Parametric Variations at Play

Tennis has evolved significantly since the 12th century, when it is believed to have started as jeu de paume: a handball game played by monks in northern France. Over time, rackets came to replace hands, and the game spread across Europe, gaining popularity among the aristocracy. In the late 19th century, the game was formalized in the United Kingdom as “lawn tennis” and was played outside on grass courts. As the sport moved indoors, there was a need for venues that could replicate outdoor conditions—lighting, openness, and atmosphere—while enabling people year-round use, particularly in colder climates.

LAVA’s concept for the Södra Future Tennis Center explores the potential of digital processes in architecture. Responding to the 2009 competition’s brief for a rational, high-quality, and scalable indoor tennis center, LAVA developed a modular and adaptable approach using parametric modeling and digital fabrication to optimize material use, streamline manufacturing, and simplify assembly. “When we founded LAVA in 2007, the plan was to have a small, highly skilled team working with parametric tools—which was not common at the time,” says Tobias Wallisser, Partner at LAVA. “This strategy allowed us to produce 'more with less': more architecture with less people power, reduced time and costs. Our submission for the Södra competition reflects this approach.”

Parametric design offers the ability to visualize, refine, and control architectural ideas through a cyclical process. “In traditional architecture, the process is often linear: the design is completed first, followed by determining how to build it, and then addressing problems as they arise,” Wallisser explains. “With digital tools, the process becomes cyclical. Designers can test, adjust, and refine as they work, allowing the design to evolve continuously.” For the Södra Future Tennis Center, LAVA used parametric modeling to define governing rules while maintaining flexibility in the design. This approach allows the design to transform—both in the layout of courts and through the structure itself—while remaining controlled and cohesive.

The competition brief emphasized material efficiency, and LAVA responded with a gridshell framework made from leftover wood, designed to minimize waste without compromising structural strength. As Wallisser explains, a key challenge in designing with wood is balancing the use of smaller, cost-effective components—whose intricate joints are labor-intensive and expensive to fabricate—against the simplicity and reduced cost of larger components with simpler connections. LAVA’s solution was to employ two- and three-axis CNC milling to produce smaller, precise components with simplified joints, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ease of assembly.

Although the façade of the Södra Future Tennis Center appears freeform, it is governed by a series of performative constraints, such as the height requirements for the tennis courts and the need for natural light. The lightweight wooden grid shell adapts to varying load conditions, becoming denser where the load is heaviest and sparser where it is lighter. Anchored by concrete ancillary spaces like change rooms and showers, the building’s material distribution ensures structural efficiency while enhancing performance. The translucent membrane that covers the roof includes north-oriented openings designed to provide consistent light levels throughout the center. “We used digital and performative tools to optimize the building’s envelope, ensuring it maximizes daylighting while respecting the program’s needs,” explains Wallisser. This approach is particularly important in northern locations like Växjö, where natural light is limited.

As with many of LAVA’s projects, the proposal for the Södra Future Tennis Center is responsive to the landscape and is designed to merge with its surroundings. The building is sunken into the terrain, while its translucent upper shell appears to float above, reducing its visual mass to create a seamless connection between the natural and built world.