Architectural potentials of robotic manufacturing in timber construction : strategies for interdisciplinary innovation in manufacturing and design

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impact of innovation in robotic manufacturing and computational design on the architectural and tectonic possibilities of timber construction. Until recently, the digitalization of manufacturing and design has mostly resulted in increased efficiencies of singular processes without noticeable impacts on the inter-organizational relationships in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. However, recent developments in integrative architectural design research have shown the potential to introduce a paradigm change by bringing manufacturing technology into a reciprocal relationship with the design space of building systems. In a series of case studies, the thesis investigates integrative and inter-disciplinary development processes that resulted in timber building systems that exhibit a high degree of morphological and functional differentiation, and therefore a larger, gradated, and more adaptive design space. The gradual distribution of material and form is akin to biological principles found in natural structures. The goal of the thesis is to develop a methodology that enables the comparison of manufacturing systems for timber building elements with their resulting design space in a qualitative and quantitative manner, thereby re-integrating disciplines of form, material, and materialization. The thesis also discusses the potential of this paradigm shift to introduce much-needed systemic innovation in the industry.