Design with Material Uncertainty: Responsive Design and Fabrication in Architecture

Abstract

Inspired by the smartness and creative opportunism of design practices in the informal city and by artists using found objects, this research develops the theoretical framework and enabling technologies for responsive design and fabrication. In this approach, the design project adjusts in real-time to take advantage of the contingencies of the fabrication process. The aim of the investigation is to expand scope of architectural design, embracing design and construction processes, which involve higher levels of uncertainty. As the main case, the research engages the creative challenges of designs that reuse discarded materials, in which the quantity, quality and properties of the available cannot be predicted with precision. Customizable and user-friendly computational systems seamlessly combining design computation, computer vision and robotics are developed and implemented to verify the feasibility. The paper presents theoretical findings, technology developments, and results of empirical experimentations, demonstrating the possibility of reproducing the adaptability of informal practices within the design disciplines.