Celebrating 30 years of Geometrica

In 1992, with a push from friends and family, a then-30-himself structural engineer started Geometrica and an amazing journey began. Today, after hundreds of projects around the world and decades of learning, Geometrica has matured into a crack team of professionals dedicated to the idea that structures can be simultaneously beautiful, functional and efficient. This team would like to thank our investors, clients, suppliers, colleagues, family and friends for your support during these three decades. As you know, no long journey comes without its share of challenges. To celebrate we would like to share, over a few posts, some of these experiences with you.

First Project (1992)

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single tequila.” -- Lao Tzu (paraphrased)

We set up the first manufacturing line and produced prototype parts in August. By October we received our first order thanks to a recommendation from our investor Rafael Garza Martinez. Geometrica was charged with building a 3,000 m2 space frame roof for none other than Casa José Cuervo. If the name sounds familiar, perhaps you remember it from last Cinco de Mayo. Cuervo produces Mexico's champion of spirits - Tequila!

Columns were in a grid, 16m on center. We assembled the 16x16m structure sections on the ground and raised them onto the columns with cranes and tirfors. We invented "Geometrica purlins" that rest directly on the tubes of the space frame. A built-up roof with metal deck, double-skinned foam-core and standing seam metal roof was applied to keep stored product fresh.

We cried and tried to talk our client into paying retainage in kind, but sadly, they preferred to part with pesos. Though, as rightly deserved, we did patronize our client in the subsequent celebration.

Below are photos of this project. Keep in mind, back in 1992, Instagram filters weren't a thing yet.

First Hercules Production (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

The year was 2006. Geometrica teamed up with Triumstar International to supply four coal storage domes to Tai Power for their Hsin Ta Power station. Each dome was 126 meters in diameter. The project would require 2800 tons of galvanized steel tubes and 400 tons of aluminum cladding.

During the bidding process, we found that an ideal source for the raw galvanized steel tube was a local factory within half an hour of the jobsite. Geometrica and Triumstar decided to send a Geometrica production line to Kaoshiung. Thus was born "Hercules", the trade name for Geometrica's transportable production facility. Hercules would subsequently save lots of freight costs to job sites around the world. With it, raw materials are locally sourced. For this case, a dozen Geometrica specialists went to Kaohsiung to set up the temporary factory and to train local labor on the factory and on site.

Tube supplies arrived just in time and a test module was built to make sure the detailing of the structure was correct and to properly test the equipment.

Soon thereafter, the first crate of Geometrica bars manufactured locally was ready to be sent to site for installation. Once the first crates started arriving on site, installation work began and the process continued until the 4 domes were completed.

The fabrication facility worked for a year to produce the four domes.

Since this project, Geometrica has supplied the Hercules production line for local manufacturing on several other projects. For larger projects, the savings our clients realize from using the Hercules production line are very substantial. 

The above are just a taste of the many adventures and challenges Geometrica has faced. As we enter our fourth decade, we promise to continue improving and producing quality work. And we promise to share a few more of these Geometrica anecdotes during the rest of this celebratory year. 

Salud!