The Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction (MRAC) seeks to train a new generation of interdisciplinary professionals who are capable of facing our growing need for a more sustainable and optimised construction ecosystem. The Master is focused on the emerging design and market opportunities arising from novel robotic and advanced manufacturing systems.
Through a mixture of seminars, workshops, and studio projects, the master programme challenges the traditional processes in the Construction Sector. It investigates how advances in robotics and digital fabrication tools change the way we build and develop processes and design tools for such new production methods.
WORKSHOP 3.2 STONE AND CODE is a robotic column sculpture that combines natural stone construction with computational fabrication. Using two robotic systems, one robot prints the column layers while the other places digitally scanned stones into the structure. Around 40% of each stone remains exposed, creating a raw and natural texture. Pathways through Barcelona and … Read more
Adaptive Framework for Hybrid Slicing Strategies in Large-Scale Robotic Fabrication of AI-Derived Architectural Systems Throughout history, imagined worlds have existed through literature, cinema, and digital environments, continuously expanding architecture beyond the built. Today, AI allows these speculative realities to be generated with unprecedented complexity, while robotic fabrication enables their materialization. Through an adaptive framework using … Read more
A Collaborative Human-in-the-Loop Clay Modelling System The Question What if anyone could sculpt a wall like an artist? That question sits at the center of Clay Create, a collective ceramic fabrication system where non-specialized users participate in the production of a wall of unique modules, each one manually shaped by a different person. The project … Read more
This work explores how clay can be used to introduce compression strength into flexible surfaces. By using robotics for controlled deposition, the process becomes parameterised, allowing a traditional material to be developed into a precise and predictable building system. Introduction This project proposes a system that transforms a flexible surface into a rigid, three-dimensional structure. … Read more
Context This exercise explores robotic fabrication processes through the direct manipulation of malleable materials. The assignment consisted of producing a 2.5D clay piece, measuring 40 × 40 cm with a maximum height of 5 cm, understood as a physical result of a robotically applied force on soft matter.Rather than designing a predefined form, the goal … Read more
Exploring Clay 3D Printing Through Viscosity, Speed, and Time For the Shape exercise within Anatomy of the Machine, we worked with clay as a material, specifically focusing on robotic 3D printing using clay extrusion. The objective was to understand how material behavior, robotic parameters, and geometry interact, and how form emerges from the machine–material relationship. … Read more
Building on our previous analysis of a large clay-printed geometric form, this study evaluates the feasibility of its digital-fabrication workflow. Through modular breakdown, material and time estimation, non-planar slicing analysis, and production-logistics modeling, we assess whether the system can be manufactured efficiently and economically. The process concludes with the development of a complete production plan … Read more
XX WS3.1 XX How can we compress the soul of a 3D object into a few pixels?Kapla Kadabra explores the magic of encoding geometry into 2D data structures – and bringing it back to life. XXXXXXXXXXXX AIM XXXXXXXXXXXX This project explores a lightweight method to encode and decode 3D geometries into pixel matrices. Instead of … Read more
Introduction In the face of the growing demand for sustainable construction, the integration of renewable materials with advanced fabrication techniques is essential for creating adaptable and efficient structures. Our team developed Terraweave, a project that combines willow and earth to create hybrid building components. By leveraging the natural properties of willow for flexibility and earth … Read more
The Problem The built environment is responsible for 42% of annual global CO₂ emissions. Within this, building operations and construction alone contribute nearly one-third. Yet, current construction methods lack flexibility, efficient resource use, and environmentally friendly solutions. This is the context that drove our project. Terraweave Solution TerraWeave integrates robotics, wattle and daub construction and … Read more
Workflow for Detection (Transformation to the Real World) Test for getting the points in real world Workflow for Detection (Getting points into the Trajectory) Test for getting the points in real world Workflow for Detection (Processing on Point Cloud) Test for getting the points in real world Machina Connection for ABB_6700 (Simulation)
Introduction This project was done in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio. Our starting point was a problem that emerged when patterned ceramic tiles were deployed at scale. Specifically, factory-produced tiles create repetitive patterns, which detract from their crafted intricacy. On the other end of the spectrum, hand glazing is a highly skilled and time-consuming process that … 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
An Intersectional Investigation Robotics is the field of study focused on the research and application of robotic systems. This definition, however, doesn’t provide much insight. So, what is a robot? Robots are machines that can operate autonomously or through programmed input to perform specific tasks, often replacing human effort. These tasks are typically complex and … Read more
