Fabrication-aware design of concrete façade panels: A computational method for evaluating the fabrication of large-scale molds in complex geometries

This paper presents a design methodology for concrete façade panels that takes into consideration constraints related to digital fabrication machinery. A computational method for the real-time evaluation of industrial mold-making techniques, such as milling and hot wire cutting, was developed. The method rapidly evaluates the feasibility, material use, and machining time of complex geometry molds for architectural façade elements. Calculation speed is achieved by mathematically approximating CAM-machining operations. As results are obtained in nearly real time, the method can be easily incorporated into the architectural design process during its initial stages, when changes to the design are more effective. In the paper, we describe the algorithms of the computational evaluation method. We also show how it can be used to introduce fabrication considerations into the design process by using it to rationalize several types of panels. Additionally, we demonstrate how the method can be used in complex, large-scale architectural projects to save machining time and materials by evaluating and altering the paneling subdivision.