Double-Layered Diagrid Facade Structure
Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, UBC Vancouver
Role: Development, planning, execution; in a research team
Research Associate Oliver David Krieg of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), and Assistant Professor David Correa from University of Waterloo held a workshop on robotic fabrication at the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, from September 9th to 13th 2017.
Using a state of the art eight axis industrial robot configuration, the workshop guided participants through the unique technical and conceptual foundations that underpin robotic milling in wood through the development of a full-scale fabrication project.
While many industries have made leaps and bounds in adopting highly flexible and fully automated fabrication workflows using robotics, the construction and design industry are only just starting to open the door to these technologies. Recent developments in robotics combined with more accessible design-to-fabrication tools can now offer architects, designers and fabricators unprecedented access to a new design paradigm.
By using advanced timber fabrication techniques and taking full advantage of the extended fabrication range of the multi-axis set up, large sections of plywood were custom milled and assembled on-site into a unique one-to-one scale architectural prototype. The prefabricated elements serve as a diagrid sub-structure for off-the-shelf façade planks. Once assembled, they form a stable, doubly-curved building system. The prototype showcases distinctive wood fabrication possibilities that integrate computational design, material characteristics, and digital fabrication in a direct design to production paradigm. Taking a double-curved design surface as an input, the tool generates a buildable structure within the material and machine constraints. A simulation of the robotic milling process and export of robot control files are fully integrated in the computational design process. It allowed to form a digital loop between design and fabrication leading not only to innovation in timber construction, but also for a re-interpretation of wood architecture.
ICD Institute for Computational Design – Prof. Achim Menges
Oliver David Krieg<
University of Waterloo
David Correa
Workshop Participants: Students
Laurence Crouzet, Brandon Da Costa, Salar Davari, Mark De Souza, Laurie Elfassy, Niloufar Goodarzi, Philippe LeQuellec, Yanru Li, Shijia Liu, Ee Jay Loo, Shannon MacGillivray, Alexander Preiss, Chaitrali Salvi, Sean Wallish, Qin Lin
Workshop Participants: Industry
Clayton Blackman, Aaron Brakke, Michael Budig, Alexandra Cheng, John Cirka, Zahra Falamarzi, Elton Gjata, Noemi Hirata, Oliver Lang, Stuart Lodge, Deagan McDonald, Warren Scheske, Jordan So
Kenneth Tracy, Cody Tucker, Babak Vakilzadehn
Project Leads UBC
AnnaLisa Meyboom
School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture UBC
Jason Chiu
UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
Dean Gregory
UBC Campus and Community Planning
David Gill
UBC SEEDS Sustainability Program
Fabrication Expertise
Jörn Dettmer
UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
Johannes Schneider
Wood Sciences UBC
Funding
Forest Industry Innovation
Perkins+Will Vancouver
Perkins+Will Building Technology Lab
UBC SEEDS Sustainability Program
This project is a collaboration between students, staff,
faculty, and external partners as part of UBC’s SEEDS
Sustainability Program