Recently, digital design and fabrication developments in free-form shell structures have flourished, allowing for novel uses of ancient techniques such as stone carving, which can be implemented with contemporary robotic fabrication to customize geometries of discrete parts. The newly available opportunities to digitally design, simulate, and fabricate individually unique shell pieces, or voussoirs, has called into question the modern approach of standardization of components and its complementary ubiquitous joining solutions. However, a significant challenge in building free-form geometries in stone arises from the required accuracy of the joining techniques to accommodate large number of unique voussoirs. One solution to this problem is supporting the pieces in place by means of scaffolding structures while they are tested for fit and manually trimmed (Rippmann et al. 2016). While this is the predominant solution and has produced remarkable structures, the scaffolding results in a costly operation executed by a separate and differently skilled group of fabricators.
This research proposes an alternative assembly strategy for free-form stone shells that relies on a local joining solution at each step of the assembly sequence. Integrating structural analysis with the ability of robots to perform custom non-repetitive stone carving and the ability of cast metal to be formed with great geometric flexibility, the methodology aims to minimize the use of wasteful scaffolding while allowing the adjustable fitting of the resultant voussoirs. The approach incorporates a 5-step process from design to assembly: At each stage of the simulated assembly sequence, finite element analysis is performed to define the exact location, direction and size of the joint needed to stabilize each unique voussoir through tension, compression, bending, or shear. The joint geometry is then optimized to take local forces and is machined to a 1.5mm tolerance with a robotic arm. The assembly is executed by rings following a specific assembly sequence, registering each piece with a custom adjustable drift pin. This process accommodates to the precision needed at each stage of the assembly, allowing deeper or shallower registration in each course and permitting pieces to move and correct until all pieces are fitted in place. The final joint is cast in-situ with a melting point metal, fixing the pieces to their final position. The final results show the specialized assembly joint at each step of the assembly sequence. Two marble prototypes serve as proof-of-concept of the methodology and suggest that the integration of structural evaluation with an adjustable assembly approach enabled by robotic fabrication can reduce the need of scaffolding in the construction of free-form shell structures.
This ongoing project examines the potential to utilize 3D-printed ceramic technologies to produce variable, positive-less molds for the production of architectural elements in cast metal. The research addresses the formal limits and fidelity issues of gel extrusion; computationally assesses the variable infidelities involved in the drying, vitrification, and casting process; and assesses the technical limits of cold-mold, gravity-cast metal. The examples produced show the potential for this process to realize architecture which simultaneously achieves both structural gracility and ornamental complexity efficiently and with a constrained capacity for serial variability.
Negotiating the environment requires a functional relationship between multi sensory input and our brains. Our sensory systems gather information that the brain integrates and interprets as perceptions of events and objects in the world. Proper functioning of this process is crucial for safe functional performance and independent living. When the processing mechanisms from sensory input to integrated perception are affected by illness or trauma we are unable to navigate our environment safely without aids, re-training, or both. This projects studied 1) if using architecture and occupational students working together to understand home modification problems improves performance outcomes, and 2) what is the effectiveness of home modification questionnaires commonly used in occupational therapy at predicting problems of spatial configuration.
We propose to develop a program for spatial analytics based on approaches in spatial syntax. Spatial syntax uses a set of techniques to break spatial arrangements into components that can be analyzed as networks of relations represented on maps and graphs to describe characteristics of those spaces. Using metrics to analyze spatial configurations we hope to be able to calibrate the contextual environment to understand its affect on patients with cognitive disabilities and . It has already been shown that the way a person performs a functional task (defined as an occupational performance) is based on the way the person interprets the task-object relationship in a specified context (defined as an occupational form). Thus, depending on whether the form elicits meaning and purpose, the person’s quality of performance and commitment to the performance will be affected. Most importantly for our study, Pedretti and Early also suggested that context affects occupational performance and that occupational therapists must understand the aspects of context (i.e., environment and objects) that will likely influence the occupational performance. The most innovative aspect of the project is to combine knowledge from the architectural field and health care field using graduate students in both disciplines to optimize movement performance of a clinical population in a specific context.
Growing access to digital production tools invites new construction technologies that combine the best aspects of conventional lightwood framing with the benefits of digital prefabrication and customization. Viable new solutions must present a compelling combination of economic, environmental, and social advantages. Designed to balance “high-tech” production technologies with accessible “low-tech” material and assembly solutions, the Sim[PLY] framing system, developed at Clemson, offers a critical reference point for high-performing, digitally-fabricated construction.
The Sim[PLY] system utilizes interlocking plywood components, each prefabricated using CNC routers and digital cut files. Assembly of the numbered components follows pictographic instructions and requires only manual tools, eliminating power tools and making construction safer and energy-efficient. There is no measuring or cutting in the field, thereby reducing construction time and managing the waste stream. Cut files can be customized for optimal structural and thermal performance. Construction is intuitive, and can be performed at low risk by unskilled labor, including owners, their friends and neighbors.
Since 2014, Sim[PLY] has been used by students to build three complete structures, including Clemson’s 2015 Solar Decathlon House and a commercial community kitchen. This research has been presented and demonstrated at conferences around the world and the system is patented in December 2018.
USDA AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE. “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Building the Bioproducts Workforce.” (applied but not awarded), July 2016. Four-year grant in the total amount of $2,653,854 for developing interdisciplinary online certificate programs in the area wood and timber design and engineering. The grant also targets K-12 outreach activities relating to sustainable wood structures. Co-Investigator w/ professors Pat Layton (PI), Tim Brown, Thomas Cousins, Dan Harding, Weichiang Pang, and Brandon Ross.
SOFTWOOD LUMBER BOARD. “Expanding the Use of Wood Products in South Carolina.” , April 2015. 3-year $250,000 grant to research the factors limiting the use of wood in non-residential buildings in South Carolina, and to propose strategies for promoting the expanded use of wood as a structural material in publicly-funded buildings. Co-Investigator w/ professors Pat Layton (PI), Dan Harding, Weichiang Pang, and extension associate Susan Guynn.
USDA FOREST SERVICE. “Advanced Softwood Morphologies: Design Instruction for Emerging Wood and Timber Technologies.” (applied but not awarded), October 2014. $144,226 funding for a dedicated series of studio courses, supplemental instruction, and summer research on the topic of advanced wood design and massive timber systems. PI w/ contribution from professors Weichiang Pang, Carlos Barrios, and Pat Layton.
PRECAST CONCRETE INSTITUTE FOUNDATION “Precast Performative Morphologies.” September 2014. $100,000 awarded for a 4-year cycle of dedicated studio courses and supporting instruction on the topic of precast concrete design and construction. Co-Investigator w/ professors Carlos Barrios (PI), Ufuk Ersoy, Dan Harding, Ulrike Heine, Brandon Ross, and Scott Schiff.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. “Clemson University Solar Decathlon 2015.” February 2014. $50,000 funding in support of Clemson’s 2015 Solar Decathlon entry. Co-Investigator w/ professor Vincent Blouin (PI) and fifteen others from a wide range of University departments.
USDA AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE. “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Building the Bioproducts Workforce.” (applied but not awarded), July 2016. Four-year grant in the total amount of $2,653,854 for developing interdisciplinary online certificate programs in the area wood and timber design and engineering. The grant also targets K-12 outreach activities relating to sustainable wood structures. Co-Investigator w/ professors Pat Layton (PI), Tim Brown, Thomas Cousins, Dan Harding, Weichiang Pang, and Brandon Ross.
NSF-IUSE. “Strategies for Learning: Augmented Reality and Collaborative Problem-Solving for Building Science, Three-year grant for collaborative learning in the STEM areas using augmented and mixed reality technologies. This was a multi-university grant with three concurrent studies. Shahin Vassigh, PI; W. E. Newman, Ali Mostafavi, Amir Behzadan, $217,695.
US DOT. “University City Prosperity Project. This was a multi-year grant for infrastructure improvements, an urban planning and design study including traffic engineering, engineering, architecture and urban planning and design. Institutional Lead: SVP&CFO K. Jessell, PI: N. Rishe, Lead Facilitator: T. Gustafson, Co-PIs: S. S. Iyengar, M. Hadi (Eng), W. E Newman, N. Prabakar, P. Mozumder, C. Lisetti, R. Rovira, J. Acuna (Med), E. Murray, S. Graham, J-H. Kim, A. Azizinamini, N. Szeinblum, F. Alonso, $11,397,120.
MIAMI-DADE COUNT DISTRICT 11. “An economic and strategic development study for a populous county including strategic planning, traffic engineering, environmental impact and economic development DoR Award #: 800003393, PI/PD W. E. Newman, Co-PIs: X. Jin, E. Murray, R. Rovira, Sr. Investigators J. Chandler, T. Spiegelhalter, $95,678.
INSTITUTIONAL. “Computer Augmented Immersive Environment: A Dynamic Educational Instrument developed for research and education. PI/PD W.E. Newman, Scott Graham, Steve Luis, Eric Johnson, Mike Kirgen, Shu-Ching Chen, Nezih Pala, $502,365.
CALL SUMMARY – ONLINE EDUCATION Recent events have brought into full light the various agendas around online education and research. As universities, schools and colleges closed across the world in 2020, teachers and students adapted to new pedagogical tools. Some educational establishments survived, others thrived, while some struggled and have already gone ‘out of business’. For some disciplines, the transition was seamless. Other disciplines writhed at having to forego the peer-to-peer learning environment of the classroom or the dynamic interaction of the design studio. Despite the ‘shock of the new’ all this represented, the virtual classroom, online studio, remote seminar, and distance education more generally, are far from new. Universities like Purdue University Global in the US and the Open University in the UK have been operating this way for years. This conference brings together education professionals and theorists with teachers and researchers from other disciplines. It asks, what is the “new present” for education and how do we learn from each other’s expertise and recent experiences. more »
CALL SUMMARY – TEACHING-LEARNING-RESEARCH The backdrop to the conference is the varied interpretations of teaching as it relates to research. Definitions of ‘academic research’ vary but often exclude analysis, experiment, knowledge transfer and critical debate stimulated in the classroom, studio or lab. However, this is challenged. Educationalists routinely define the classroom and laboratory and use it to monitor how space influences learning. In architecture, landscape and urban design, the idea of a ‘design studio’ as a vehicle for research in and of itself is gaining traction. Programs of sociology and human geography routinely collect data on people and communities as part of classroom exercises. Teachers of art and social history reconsider and critique the cultural and social movements of cities in the very act of explaining them. This conference seeks to engage education professionals in debate and best practice sharing with educators in the art, design and social science disciplines. more »
TEACHING + RESEARCH Conferences This is an initiative coordinated by Routledge, AMPS, and PARADE. In collaboration from the Manchester School of Architecture (University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University). TEACHING-LEARNING-RESEARCH: DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENTS Place: Virtual / Manchester Dates: 02-04 December, 2020 Round One Abstracts: 30th June, 2020 https://architecturemps.com/teaching-research-conference/ ONLINE EDUCATION: TEACHING IN A TIME OF CHANGE Place: Virtual / Manchester Dates:21-23 April, 2021 Early Abstracts: 30th June 2020 https://architecturemps.com/online-ed-conference/
Wilhelm-Keiffer Student Research Award The Wilhelm-Keiffer Student Research Award will provide current and recently graduated undergraduate students with the opportunity to compete for a research award in the field of material culture studies. This award includes a $250 reimbursement towards conference travel, a reimbursement of the student’s conference registration and awards banquet, a one-year ISLPMC student membership, and an engraved plaque.. more »
Public Art Building Communities (PABC) Grant Program The Public Art Building Communities (PABC) grant program supports individual artists and organizations in their effort to design, fabricate and install new temporary or permanent works of public art that connects artists and their artwork with communities. more »
Historic Preservation and Wildlife Rehabilitation Grants The Kinsman Foundation provides grants for historic preservation and native wildlife rehabilitation and appreciation. Proposed activities must have a clear benefit to Oregon and southern Washington. more »
Historic Structure Assessment Grants Historic Structure Assessment grants are awarded for the sole purpose of preparing a report on the physical condition of a historic building or structure in accordance with a mandatory State Historical Fund assessment scope of work. more »
TETRAMAX 3rd call on Entrepreneurial Technology Transfer Experiments (TTX) The innovation action TETRAMAX aims to boost innovation by stimulating, organizing and evaluating different kinds of Technology Transfer Experiments (TTX). These co-funded “application experiments” connect SMEs and other for-profit companies (mid-caps, large industry, etc.) with international academics, resulting in low-risk industrial adoption of novel computing technologies. TETRAMAX provides innovative advanced digital technologies for novel electronic and non-electronic products in the area of Customized Low-Energy Computing (CLEC) for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT). more »
Jobs in AI and data science are booming, and the trend is showing no
sign of abating. A new research report on the current state of the AI
labor market in the UK found that close to 110,500 job opening were
posted in the past year for roles related to AI and data science. That
is more than double the number of vacancies registered in 2014, and a 16
percent increase from 2019, marking the highest year to date for AI
jobs posted on the market. Every month for the past three years, between
8,000 and 10,000 roles were posted online, ranging from data analysts
and software developers to research and development, as well as
university positions such as lecturers and professors in AI and data
science. Moreover, two-thirds of firms expect the demand for AI skills
in their organization to increase in the next 12 months. More->>
The Community Engagement Award goes to Michael Carlos Barrios
Kleiss, PhD, Assistant Professor from Clemson University’s School of
Architecture. See more in PCI Foundation 2020 annual report. More->>
According to Chris Pastorius, chairman of the PCI Foundation
board of trustees, “Carlos’ commitment to architecture education goes
beyond the classroom. He has engaged major architectural firms, local
precast producers as well as the US State Department in his quest to
expand the possibilities for his students. Annually he takes a group of
students to Washington D.C. to study the architecture of embassies and
their inclusion of precast concrete.”
Spacecraft Design Competition The “SPACECRAFT DESIGN” is a design competition developed to explore the creative potential of architectural design through one of the most iconic architectural drawings: the axonometric projection. Participants are asked to design a vehicle that responds to the requirements of the brief and one axonometric projection to represent it, with absolute freedom of interpretation, technique, and level of abstraction. Even the concept of axonometric itself can be questioned in order to craft the most expressive way to represent the design. The submission requires only 1 image and 5 keywords. The submission deadline is 31 October 2021, 23:59 CET. More->>
The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) invites
practitioners, researchers, and educators to join us at our 53rd annual
conference to engage in a conversation around the role of the built
environment in promoting health, equity, sustainability and resilience
through environmental design research and practice.
The conference will provide a platform to explore issues of health in
the environment in relation to equity, resilience and sustainability,
supporting needs of diverse populations, promoting health and well-being
in different physical settings, activism and advocacy for health in all
design, transdisciplinary collaborations to address complex problems
and pedagogies and methods to integrate health foci in environmental
design education.
We invite submissions in one or more of the following topical areas/themes: More->>
