Introduction & Problem Statement Earthen 3D printing offers a low-carbon, recyclable, and locally sourced alternative to conventional construction materials. However, its architectural use remains limited by a critical issue: wet-state instability during printing. Freshly extruded clay has very low strength and stiffness, so walls usually reach only 15–20 cm per day. Beyond this height, the … Read more
Exploring Low-Tech, Sustainable Construction Methods and Manual Strategies for Community Empowerment The use of bamboo in construction is emblematic of an ongoing tension between traditional knowledge and the global imperatives of sustainable development. Despite its traditional use in many regions, the potential as a resilient, self-sustaining construction material remains largely underexplored in the contemporary architectural … Read more
Toward Net-Positive Architecture MASTER IN ADVANCED COMPUTATION FOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 2024/2025 Anji, Christina & Will Thesis – Supervisor: Gabriella Rossi We are facing an urgent climate crisis, one that demands architecture to move beyond conventional sustainability toward regenerative, net-positive approaches. Current design practices often struggle to integrate environmental and context-aware analysis seamlessly because they … Read more
Vernacular architecture has steadily lost relevance in contemporary practice. Industrialized construction methods, aesthetic shifts, and the pursuit of perceived reliability in materials like concrete and steel have overshadowed traditional techniques. However, these modern materials often come at a high environmental cost. Among the overlooked methods is quincha, a construction technique common in Latin America. It … Read more
Why – Problem context In the current forestry industry, only 40% of each harvested tree is actually used for construction or valuable products. The remaining 60% often ends up as waste — discarded, chipped, or burned as firewood. This imbalance sparked a fundamental question:Can we change this ratio? Driven by that inquiry, we began exploring … Read more
GENETIC OPTIMIZATION OF THE STRUCTURAL WARDROBE ELEMENTS Project Abstract The structural wardrobe is reimagined as the primary vertical load-bearing core in a compact architectural system ( From the Data Informed Structures 2024-2025). Acting as both a partition and a support, this wardrobe spans between floor and ceiling, bearing compressive and tensile loads while housing essential … Read more
Our goal for this Computational Design assignment was using Karamba along with Wallacei to optimize the mass and deformation of the timber frames of our construction system called KINXA. It is a modernized version of the vernacular technique used in Latin America called “Quincha” which consists of the use of a wood or cane frame, … Read more
In an era dominated by concrete and steel, the Sticks & Stones project revisits the architectural potential of stone and timber—materials with a rich historical legacy—through the precision of robotic fabrication. This initiative sought to develop a reversible, precise architectural system that bridges traditional craftsmanship with advanced digital tools. By tackling the challenges of natural … Read more
Introduction In a world where natural resources are increasingly scarce, the construction industry faces a crucial challenge: reducing material waste and maximizing the use of available resources. Wood, a traditionally used construction material, is at the center of this issue. Every year, millions of tons of wood are discarded or underutilized due to its irregular … Read more
Analog End Effector Explorations Mechanical End Effector Explorations Final Robotic Jig Design | Facade Iterations
KINXA aims to bring vernacular construction back into contemporary architecture by systemizing traditional “quincha”. At the same time, through a redesigned material system, KINXA seeks to take advantage of local resources and lower even more its precedent carbon footprint. Quincha is a technique prevalent in Latin America which consists of the use of a wood … Read more
The Structural Innovation Behind Hyper-Building B As cities continue to grow vertically, the need for adaptive, resilient, and expressive structural systems becomes increasingly vital. The Hyper-Building B project, developed as part of the Integrative Modeling Seminar at MaCAD, embraces a forward-thinking approach that integrates Japanese aesthetics, parametric design, and high-performance structural engineering. The structural team … Read more
Define Base Surface Define a planar surface with boundary conditions Generate Mesh Discretize the surface using a triangulated or hexagonal mesh Identify Anchor Points Distribute anchor points randomly manner across the mesh Introduce forces or constraints at anchor points to manipulate the mesh. Extrude elements from the anchor points to create structural support Use parametric … Read more
