Research group The group aims to reduce buildings carbon footprint with material innovation through computational workflows that allow the interplay of form, structure, and performance. The work takes three parallel threads for material-centered architectural design: The first investigates engineered smart materials for architectural applications, the second develops new ways of using traditional construction materials, and the third explores the use of waste as a resource for building systems.
The building industry is responsible for around a third of global energy consumption and related emissions. In this context, there is an urgent need to redesign building systems to become more efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. The research group develops digitally enabled material innovation for architectural design with three complementary strategies:
New materials: Smart and engineered materials such as bistable laminates, hygroscopic materials, and other shape-changing materials allow architects to envision adaptive buildings with improved environmental performance. We develop digital workflows for incorporating such materials into efficient and lightweight architectures.
Traditional materials: Well-known materials for the building industry such as wood-based ones and bricks can be redesigned to meet enhanced performance targets. We use digital design and manufacturing to use these materials in new ways for efficient building systems.
Waste materials: Bio based waste such as cardboard, paper, sawdust, and cellulosic waste such as textiles have several advantages as building materials for structural and non-structural applications. We design and test fabrication workflows to upcycle these materials.
These three topics are examined through the development of digital frameworks that integrate geometry, material, structure, and performance. Relying on computational design and computer-controlled manufacturing, the research focuses on the production of performative materials and building systems.
The research targets one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The group has participated in conferences such as American Research Centers Consortium (ARCC), European Association of Architectural Education (EAAE), European Computer Aided Architectural Design (eCAADe), Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures (CAAD Futures), Waste in Construction (WASCON), Non-conventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT).
Marcus Shaffer, Associate Professor, Penn State University, USA
Juan Cristaldo, Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Paraguay
A research project on innovative solutions using biomass in cement 3D-printing has been granted funding.
