Project-based Robotic Timber Construction: Towards Flexible Automation in Architecture

September 9, 2021 /

Lecture
eCAADe Conference 2021, Novi Sad, SRB

On September 9th 2021, Hans Jakob Wagner will join Branko Kolarevic, Anmar Mirjan and Ivan Tomovic to give one of the keynote presentations at the 39th eCAADe Conference. His contribution will revolve around most recent research findings within the context of his PhD Dissertation Topic and recent research projects at the ICD and the Excellence Cluster IntCDC.  

The 39th eCAADe  - Conference "Towards a new configurable architecture" is this years symposium of the eCAADe Organization: Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. eCAADe is a non-profit making association of institutions and individuals with a common interest in promoting good practice and sharing information in relation to the use of computers in research and education in architecture and related professions. eCAADe was founded in 1983 and is part of the CAAD sibling organizations ACADIA, ASCAAD, CAADRIA, eCAADe, and SIGraDi - providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing serving the global CAAD community

Find the full conference program at the conference webpage.

Abstract: 

Computational design and robotic fabrication allow a fundamental reinterpretation of structural tectonics in timber construction. As recent demonstrators such as the BUGA Wood Pavilion 2019 show, intricately differentiated, innovative wood structures can be designed and built cost effectively through the integrative use of digital design and manufacturing processes. This allows for highly material-efficient load-bearing structures and an expressive reinterpretation of performance-oriented sustainable building design. Given these promising results, the question of how these technologies can be embedded within a dynamic building culture and agile construction industry become increasingly important to address. With project-based robotic timber construction an organizational framework is introduced that envisions the dynamic production management of unique architectural artefacts and the continuous integrative co-evolution of building- and automation systems through constant reconfiguration of robotic manufacturing platforms. The framework intends to offer a general roadmap towards the sustainable integration of computation and automation into a socially inclusive and constantly reconfigurable building culture through a radical expansion of the interdisciplinary architectural design research agenda.

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