Advances in additive manufacturing (AM) technologies present opportunities to fabricate customized structural parts at no extra cost. 3D printing offers the missing link to effectively establish a digital chain, from design to fabrication, for non-standard space frames. This research investigates the opportunities of customizing the joints in a structure, that relate to structural form, usage […]

High-performance material-saving building components are often geometrically complex multi-material assemblies that are inefficient and wasteful to manufacture and recycle. The novel field of foam 3D printing (F3DP) in construction allows to combine the advantages of differentiated material properties with the simplicity of monolithic building systems. This research investigates applications for innovative architectural elements that are […]

This research stream investigates the customization of industry-ready float glass and its potential for architecture. Properties of color, form, and opacity in glass could enable new functions and aesthetic effects in glass. However, contemporary construction primarily implements glass as a fully transparent, standardized construction material due to the high cost related to its customization. This […]

Additive manufacturing technology can free the designer and manufacturer from the constraints related to formwork making for castable materials. However, the removal of formwork remains a challenging task for specific geometric features such as undercuts and hollow parts. The entire formwork must be reachable, by humans or machines, to be broken, but even then, there […]

The context of digital fabrication with concrete allows architects to reinvestigate material, process and design in order to explore novel expression in architecture. Concrete Extrusion 3D Printing (CE3DP), or layered extrusion is an additive manufacturing method where fresh concrete is deposited in layers to fabricate a digitally generated 3D model. As a no-formwork construction approach […]

This research investigates a range of different mathematical models in computational design for the creation and modification of three-dimensional geometry. With additive manufacturing, especially binder-jet 3D printing, we have the most radical fabrication process at hand, one that is beyond tectonics. The logic at work in many CAD packages is that of assembling linear or […]

Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) can have a significant impact on the built environment. In addition to the extraordinary weight-to-strength ratio, the main objectives of using CFRP in architecture are its plasticity, functionality, sustainability and aesthetics. While in theory, CFRP can take any shape, currently the design is limited by the fabrication constraints of mould making. […]

Digital Metal research focuses on using 3D Printing for Casting Metal. For the first time 3D printing sand is used for production of complex metal structural parts in architecture; While the advances in 3D printing metal are significant, this technology has its shortcomings for application in AEC industry. For example, small build volumes, long print […]

Despite the recent developments in digital fabrication technologies, physical architectural forms are struggling to keep up with the limitless design freedom possible in digital environments. Beyond aesthetics, geometric complexity can have a significant impact on the built environment. Material efficiency, topology optimization, functional integration and a smart assembly logic can all benefit geometric features which […]