Program MAS dfab 2017/18
Location ETH Zurich | CH
Date Oct 2017
Tools Binderjet Sandstone Printer | Python Processing
Tutors Ana Anton, Mathias Bernhard & Patrick Bedarf
Students Alexander Enz, Angela Yoo, Fernando Cena, Francisco Regalado, Frank Lin, Georgia Chousou, Haruna Okawa, Ioanna Mitroupolou, Moon Young Jeong, Jetana Ruangjun, Jun Su, Matteo Lomaglio, Raphael Pastrana, Sahar Barzani, Taha Nizar, Wu-Ru Zong, Yao Wang
Photos Tom Mundy

3D printed acoustic translucent ceiling panel (Alexander Enz, Matteo Lomaglio)

SmartBrick explores the production of specialized building components in a speculative manner. Over the course of two weeks, working in groups of two, the students developed computational design strategies for a construction element of their choice. Design drivers were among others, an embedded evaporation and ventilation system, acoustic absorption, structurally efficient material distribution, various degrees of porosity and transparency or precisely controlled, functionally graded translucency.

The successful realization of the 1:1 scale prototypes was made possible only by the chosen fabrication method, a large-scale sandstone binderjet 3D printer. For every student group, a maximum bounding box volume of 320 x 180 x 480 mm was available. Working in the Processing programming framework using Python, the students were introduced to generative computational design methods, mesh modification and subdivision strategies as well as volumetric modelling and the requirements to file preparation particular to additive manufacturing.

3D printed lintel with micro-structural graded porosity (Jetana Ruangjun, Angelo Yoo)

multi-hierarchical 3D printed tubular lattice structure (Frank Lin, Jun Su)

3D printed graded lattice for structural differentiation (Raphael Pastrana, Francisco Regalado)

3D printed thermal exchange component (Sahar Barzani, Fernando Cena, Haruna Okawa)

Master of Advanced Studies ETH in Architecture and Digital Fabrication is a one-year full time educational program jointly organised by the Chair for Digital Building Technologies and Gramazio Kohler Research. This MAS is the educational program of the National Centre for Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication.