Integrated Digital Fabrication

The course introduces students to the foundations of the material practice of architecture. It focuses on the creative potential of computational techniques and digital fabrication. The works of architects such as Philibert de I’Orme, Pier Luigi Nervi and Frei Otto provide a frame of reference to investigate the intricate relationships between computation, structure, material, and making - eventually uncovering synergies for resource efficient strategies.
Focusing on the 1:1 scale, the course is conceived as a series of hands-on workshops, moving back and forth between physical tests, digital fabrication, and computational design. Students are guided through the various facets of planning a full-scale structure, testing connection details, optimizing the overall form, and setting up the digital fabrication workflows for actual production. 
All exercises are self-contained, without any prior knowledge required. Students are provided with a set of digital design tools that make the course-specific digital fabrication technologies easily accessible (Rhino/Grasshopper/Plug-Ins).

Exploration of digital fabrication strategies for architecture as a creative tool rooted in craftsmanship.

In presence

30% Lectures
70% Practice

Project presentation during exam