Oliver David Krieg

Biomimetic Lightweight Timber Plate Shells: Computational Integration of Robotic Fabrication, Architectural Geometry and Structural Design

The research presented in this paper pursues the development and construction of a robotically fabricated, lightweight timber plate system through a biologically informed, integrative computational design method. In the first part of the paper, the authors give an overview of their approach starting with the description of the biological role model and its technical abstraction, moving on to discuss the computational modelling approach that integrates relevant aspects of biomimetics, robotic fabrication and structural design. As part of the validation of the research, a full-scale, fully enclosed, insulated and waterproof building prototype has been developed and realized: The first building featuring a robotically fabricated primary structure made of beech plywood. Subsequently, the methods and results of a geodetic evaluation of the fabrication process are presented. Finally, as the close collaboration between architects, structural and geodetic engineers, and timber fabricators is integral to the process, the architectural and structural potentials of such integrative design processes are discussed.

Material computation—4D timber construction: Towards building-scale hygroscopic actuated, self-constructing timber surfaces

The implementation of active and responsive materials in architecture and construction allows for the replacement of digitally controlled mechanisms with material-based systems that can be designed and programmed with the capacity to compute and execute a behavioral response. The programming of such systems with increasingly specific response requires a material-driven computational design and fabrication strategy. This research presents techniques and technologies for significantly upscaling hygroscopically actuated timber-based systems for use as self-constructing building surfaces. The timber’s integrated hygroscopic characteristics combined with computational design techniques and existing digital fabrication methods allow for a designed processing and reassembly of discrete wood elements into large-scale multi element bilayer surfaces. This material assembly methodology enables the design and control of the encoded direction and magnitude of humidity-actuated responsive curvature at an expanded scale. Design, simulation, and material assembly tests are presented together with formal and functional configurations that incorporate self-constructing and self-rigidizing surface strategies. The presented research and prototypes initiate a shift toward a large-scale, self-construction methodology.

Robotically Fabricated Wood Plate Morphologies

Due to their relative affordability and ease of use industrial manipulators aka robots have become increasingly common in the field of architectural experimentation and research. Specifically for timber construction, their higher degrees of kinematic freedom and fabricational flexibility, compared to established and process-specific computer numerically controlled (CNC) wood working machines, allow for new design and fabrication strategies or else the reinterpretation and re-appropriation of existing techniques — both of which offer the potential for novel architectural systems. In the case study presented here an investigation into the transfer of morphological principles of a biological role model (Clypeasteroida) is initiated by the robotic implementation of a newly developed finger-joint fabrication process. In the subsequent biomimetic design process the principles are translated into a generative computational design tool incorporating structural constraints as well as those of robotic fabrication leading to a fullscale built prototype.

Performative Architectural Morphology Finger-Joined Plate Structures Integrating Robotic Manufacturing, Biological Principles and Location-Specific Requirements

Performative Architectural Morphology is a notion derived from the term Functional Morphology in biology and describes the capacity of an architectural material system to adapt morphologically to specific internal constraints and external influences and forces. The paper presents a research project that investigates the possibilities and limitations of informing a robotically manufactured finger-joint system with principles derived from biological plate structures, such as sea urchins and sand dollars. Initially, the material system and robotic manufacturing advances are being introduced. Consequently, a performative catalogue is presented, that analyses both the biological system’s basic principles, the respective translation into a more informed manufacturing logic and the consequent architectural implications. The paper concludes to show how this biologically informed material system serves to more specifically respond to a given building environment.

Tailored Structures, Robotic Sewing of Wooden Shells

This paper investigates the use of robotics with sensing mechanisms in combination with industrial sewing techniques to explore new strategies for the fabrication of thin wooden shells.

Integrative Design Computation for Local Resource Effectiveness in Architecture

Architecture has a profound impact on the use of resources. For example, in 2014, the building sector alone was responsible for half of Europe’s energy and material consumption (COM 2014). Increasing efficiency will involve all steps from material extraction, to manufacturing, assembly, construction, and usage.