Projekt SmartStructures

Course objective Digital design and synthetic fabrication are changing architecture in fundamental ways. In the last decade ambitious architects and designers in the USA and Europe introduced based on the increasing use of Computer-Aided-Design the phenomenon of 'Blob' architecture – random, non-Cartesian free form buildings - (or liquid design, or 'non-standard architecture'), changing and challenging the building industry of the 21st century. How can emerging industrial processes reshape building design and construction? How do new construction systems work? What digital design methods, materials, and building details are emerging? What are the implications for design and industry? What new paradigms can contemporary fabrication offer architecture? This course brings students from three different countries in the US and Europe together to generate concepts, develop and manufacture design projects located in the US and Europe. The collaborative studio will teach new design methods and fabrication technologies. Cutting edge design ideas, technical innovation and fabrication techniques will be taught in theory and practice. First semester Preparation Semester. During this semester compact workshops and lectures will provide the project participants with basic knowledge. Topics will be: design methods (parametric, generative), freeform design, basic and advanced rhino, frameworks and spatial structures, folded structures, basics on finite element software ANSYS, analysis of structures and optimisation methods. The learned techniques will be applied step by step with small design tasks. Second semester During the end of the first and the start of the second semester (Aug. – Sept.) workshops in Delft and Kassel are organized. 10 International student teams will start an internal design competition. At the beginning of November the teams will meet at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville via Stop over in NY. There the competition will end and an external jury will award three designs. During the final workshop in Knoxville, these three designs will be completed respective building a prototype together with companies. A final exhibition and the publications will build the end of the project. IMPORTANT: For further information and detailed time schedule see the website: www.uni-kassel.de/fb12/wwtwl FB 06 Architektur, Stadtplanung, Landschaftsplanung Uni Kassel WS 2006/2007 Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Grohmann Manfred