The previous section examined a number of ways in which the computer may be used as a digital design tool. It also discussed the role of computational power and its application through parametric and generative systems, algorithmic design and integration processes such as morphogenesis. Far from being a passive and inert tool, the computer is often an active and dynamic agent that not only enables the representation of creative ideas but may also generate them. The current section will build upon this knowledge, describing the range of methods for integrating creative ideas with fabrication processes at various stages of the design process, from concepts to full-scale prototypes. Furthermore, this section will reinforce the concept of architectural design as a diverse practice of making – which encourages, and is enriched by, hybrid modes of experimentation and representation, often resulting in non-linear processes of working. The advancement of architectural knowledge is fuelled by innovation and design development, and as such the modes of generation and representation in architectural design further expand the field of inquiry and discovery. Perhaps the most significant feature of the digital technologies under discussion is that the design data is often also the construction data, or very intricately connected to it, so the formal, spatial and material potential is vast.
Digital fabrication techniques also offer another characteristic that is of particular relevance here. Traditionally, the building industry’s manufacturing and construction processes were only economically viable through mass production and the assembly of standard components. Digital technologies have transformed this procedure and, in a similar manner to the digital design tools described earlier, digital fabrication methods are also a generative medium through which an abundance of experimentation is available to designers. There are numerous reasons for this shift, which will be dealt with later in this section; for now, it is sufficient to know that the interdependent relationships between visualizing and making designs afford a fluid digital workflow from concept to realization. If, however, this suggests digital tools and fabrication processes as an entirely seamless system, then it is slightly misleading. As with any design tool, there are limits and tolerances of working with different digital fabrication techniques, and it is frequently through the negotiation of these constraints that designers innovate. This is particularly relevant where such techniques are combined to provide a hybridized form of production. Additionally, a vast array of material exploration suddenly opens up to the designer using digital fabrication methods – facilitating creative, efficient and highly effective uses of architectural materials. The transformative properties of materials when translated from digital information, or indeed vice versa, emphasize the importance of engaging with generative, playful and evolutionary design as a primary architectural activity.
Of course, as with digital design tools, digital fabrication techniques may be part of a design process or completely inform it. The various degrees to which these technologies may be engaged with are often balanced between design intent and the capacities of the different methods. Indeed, the innovation that frequently arises through the use of digital fabrication must be seen in relation to the various technologies and the overcoming of their constraints rather than being stifled by them. It is important to understand that there is no prescriptive approach to digital design and fabrication; the techniques are non-linear. As we shall see, many of the limits of these techniques stem from the mindset of the designer rather than technological possibilities, so before we examine a range of digital making methods it is valuable to have a general overview of the developments that have led to their application in architecture.
The degree of interaction between human and machine may vary considerably depending on the designer’s approach, as shown by this image of a digitally controlled robot cutting and assembling wooden slats to an algorithmic pattern for Gramazio & Kohler’s West Fest Pavilion, Wettswil am Albis, Switzerland.
Michael Hansmeyer’s Subdivided Column project exemplifies the creativity with which digital fabrication techniques may be applied. A column is steadily built up using 1mm-thick laser-cut paper, resulting in an extraordinarily complex three-dimensional object.