained.
Apply
End every lesson with a small task that pushes your real project forward.
Transform
Watch your work develop a point of view that is unmistakably yours.
Answered simply.
I chose architecture partly to avoid structures — is this for me?
Especially for you. No calculations, just how frames, walls and shells carry load — the intuition that makes engineers respect your schemes.
Will I be able to propose a sensible structural system at concept stage?
Yes — matching system to span, height and use is exactly the judgement this course builds.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Every course starts from where you are and builds up step by step, in plain language.
Is this software training?
No — software changes yearly. The thinking you learn here lasts a career.
How does it work?
Short video lessons with a small practice task after each. Any device, your pace.
What does membership include?
One membership unlocks every course on RTF Academy — all 450+, nothing sold separately. And you stay in control: cancel anytime in one click, and you will never be charged again.
Ready to see your work change?
Your next project could be the one that feels truly yours.
- 5 Sections
- 25 Lessons
- 4 Hours
- 1. What It Does and How It Fails5
- 2. The Options Compared5
- 3. The Detail5
- 4. Performance5
- 5. Specifying and Building It5
Reviews
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Structural systems were a chapter I skimmed and a consultant I leaned on. Comparing frames, walls and long-span options with their spatial consequences showed me that structure is a design choice I was giving away. I now bring a structural idea to the first meeting instead of waiting to receive one.
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