In an increasingly digital world, we are asked not only to constantly reinvent our relationship to the technologies that surround us, but we also need to address how to relate to the world we live in and its constant mutations. During its 25 years of history of working with computation and robotic technologies, IAAC has witnessed the emergence of arrays of projects that propose new ways of thinking about the architectural and constructive disciplines. While these sectors today tend towards the increasing use of standardised design methodologies and construction models, our student have used robots to develop versatile ideas, singular design processes, and unique approaches to materials and structure. This leads us to think that new technologies could be a door into a future celebrating design and invention.
In 2014, Mr. Dubor was our first faculty member to confront himself with the potential of a different, numerically controlled arm. Since then, and for our great joy, the complex tool descended from its original pedestal and has multiplied and changed scales, populated our working areas, inviting us to rethink our working processes and question the way we think
about design.
However complex and rigid as they might appear, the arms, as we familiarly call them, wear the name of a part of our body. They might not be wired to our physical bodies, yet their form, behaviour, movements, and grace too might recall those of living beings. And that makes them different from Ford’s rhythmed machines that formed the production landscapes of the industrial revolution. These new tools, empowered by the intelligence of the digital world, have unfolded a new complexity in the physical world. And this might be a good reason to risk the comparison to the human body. Robots permit a different process for the making of a part: while ordinary machines were designed to reproduce identical actions, they have (re)opened the door of the bespoke world. A realm in which the tool responds to the existing, to the environment, to the moment, to the matter… And this could echo our image of an outdated construction site where the multitude of knowledge necessary for the making of a building were embedded in individuals and permitted by the potentials of their human arms.
Our school sees the constant emergence of projects that propose singular material, structural, spatial, and social forms. In this beautiful diversity, we ask ourselves how much the digital revolution and the emergence of robotic technologies can lead us down new creative paths and rethink how to design and build an architecture that reacts to the complex needs of ourselves and the complex world around us. Anatomy of the Machine is a series of successive exercises that will take us through the first term of the MRAC studio. This year, the first term will be a collective effort during which you will be asked to develop a playful attitude within a series of creative experiments. They are designed to get acquainted both with the tools and the materials that will be used for the rest of the year in the design of architectural projects. A more detailed introduction will be given upon the first day of class!
Learning Objectives
The aim of the studio is to introduce students to holistic design to manufacturing workflows
leveraging computational design and robotic fabrication.
● Computational design to manufacture workflows
● Designing for affordance of material and fabrication process
● Designing for mass customization
● Robotic fabrication
Objective. Over three weeks, the teams develop a process to create a painting using a robot with a paintbrush, studying the brushstroke, paint properties, and the relationship between human gesture and machine movement. We began by working manually, then incorporated digital work and the robot. The final A2 painting reflected the robot’s anatomy and how … Read more
This project comprises of 5 rapid prototypes developed over the course of 3 weeks. Each prototype is developed with a focus on a material and a process. These investigations were a means of developing the skillset of rapidly developing a robotic process and simultaneously became the palette from which we select our research lines for … Read more
OBJECTIVE Understand the anatomy of the hand-drawn brushstrokes During the first phase of this exercise we were tasked with studying the essence of a paint brush stroke. This involved understanding the tool itself: the flexibility of the hair, the viscosity of the paint, and the length of a stroke before the paint is finished. We … Read more
INTRO As part of the “Anatomy of a Machine – Shape” course, we engaged in an exercise that explores the possibilities of robotic material manipulation through various tools and techniques. Our objective was to research and experiment with sustainable, accessible, and locally available materials, applying scientific and creative principles to produce unique prototypes. This process … Read more
Introduction This seminar invites students to explore making custom made spillers controlled by Arduino and a 6-axes robotic arm in order to paint spills on canvas with black acrylic paint. Context Recently we have clearly observed immense changes in production, prototyping, and innovation that has been influenced by open source software, firmware and hardware. Human … Read more
Practical Introduction to Electronics (MRAC Hardware 01) Github: MRAC-IAAC/balloongun Objectives. The Hardware Module 1 is intended to give an overview of the state of the art in robotic actuation, discussing the practical implementation of such actuators, and brainstorm how these actuators and the robotic arms could bring new levels of versatility, agility and efficiency to … Read more
Introduction The “Anatomy of a Machine” project marks the beginning of our exploration into the interplay between human and robotic gestures in creating art. This exercise, undertaken as part of the MRAC first term studio, encouraged us to delve into the fundamental properties of brush strokes, from manual experimentation to robotic automation. Over three weeks, … Read more
Objective. The primary focus of the project is to foster a sense of curiosity about the robotic arm and its ability to manipulate various sustainable construction materials through different processes. Teams are encouraged to apply their newly acquired hardware and software skills, alongside the robotic tools and equipment available in the robotic lab, to explore … Read more
