Robert Wing

FutureHome: An integrated construction automation approach

This article presents the results of the FutureHome project, the first global project in the construction industry that introduces the ICA concept. The design, planning, and onsite robotization stages of house-building construction have been presented. The main advantage introduced by FutureHome is the integration of the three stages under common data and concept. The article focuses on the architectural design of residential houses and office buildings by using prefabricated modules. The design takes into account the prefabrication and onsite assembly. For efficient construction, a global planning strategy has been developed that integrates the prefabrication, transportation, and onsite processes. Finally, the robotized crane for the assembly of big 3-D modules with small tolerances is presented. The control strategy for adequate assembly with the reduction of positioning errors, rotation errors, and swinging of the modules, has been developed and tested.

Five moments in the history of industrialized building

Industrialized building has drawn in ideas from many pioneering researchers during its decades of development; in this brief recapitulation we present some observations on selected moments in the history that have significantly shaped the approach to building construction. The first formative movement identified is prefabrication, as used by Joseph Paxton during construction of the Crystal Palace. Prefabrication inspired Frank Lloyd Wright’s American System Built Homes, and enabled the development of Le Corbusier’s mass production ideas in the Modern Frugés Quarter project. Early forerunners saw connections with the automotive industry; Le Corbusier developed a house called Citrohan and Buckminster Fuller wanted to create ‘houses like Fords’. From prefabrication followed the concept of building in sub-assemblies, as showcased by Walter Gropius in his Törten estate; Konrad Wachsmann took this notion further into modularization and mass production with the creation of factory-produced panel and space frame systems. At much the same time Buckminster Fuller proposed the modular Dymaxion house, which included a functioning bathroom delivered in four pieces. In 1962 John Habraken presented ideas which led to what are now called open systems, suggesting standardized dimensions in the modularization in order to enable a wide array of choices for end-users. Even today not all the expectations of industrialized building have been realized, and it is instructive to look back at the origins of some of the fundamental concepts which form the backbone of this subject.

FutureHome - A Prototype for Factory Housing

The manufactured housing project FutureHome, which received major funding from the European Commission, has developed the engineering know-how to create affordable, high quality, cost effective manufactured housing, with a customer focus that takes account of diversity of styles, designs, materials and locations. The provision of housing to an acceptable standard is becoming an increasingly serious problem worldwide, and the widening gap between supply and demand points to manufactured solutions as the most viable way forward. FutureHome has developed systems for product and process analysis suited to manufactured and prefabricated construction solutions, and these have led to design prototypes. To mark the end of the research phase of the project, one design has been built to full scale as a demonstrator. The research has led to leaner design and construction processes that focus on value for money, improved productivity, maintainability and sustainability. It has also focused on basic engineering requirements such as fast connectors, and automation solutions for materials handling and assembly. Further aspects of the research programme have considered how the product can be adapted to areas of high seismic risk, and has developed software solutions for design and management from a virtual-reality customer interface to cyber-agents for logistics. FutureHome is expected to have benefits through savings in construction costs and time, significant reductions in defects on completion, and will enable industry to be more competitive overall. Other benefits include improving the quality of life, social fabric and health of the European economy through a more efficient and effective construction process.

Futurehome - Manufactured Housing for Europe

The provision of housing in Western Europe is characterised by stark contrasts. On the one hand, Sweden considers its housing needs in terms of requiring in the region of 30 000 dwellings per year. Compare this with the UK, where more than two million homes are presently regarded as unfit. Elsewhere, the picture is generally of provision that lags demand and significantly so. The major response needed from government and industry has been significantly boosted by the European Commissions decision to fund the FutureHome programme. The essence of the project involves developing know-how to create affordable, high quality, cost effective manufactured housing, taking account of the diversity of styles, designs and materials as well as the preferences of owners and occupiers (the customer). FutureHome aims for reorganisation of design and production schemes in construction, with a focus on the integration of activities, development of clean, lean and reliable systems that are adaptable lo the economic, social and cultural needs of different customers, The project programme will make extensive use of new developments in IT components and subsystems for intelligent, autonomous mechatronic systems, where the emphasis is on flexibility and reconfiguration of production facilities. These leaner design and construction processes will focus on value for money, improved productivity, maintainability and sustainability. FutureHome is expected to have benefits through savings in construction cost of 30% and 35% in construction lime together with a reduction in defects on completion of 60%, enabling industry to be more competitive overall. Other benefits include improving the quality of life, social fabric and health of the European economy through a more efficient and effective construction process.

Smart Energy Houses of the Future – Self-supporting in Energy and Zero Emission

Publisher Summary The energy-efficient design of buildings leans heavily on traditional methods, as developed by our ancestors; they are fundamental, sustainable concepts that exploit natural means to provide the interior microclimates for our living and working areas. The principles used today for low-energy building design are highly constrained by the needs of the housing market, national building codes and other restrictions that our ancestors never faced; available sites often do not allow free orientation or use of natural shade, lightweight construction avoids thermal mass, and generally the economics of house building tends towards minimum performance standards. Construction technology over the centuries has progressed from the provision of basic shelter and security to sophisticated city buildings capable of providing an indoor environment that is nowadays taken for granted: warmth, light and abundant energy, all in opposition to the natural climate. New residential buildings are being built to constantly improving energy efficiency standards, although internationally these standards vary widely. With the construction and operation of buildings accounting for some 40% of total carbon emissions in most developed countries, it is clear these standards will be tightened in future years to minimize energy consumption. The zero-energy house can be realized technically, and today, highly insulated and virtually airtight residences built to Passive House standards are being demonstrated; the demand for space heating in these buildings can be less than that for the hot water. There are at least three areas where ongoing developments in technology promise improved energy utilization efficiency in housing, these being heat pumps, combined heat and power (CHP), and advanced materials.

A navigable walkthrough simulator for built environment education: Archiwalk

Describes the development of a computer‐based walkthrough system produced from video‐still images. The navigable simulator, Archiwalk, is designed to familiarize students in built environment disciplines with a range of building types and examples, providing an experiential learning environment. Users are able to manoeuvre around using on‐screen controls, encouraging an exploratory form of interaction. Reports on various stages of the system’s development, and includes some of the design issues which were addressed. Also describes a formal method for capturing and compiling images to enable teachers to compile their own walkthrough case studies; this is facilitated by the use of database creator software.