Wave-Shaped Buildings Cut Hurricane Wind Pressure

Wind-tunnel tests of 3D-printed models show up to 60 percent lower peak pressure, but real-world construction remains unproven.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Materials Science

Economist-geometric style illustration of a single wave-shaped building form in deep navy and cream with a teal accent, rendered as a bold flat-color editorial illustration. — FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers report wind-tunnel tests showing wave-shaped 3D-printed models cut peak hurricane wind pressure by up to 60 percent, though real construction remains unproven. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Florida spend more on building homes that can withstand hurricane-force winds?

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers are testing whether changing a building's shape can protect structures from hurricane-force winds. Using 3D-printed wave-shaped roofs and walls tested in a wind tunnel, the work is still research-stage and has not been applied to real construction.

Why it matters

The approach changes building geometry rather than adding reinforcement, aiming to disrupt the vortices that drive peak wind loads on roofs and wall corners. For Tallahassee, where hurricane-force winds are a recurring threat, the research points toward structural design as a lever for reducing storm losses.

The measured result is a reduction of up to 60 percent in peak wind pressure near certain roof and wall corners in wind tunnel tests of 3D-printed models. Results come from scaled models rather than full-size buildings, so real-world performance has not been demonstrated.

The players

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

A joint engineering college of Florida A&M University and Florida State University whose researchers are testing building geometry for wind resilience.

Pedro Fernández-Cabán

An assistant professor at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering leading research on wave-shaped structures that reduce wind forces.

The details

The researchers changed the shape of structures into wave-like forms, and the wave geometry breaks apart the swirling air pockets, called vortices, that form at building edges during high winds. A vortex is a rotating mass of air whose low-pressure core pulls hard on surfaces, so breaking large vortices into smaller ones lowers the peak loads on corners. The team tested these shapes using 3D-printed scale models placed in a wind tunnel, a chamber that blows controlled airflow over a model to measure forces.

Article published on 2026-11-06 about the FAMU-FSU wind-pressure research.

The Tech Race

The research tests a geometry-based alternative to traditional structural reinforcement, a line of work that remains at the wind-tunnel stage. Its competitive position against other wind-resilient design efforts has not been established in the source.

The designs are not available to homeowners, and no timeline has been set for their use in residential construction. If the approach is later adopted, it would affect how new homes and buildings are shaped, but that step remains uncertain.

The takeaway

Watch for the next step the researchers have named: working with industry professionals to explore real-world construction of these wave-shaped designs. Full-scale testing beyond the wind tunnel would be the milestone that shows whether the 60 percent reduction carries over to actual buildings.