Adapting architectural form to digital fabrication constraints

Today, architects can conceive an almost infinite variety of complex
3D geometries using modelling software. However, the realization of
these geometries is still limited by the capabilities and constraints of
the fabrication machinery. The modelling platforms used to design the
geometries are still not able to evaluate fabrication parameters such
as feasibility and machining time. This makes architects are dependent
upon fabricator input for introducing fabrication considerations into the
creative process, so that they can rationalize their designs.
To bridge this gap, we present a near real time method for the
analysis and evaluation of the fabrication potential of molds for complex
geometries. Our method can approximate the feasibility, material use,
and machining time required for the fabrication of molds for concrete
façade elements. The method was developed for mainstream mold
fabrication techniques such as cutting and assembly of sheet materials as well as milling of volumetric material. It was further expanded
to include robotic hot wire cutting, a state of the art mold fabrication
technique.
The method described provides numeric and graphic evaluation
results for complex geometries in a few seconds. Its high speed makes
it useful for interactive, fabrication aware design and for computational
optimization. In this paper, we outline the need for such a method,
explain its main algorithms and show case studies where it was used
for design rationalization.