Process Defined
“Advanced Manufacturing for Non-Standardized Materials” refers to the use of innovative manufacturing techniques to work with materials that do not conform to conventional standards or specifications.”
Advanced Manufacturing: This encompasses cutting-edge technologies and methods, such as automation, robotics, 3D printing, and computer-aided design (CAD), which enhance efficiency, precision, and flexibility in the manufacturing process.
Non-Standardized Materials: These are materials that vary in properties, dimensions, or compositions, often resulting from recycling, reuse, or bespoke production processes. Unlike standardized materials, which have set specifications and dimensions, non-standardized materials require customized approaches for processing and integration.
Overall, this approach aims to maximize the potential of diverse materials while fostering sustainable manufacturing practices.
Development of Projects + Variables
After our initial research in the topic of Advanced Manufacturing for Non-Standardized Materials, we decided to break down and explore more projects through the categorization of material type.
We selected many projects (listed below), and began to log some information to understand strengths and weaknesses of the projects.
Intertwig
- Description: Uses biofabrication and computational design to create structures inspired by natural forms, often leveraging timber or biomaterials.
- Relevance: Showcases the potential of non-standardized materials for creating highly optimized, lightweight, and sustainable forms through advanced digital manufacturing.
Lendager
- Description: Focuses on upcycling construction waste into high-value architectural materials, such as bricks made from debris or glass repurposed into insulation.
- Relevance: Demonstrates the scalability and environmental benefits of integrating waste materials into construction workflows.
FabBrick
- Description: A modular system of bricks made from recycled textiles. These bricks are fabricated through a compression molding process.
- Relevance: Highlights the circular economy by repurposing textile waste into structurally sound, customizable building materials.
3Diligent
- Description: A manufacturing platform that connects architects and designers with advanced fabrication tools, specializing in non-standardized material projects.
- Relevance: Bridges the gap between design and fabrication by facilitating access to cutting-edge manufacturing processes for unconventional materials.
MX3D Bridge
- Description: A 3D-printed steel pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam created using robotic arms and additive manufacturing.
- Relevance: Demonstrates the feasibility of advanced manufacturing for creating large-scale, complex structures with unique material configurations.
Monumental Labs
- Description: Innovates in the use of composite materials and digital manufacturing for large-scale architectural interventions and public installations.
- Relevance: Focuses on non-standardized materials to achieve creative freedom while maintaining structural and aesthetic performance.
Earthships
- Description: Sustainable, self-sufficient buildings constructed using recycled materials such as tires, bottles, and earth-filled walls.
- Relevance: A pioneer in using waste and non-standardized materials for off-grid, energy-efficient architecture.
Living Prototypes
- Description: Combines biofabrication with responsive design, utilizing living organisms such as mycelium for material generation.
- Relevance: Explores the future of self-sustaining and biodegradable building systems, pushing the boundaries of material innovation.
Egg Table
- Description: A lightweight, biodegradable table made from egg shells and bio-resin, showcasing circular design principles.
- Relevance: Demonstrates how small-scale furniture design can use non-standardized waste materials effectively.
Ohmie
- Description: A series of biodegradable lamps made from orange peels, combining waste reuse with high-design aesthetics.
- Relevance: Offers a scalable model for using organic waste in consumer products while maintaining functionality and aesthetics.
Agave Fibers
- Description: Uses waste fibers from the agave plant (a by-product of tequila production) to create composite materials for construction and design.
- Relevance: Highlights the potential of agricultural waste in creating high-performance materials for sustainable architecture.
Hooke Park Wood Chip Barn
- Description: A barn built using wood chips and forestry waste, fabricated with robotic processes at Hooke Park.
- Relevance: Demonstrates the potential of low-value timber and forestry by-products in advanced architectural construction.
Timber Pavilion
- Description: A structure made from locally sourced, non-standardized timber, fabricated using parametric design and robotic assembly.
- Relevance: Combines advanced manufacturing with site-specific materials for sustainable architecture.
MatterSite (Design+Build)
- Description: A construction system integrating advanced robotics and non-standardized materials for site-specific applications.
- Relevance: Emphasizes the importance of adaptive manufacturing techniques for sustainable and bespoke designs.
Silk Pavilion I
- Description: A structure designed by Neri Oxman that uses silkworms as biological 3D printers, guided by digital fabrication frameworks.
- Relevance: Integrates biomaterials and digital design for lightweight, natural, and sustainable structures.
Silk Pavilion II
- Description: Builds upon the first iteration by incorporating advanced robotics to better guide silkworm activity, creating more intricate designs.
- Relevance: Combines robotics and biofabrication, pushing the boundaries of material generation through natural processes.
Rammed Earth Tires
- Description: A sustainable construction system using rammed earth packed into recycled tires to create durable, modular structures.
- Relevance: Combines waste reuse with sustainable building practices, demonstrating scalability and resilience for housing and infrastructure.
The Triple Bottom Line: A Framework to Measure Success
The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is a concept in sustainability that evaluates a business’s performance across three key areas: People, Planet, and Profit. It broadens the traditional view of corporate success, which has typically focused solely on financial profit, to also include social and environmental impacts. The goal is to encourage businesses to measure their success not just by financial returns, but also by how they affect society and the environment.
Scoring: Qualitative Variables to Quantitative Values
Spatial Representation
All Projects Plotted By Variables
Types of Non-standardized Materials
Analysis of Strongest Projects by Variable
Strongest Projects more than One Category
Analysis of Well Rounded Projects
Analysis of Well Rounded Projects
Shortcomings of Advanced Manufacturing for Non-Standardized Materials
- Community Acceptance: The use of non-standardized materials and advanced methods may face resistance from communities unfamiliar with or distrustful of new technologies.
- Cultural Relevance: Materials and methods that do not align with local cultural or aesthetic preferences may struggle to gain acceptance, even if they are technically or environmentally superior.
- Scalability Challenges: Many innovative manufacturing processes are difficult to scale effectively due to the variability of materials and the need for highly tailored approaches.
- Limited Market Integration: Non-standardized materials often lack established supply chains and market demand, posing challenges for widespread adoption
- High Costs of Customization: Advanced manufacturing techniques often demand significant investment in equipment, software, and skilled labor to handle the unique requirements of non-standardized materials.
Proposal: Plan for Next Term Regarding Non-Standardised Materials
1 – Refinement of Selected Case Studies
– Analyze material properties and manufacturing techniques.
– Collaborate with experts for validation.
– Prioritized case studies with refined objectives.
2 – Expanded Research and Testing
– Analyze material properties and manufacturing techniques.
– Collaborate with experts for validation.
– Deeper material insights and process optimizations.
3 – Prototyping & Iteration
– Build and test updated prototypes.
– Refine designs based on performance and feedback.
– Functional prototypes ready for application.
4 – Documentation & Dissemination
– Report findings with impact analysis.
– Share results through publications and open-source resources.
– Comprehensive knowledge sharing and industry engagement
References
IAAC Blog. (n.d.). Matter site 2. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://www.iaacblog.com/programs/matter-site-2/
Oxman, N. (n.d.). Silk Pavilion I. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://oxman.com/projects/silk-pavilion-ii
Lendager Group. (n.d.). InterTwig – Willow and Earth Composites for Digital Circular Construction. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://lendager.com/project/resource-rows/
Fab Brick. (n.d.). Fab Brick. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://www.fab-brick.com/
Metal AM. (n.d.). Metal AM used to produce exterior wall components for coming Seattle skyscraper. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://advancedarchitecturegroup.net/projects/robotic-facade/
MX3D. (n.d.). MX3D | Bridge. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://mx3d.com/
IAAC Advanced Architecture Group. (n.d.). Robotic facade. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://advancedarchitecturegroup.net/projects/robotic-facade/
Pangea Biotecture. (n.d.). Home – Pangea Biotecture. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://iaac.net/iaac-participates-in-living-prototypes/
Koukos Delab. (n.d.). Egg Table – Side Coffee Table. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://www.koukosdelab.com/product-page/egg-table-side-coffee-table
Krill Design. (n.d.). Ohmie Blonde Orange. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://en.krilldesign.net/products/ohmie-blonde-orange
Laposse, F. (n.d.). Agave Fibers. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://www.fernandolaposse.com/agave-fibers
AA School of Architecture. (n.d.). Wood Chip Barn. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://designandmake.aaschool.ac.uk/project/wood-chip-barn/
Helen & Hard. (n.d.). Women in Architecture – Danish Architecture Center. Retrieved December 1, 2024, from https://helenhard.no/work/women-in-architecture-danish-architecture-center/
