Made by Robots: Challenging Architecture at a Larger Scale (Architectural Design Vol. 84 N°. 3. / Profile 229)

In the next decade or so, the widespread adoption of robotics is set to transform the construction industry: building techniques will become increasingly automated both on- and off-site, dispensing with manual labour and enabling greater cost and operational efficiencies. What unique opportunities, however, does robotics afford beyond operational effectiveness explicitly for the practice of architecture? What is the potential for the serial production of non-standard elements as well as for varied construction processes? In order to scale up and advance the application of robotics, for both prefabrication and on-site construction, there needs to be an understanding of the different capabilities, and these should be considered right from the start of the design and planning process. This issue of AD showcases the findings of the Architecture and Digital Fabrication research module at the ETH Zurich Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore, directed by Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler, which explores the possibilities of robotic construction processes for architecture and their large-scale application to the design and construction of high-rise buildings. Together with other contributors, such as Philippe Morel, Neri Oxman, Francois Roche and Antoine Picon, they also look at the far-reaching transformations starting to occur within automated fabrication: in terms of liberation of labour, entrepreneurship, the changing shape of building sites, in-situ fabrication and, most significantly, design. Read more... Abstract: Showcases the findings of the Architecture and Digital Fabrication research module at the ETH Zurich Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore, which explores the possibilities of robotic construction processes for architecture and their large-scale application to the design and construction of high-rise buildings. Read more... Cover 1 Title Page 3 Copyright Page 6 CONTENTS 4 EDITORIAL 7 ABOUT THE GUEST-EDITORS 9 SPOTLIGHT: VISUAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ISSUE 10 INTRODUCTION: AUTHORING ROBOTIC PROCESSES 16 Robots 17 Start, Crash, Reboot 18 Challenging Scale 19 Venturing Out of Bounds 20 Robotics Pioneers 20 Theory of Change – Change of Theory 21 Architecture in the Second Digital Age 21 Acknowledgement 23 Notes 23 INTEGRATING ROBOTIC FABRICATION IN THE DESIGN PROCESS 25 The Role of the Physical Model in Computational Design 27 The Design of the Robotic Process 28 The Integration of Computation and Fabrication 33 Potentials of Robotic Technologies for Design Practice 33 Notes 33 NESTED VOIDS 34 SEQUENTIAL FRAMES 36 VERTICAL AVENUE 38 MESH TOWERS 40 BENT STRATIFICATIONS 42 UNDULATING TERRACES 44 MESH-MOULD: ROBOTICALLY FABRICATED SPATIAL MESHES AS REINFORCED CONCRETE FORMWORK 46 Conventional Construction Versus Robotic Fabrication 49 The Dilemma with Robots 49 Division of Mass and Information 50 Mesh-Mould Combined Formwork and Reinforcement System for Concrete 51 Potential for Design, Planning and Construction 54 Notes 55 ROBOTS AND ARCHITECTURE: EXPERIMENTS, FICTION, EPISTEMOLOGY 56 Robots and Fiction 58 Utopian Perspectives 59 From Fiction to Conversation 60 Notes 61 ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ARCHITECTURAL ROBOTICS: THE SIMULTANEITY OF CRAFT, ECONOMICS AND DESIGN 62 Startups 64 Recovering Lost Ground 65 Design and Production 65 Design and Build 67 Notes 67 ODICO FORMWORK ROBOTICS 68 Note 69 ROBOFOLD AND ROBOTS.IO 70 Variation as Standard 70 The Process 70 Robots to the Core 71 MACHINEOUS 72 ROB TECHNOLOGIES 74 Notes 75 GREYSHED 76 Notes 77 COMPUTATION OR REVOLUTION 78 The Market of Robotics 81 Specificity of Robots or Specificities of Architecture? 84 Artificial Intelligence and Computation as ‘Communism of Genius’ 86 A Temporary Conclusion on Computational Literacy and Politics 88 Notes 89 CHANGING BUILDING SITES: INDUSTRIALISATION AND AUTOMATION OF THE BUILDING PROCESS 90 The Establishment of Industrially Produced Elements and New Materials 93 Rationalisation and Industrialisation of the Building Process 93 Towards Automated Housing Prefabrication 97 Single-Task Construction Robots 99 Integrated Automated Construction Sites 100 Implementation at a Larger Scale? 100 Notes 101 IN-SITU FABRICATION: MOBILE ROBOTIC UNITS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES 102 ON-SITE MACHINES 105 BASIC RESEARCH 107 Mobile Robotic Unit 107 Handling Material Tolerances 107 Human–Machine Interaction 107 Positioning and Localisation Techniques 108 FIRST APPLICATION 108 FINDINGS AND POSSIBILITIES 108 Notes 109 TOWARDS ROBOTIC SWARM PRINTING 110 Material Tunability in Additive Fabrication 111 Cross-Platform Communication and Coordination in Additive Fabrication 112 Robotic Additive Fabrication Case Study: Print-in-Place 112 Robotic Additive Fabrication Case Study: Cable- Suspended 3D Printing 112 Robotic Additive Fabrication Case Study: Templated Swarm Printing 114 Towards Robotic Swarm Printing 117 Notes 117 MACHINES FOR RENT: EXPERIMENTS BY NEW-TERRITORIES 118 DARWINIAN STAR-GATE 119 Instructions 119 Precautions for use 119 ANTIPERSONNEL NYMPHOMANIAC WANDERER 120 Instructions 120 Precautions for use 120 INTROVERTED ECZEMETAL RECYCLER 121 Instructions 121 Precautions for use 121 DIFFERENCE AND REPETITION/INTRICATE RANDOMISER 122 Instructions 122 Precautions for use 122 BODY-BUILDER-SHITTER 123 Instructions 123 Precautions for use 123 OCD PACKER 124 Instructions 124 Precautions for use 124 ALGAE-SACHER-CYCLOTHYMIA 125 Instructions 125 Precautions for use 125 BULIMIC ENCLOSURE-WEAVER 126 Instructions 126 Precautions for use 126 THE ASTROLABE STUTTERER 127 Instructions 127 Precautions for use 127 COUNTERPOINT: CRISIS! WHAT CRISIS? RETOOLING FOR MASS MARKETS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 128 Laboratory Experiments and Entrepreneurial Initiatives 131 Mass Markets 131 Housing the Masses 135 Notes 135 CONTRIBUTORS 136 ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 138 In The Next Decade Or So, The Widespread Adoption Of Robotics Is Set To Transform The Construction Industry: Building Techniques Will Become Increasingly Automated Both On- And Off-site, Dispensing With Manual Labour And Enabling Greater Cost And Operational Efficiencies. What Unique Opportunities, However, Does Robotics Afford Beyond Operational Effectiveness Explicitly For The Practice Of Architecture? What Is The Potential For The Serial Production Of Non-standard Elements As Well As For Varied Construction Processes? In Order To Scale Up And Advance The Application Of Robotics, For Both Prefabrication And On-site Construction, There Needs To Be An Understanding Of The Different Capabilities, And These Should Be Considered Right From The Start Of The Design And Planning Process. This Issue Of Ad Showcases The Findings Of The Architecture And Digital Fabrication Research Module At The Eth Zurich Future Cities Laboratory In Singapore, Directed By Fabio Gramazio And Matthias Kohler, Which Explores The Possibilities Of Robotic Construction Processes For Architecture And Their Large-scale Application To The Design And Construction Of High-rise Buildings. Together With Other Contributors, Such As Philippe Morel, Neri Oxman, François Roche And Antoine Picon, They Also Look At The Far-reaching Transformations Starting To Occur Within Automated Fabrication: In Terms Of Liberation Of Labour, Entrepreneurship, The Changing Shape Of Building Sites, In-situ Fabrication And, Most Significantly, Design. Contributors: Thomas Bock, Jelle Feringa, Philippe Morel, Neri Oxman, Antoine Picon And François Roche. Eth Zurich Contributors: Michael Budig, Norman Hack, Willi Lauer And Jason Lim And Raffael Petrovic (future Cities Laboratory), Volker Helm, Silke Langenberg And Jan Willmann. Featured Entrepreneurs: Greyshed, Machineous, Odico Formwork Robotics, Robofold And Rob Technologies. Although highly ambitious and sophisticated, most attempts at using robotic processes in architecture remain the exception; little more than prototypes or even failures at a larger scale. This is because the general approach is either to automate existing manual processes or the complete construction process. However, the real potential of robots remains unexploited if used merely for the execution of highly repetitive mass-fabrication processes: their capability for serial production of non-standard elements as well as for varied construction processes is mostly wasted. In order to scale up and advance the application of robotics, for both prefabrication and on-site construction, there needs to be an understanding of the different capabilities, and these should be considered right from the start of the design and planning process. This issue of AD showcases the findings of the Architecture and Digital Fabrication research module at the ETH Zurich Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore, directed by Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler, which explores the possibilities of robotic construction processes for architecture and their large-scale application to the design and construction of high-rise buildings. Together with other contributors, they also look at the far-reaching transformations starting to occur within automated fabrication: in terms of liberation of labour, entrepreneurship, the changing shape of building sites, in-situ fabrication and, most significantly, design. Contributors: Thomas Bock, Jelle Feringa, Philippe Morel, Neri Oxman, Antoine Picon and François Roche. ETH Zurich contributors: Michael Budig, Norman Hack, Willi Lauer and Jason Lim and Raffael Petrovic (Future Cities Laboratory), Volker Helm, Silke Langenberg and Jan Willmann. Featured entrepreneurs: Greyshed, Machineous, Odico Formwork Robotics, RoboFold and ROB Technologies. Content: Mesh-mould : robotically fabricated spatial meshes as reinforced concrete framework / Norman Hack and Willi Viktor Lauer -- Robots and architecture : experiments, fiction, epistemology / Antoine Picon -- Entrepeneurship in architectural robotics : the simultaneity of craft, economics and design / Jelle Feringa -- Odico formwork robotics / Asbjørn Sødergaard -- Robofold and robots.IO / Gregory Epps -- Machineous / Andreas Froech -- ROB technologies / Tobias Bonwetsch and Ralph Bärtschi -- GREYSHED / Ryan Luke Johns -- Computation or revolution / Philippe Morel -- Changing building sites : industrialisation and automation of the building process / Thomas Bock and Silke Langenberg -- In-situ fabrication : mobile robotic units on construction sites / Volker Helm -- Towards robotic swarm printing / Neri Oxman, Jorge Duro-Royo, Steven Keating, Ben Peters, Elizabeth Tsai -- Machines for rent : experiments by new-territories / François Roche and Camille Lacadée -- Crisis! What crisis? Retooling for mass markets in the 21st century / Tom Verebes.