Biological structures in nature are characterized by highly differentiated geometries with local variation of material properties. These performative morphologies are able to negotiate between multiple, potentially even contrary fitness criteria through their material organization strategies. Such structures are thereby able to achieve a higher level of functional integration than current technical approaches to architectural fabrication. Recent developments in computational design methods, material science and fabrication techniques open up new possibilities to transfer functional principles of these natural systems into architectural applications.
Students will investigate computational design strategies and fabrication techniques for natural structures in order to identify potential future trajectories while positioning analysed precedents within the larger disciplinary context.
Based on these initial studies new material-based fabrication concepts and resulting morphospaces will be explored. This explorative and comparative process will be supplemented by the the closely related seminars Architectural Biomimetics, Computational Design Techniques and Design Thinking, and Form and Structure, which will enable students to investigate related biologic role models in interdisciplinary teams as well as developing suitable computational design tools for this process. The outcome of these investigations will be an overview of the topic in the context of the discipline and a series of biomimetically informed fabrication concepts and proposals for their application as proto architectural systems. The most promising concept developed during the design studio will be the starting point for the development and fabrication of the Design Research Project within the summer term.
Menges, A. 2012. Material Computation – Higher Integration in Morphogenetic Design. Architectural Design, Vol. 82 No. 2.
Menges, A. 2012. “Morphospaces of Robotic Fabrication – From theoretical morphology to design computation and digital fabrication in architecture”. In Proceedings of the RobArch Conference 2012, edited by S. Brell-Çokcan, J. Braumann, Vienna, 28-47.
La Magna, R., Gabler, M., Reichert, S., Schwinn, T., Waimer, F., Menges, A. and Knippers, J. 2013. “From Nature to Fabrication: Biomimetic Design Principles for the Production of Complex Spatial Structures”. International Journal of Spatial Structures 28(1): 27- 40.