OPTIMIZING 2D DIGITAL FABRICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMPLEX ARCHITECTURAL GEOMETRIES

Abstract

Realization of architectural designs is strongly affected by available representation tools and fabrication technologies. While the representation tools aid the architect to design, develop and communicate architectural forms, the fabrication tools allow these forms to be built. This relationship becomes even more significant in complex architectural forms and its prominence has been demonstrated throughout history. Historically, many, such geometries envisioned by architects (such Hans Luckhardt , Hermann Finisterlin and J.J Leonidov, among others) were not built because they could not be communicated with limited representation techniques available in sketching and physical models or because they were not feasible with available fabrication technologies (Schodek et al. 2004). However, the advancement and availability of new digital design representation and manipulation tools (many of which were initially developed for other design industries such as the automotive and aerospace) have allowed architects to overcome many such obstacles. As a result, these CAD (Computer Aided Design) tools are being utilized in the generation of unprecedented complex geometries. Recently, these transferred technologies (from other industries) have extended beyond the CAD tools into CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) technologies, many of which are now being explored and employed in the building industry. These CAM tools allow the historically restricted (in terms of constructability) geometries to be fabricated almost regardless of their complexity. Due to the high level of integration between design and fabrication, offered by these CAD/CAM tools, the line between what can be ‘envisioned’ and what can be ‘realized’ has become blurred. And as a result, the approach of ‘anything computable can be fabricated’ has become the contemporary attitude.Although this contemporary approach is ‘theoretically correct’, it poses a lot of issues. Mainly because, not all CAD/CAM technologies utilised in other industries can be successfully transferred (in terms of scale, cost, time and availability) into architecture directly. Employing such an approach, without regard to the economic and social constraints in the building industry, produces visually based complex forms which lack sufficient considerations of structure and constructability. As a result, the reciprocity between the represented design and its fabrication is lost. Some architects choose to be faithful to the represented design and adopt complex fabrication technologies, which questions the credibility of the design’s complexity. Here, complex fabrication technologies are regarded as those which pose severe size, cost and time issues when applied in constructing large scale architecture. These technologies and their relevant issues will be discussed in a later section. While others choose to post rationalize and employ more standard digital fabrication tools such as 2D fabrication technologies in which, most of the time, the complexity of the form is compromised into a fragmented triangulation. This dissertation will evaluate both these techniques and aims to show that the construction of complex geometries by employing complex fabrication (such as rapid prototyping and subtractive) technologies, is not a successful ‘transfer’ of technologies. And also that, the fragmentation of complex forms into triangulated mesh is not an optimised application of 2D fabrication technologies.