Valeria Piccioni

Last Name

Piccioni

First Name

Valeria

ORCID

0000-0003-0119-8189

Organisational unit

03902 - Schlüter, Arno / Schlüter, Arno

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Publications 1 - 10 of 22

3D printing facades: Design, fabrication, and assessment methods
Leschok, Matthias; Cheibas, Ina; Piccioni, Valeria; et al. (2023)
Automation in Construction
This paper presents a state of the art review for 3D printed facades. In the review, three main topics are identified: (i) computational design strategies for 3D printed facades, (ii) fabrication processes and materials, and (iii) performance assessment. The design section displays computational tools and methods for design to production of 3D printed facades. The chapter fabrication processes, materials, and applications illustrates the technology potential for facade application sorted by material groups. The performance assessment section presents current approaches to evaluating and validating the performance of 3DP facades. Finally, knowledge gaps, challenges, and future trends are discussed to offer insights into leading-edge solutions for facade design and fabrication.
A review on artificial intelligence applications for facades
Duran, Ayça; Waibel, Christoph; Piccioni, Valeria; et al. (2025)
Building and Environment
This review applies a transformer-based topic model to reveal trends and relationships in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven facade research, with a focus on architectural, environmental, and structural aspects. AI methods reviewed include Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), and Computer Vision (CV). Overall, a significantly growing interest in applying AI methods can be observed across all research areas. However, noticeable differences exist between the three topics. While CV and DL techniques are applied to image data in research on the architectural design of facades, research on environmental aspects of facades often uses numerical data with relatively small datasets and classical ML models. Research on facade structure also tends to use image data but also incorporates numerical performance prediction. A major limitation remains a lack of generalizability, which could be addressed by more comprehensive datasets and novel DL techniques. These include concepts such as Physics-Informed Neural Networks, where domain knowledge is integrated into hybrid data-driven models, and multi-modal diffusion models, which offer generative modeling capabilities to support inverse and forward design tasks. The trends and directions outlined in this review suggest that AI will continue to advance facade research and, in line with other domains, has the potential to achieve a level of maturity suitable for adoption beyond academia and into practice.
Printing thermal performance: an experimental exploration of 3DP polymers for facade applications
Piccioni, Valeria; Leschok, Matthias; Lydon, Gearóid; et al. (2023)
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science ~ SBE23-Thessaloniki "Sustainable built environments: Paving the way for achieving the targets of 2030 and beyond"
The decarbonisation of the building sector requires the development of building components that provide energy efficiency while producing minimal environmental impact. We investigate the potential of polymer 3D printing (3DP) for the fabrication of mono-material translucent facade components, whose properties can be tailored according to climatic conditions and functional requirements. These components bear the potential to reduce energy consumption in buildings and, at the same time, can be fabricated with minimal environmental impact thanks to the recyclability of the feedstock material. In this study, we explore the effect of component geometry on the thermal insulation properties of 3DP objects with bespoke internal structures. Different prototypes are fabricated using a robotic polymer extruder, and their thermal properties are measured following a hot-box test method. The experimental results are then used to calibrate a heat transfer simulation model describing the joint effects of conduction, natural convection and infrared radiation through the components. We show that it is possible to fabricate insulating polymer components providing thermal transmittance ranging from 1.7 to 1 W/m2 K only by changing the internal cavity distribution and size. This proves the possibility of designing 3DP thermally-insulating components for different climatic conditions and requirements. This study provides the first insights into the thermal behaviour of polymer 3DP facades on a large scale. The results suggest that this innovative manufacturing technique is promising for application in facades and encourages further research toward performant and low-embodied energy 3DP building components.
From layer to building: Multiscale modeling of thermo-optical properties in 3D-printed facades
Piccioni, Valeria; Grobe, Lars Oliver; Hischier, Illias; et al. (2024)
Energy and Buildings
The challenge of building sector decarbonization has driven an integral rethinking of the way we design and build facades. Recently, large scale 3D-printing has emerged as an alternative manufacturing technique for novel facade components aiming at high operational efficiency and low environmental impact. Focusing on translucent polymer 3DPFs, this study tackles the challenges of modeling thermal and optical effects in geometrically complex components where interactions across multiple domains and scales occur. In particular, we introduce a novel method for modeling the irregular thermo-optical properties of 3DPFs, capable of capturing relevant effects often out of the scope of traditional modeling approaches. Our model accounts for geometry-dependent physical effects ranging from millimeter-scale fabrication details that impact optical behavior to centimeter-scale geometric features influencing heat and radiation transfer, extending up to the meter-scale implications for the building application. By employing computational techniques such as ray-tracing, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element analysis, we establish a model that offers detailed thermal and optical analysis to support performance-driven design iterations. Finally, demonstrating this approach in an office building context, we show that 3DPFs can match the performance of double glazing with dynamic shading, providing effective solar and thermal management over the year. This is achieved in a single, mono-material component with no active control, suggesting 3DPFs are a promising direction for low-environmental impact facade design.
A multiscale approach to 3D-printed facades: energy, daylight, environmental impact
Piccioni, Valeria (2024)
The building industry faces the challenge of transitioning to sustainable practices to contribute to climate change mitigation. At the same time, the sector is witnessing unprecedented opportunities thanks to digital design tools and fabrication technologies. This thesis explores the potential of 3D-printed facades as novel technologies to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. In construction, 3D printing has been mainly explored for structural components focusing on fabricability and formal expression. Recently, 3D-printed polymer facades have gathered research interest. However, the complexity and novelty of these components pose challenges in quantifying their performance and necessitate the development of new models to guide their design. This thesis seeks to bridge this gap by developing a novel multiscale, multiphysics approach to evaluate the performance of novel 3D- printed facades, particularly by analyzing their thermal and optical properties. This approach combines experimental studies with computational models to examine the interplay between material, fabrication, geometry, and performance across different scales. The research highlights key design parameters influencing facade performance and the opportunities to tailor thermo-optical properties for climate-specific designs. Moreover, it underscores the environmental advantages of digitally fabricated components, which can integrate multiple functions within a simple production process and using a single material. Practical experiments in design and fabrication demonstrate the applicability of this technology and show initial directions toward bespoke facade elements. Ultimately, this dissertation demonstrates the critical role of computational and advanced modeling in improving facade technology, presenting innovative methods for performance and environmental assessments, and suggesting how they can inform and guide design strategies. Moreover, it illustrates how digital fabrication and computational tools can reshape the design and engineering of building components, offering great potential to advance the imperative goal of decarbonizing the building sector.
Thermoplastic large-scale 3D printing of a light-distribution and fabrication-informed facade panel
Cheibas, Ina; Lloret-Fritschi, Ena; Piccioni, Valeria; et al. (2023)
Conference on Advanced Building Skins 2023
This study analyses the thermoplastic 3D printing feasibility of a performative large-scale facade prototype. The large-scale facade panel is a geometry informed by fabrication and environmental parameters integrated gradually in the computational design process. The computational design identifies initially the 3D printing freeform potential employed by architects and designers. Then, light distribution, an environmental performance, is integrated in the computational design, by testing daylight simulations. Next, the fabrication parameters are integrated in the computational design for achieving geometry accuracy and preventing deformations. These parameters are surface angle degree, robotic speed, material extrusion values, adhesion to print bed, and inner-layer adhesion. Four iterations of the facade prototype were manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate with large-scale robotic material extrusion. The final fabrication experiment, measuring 2000 mm x 100 mm x 2000 mm, brings conclusive remarks on the key findings of this study and design guidelines for 3D printing performative facades.
Prefabricated Connections for Hollow-Core 3D Printed Facade Elements
Eftekhar Olivo, Nik; Milano, Francesco; Piccioni, Valeria; et al. (2025)
CAADRIA ~ Architectural Informatics: Proceedings of the 30th International Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA 2025), Volume 2
Prefabricated highly insulating glass facades are difficult to disassemble or recycle due to the varying lifespans of their components and offer limited customization possibilities. In contrast, 3D-printed facades (3DPF) allow for bespoke designs and local climate adaptation. Combining sustainable materials like timber and dry construction methods with large-scale 3DP of recycled polymers, such as rPETG, is a promising alternative to traditional prefabricated facades in terms of circularity and façade customization. For large-scale 3DP, the recent development of Hollow-Core 3DP (HC3DP), offers unique possibilities for efficiently fabricating large-scale 3DP building components. However, the integration of HC3DP panels in facade applications remains unexplored. This paper investigates postprocessing methods, detailing, and construction solutions for applying pre-fabricated single-pane HC3DP components in non-load-bearing facades. To achieve this, small-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate construction techniques, including heat-flattening, taping, and polymer welding. Medium-scale tests focused on refining the HC3DP process. Construction detailing is achieved by combining prefabricated standard mullions with dry connections and post-processed HC3DP panels. The study provides a first approach for fabricating, postprocessing, and implementing HC3DP panels as reversible customizable facade components.
Surrogate Modeling of Heat Transfer in 3D-Printed Facades with Active Learning
Zorzetto, Gustavo; Piccioni, Valeria; Waibel, Christoph; et al. (2025)
Building Simulation Conference Proceedings ~ Proceedings of Building Simulation 2025: 19th Conference of IBPSA
Current methods used to estimate the thermal performance of 3D printed facades (3DPF) rely on time-consuming experiments and complex simulations. To address this gap, we developed a Gaussian Process (GP) surrogate model trained on data generated from an automated simulation framework, validated against experiments. Active learning enabled efficient sampling, achieving R² = 0.95 with only 60 samples. Our results show that area-volume-ratio, solid thermal conductive, layer thickness, porosity, and cavity depth are key parameters, while lateral cavity dimensions have negligible impact. This approach accelerates evaluations and facilitates a more comprehensive exploration of the design space for the product development of 3DPF.
Thermal and manufacturing properties of hollow-core 3D-printed elements for lightweight facades
Leschok, Matthias; Piccioni, Valeria; Lydon, Gearóid; et al. (2024)
Developments in the Built Environment
High-performance facades play an important role in achieving Net-Zero goals by 2050. As a facade manufacturing technology, 3D printing offers the opportunity to create site-specific and high-performance building envelopes. In this manuscript, the thermal performance of components fabricated with different Material Extrusion methods is studied experimentally, and the fabrication time is calculated, thereby examining both performance and fabrication viability. More specifically, this manuscript investigates the thermal performance of 3D-printed facades using Hollow-Core 3D printing (HC3DP) and explores the potential of this novel approach in creating thermally insulating, lightweight, and translucent building envelopes. The research compares the thermal resistance of HC3DP specimens to conventional material extrusion methods, such as desktop 3D printers, and granular-based, large-scale pellet extrusion. Different methods are used to determine the thermal resistance of specimens, including the dynamic thermal conductivity measurement for the desktop 3D-printed (3DP) specimens, and the steady-state hot box heat flux meter approach for HC3DP. The results demonstrate that HC3DP enables lower Thermal transmittance (U-value)s at lighter weight and faster printing speed, making it a promising avenue for further research. Additionally, the combination of HC3DP with aerogel is shown to create ultra-lightweight and thermally insulating 3D-printed facade elements. The potential of this new facade technology is also highlighted in comparison with established facade systems. All in all, the manuscript provides insights into the thermal performance of 3D-printed facades at different printing resolutions and emphasizes the importance of printing time and material consumption in determining the most promising 3D printing approach for lightweight and thermally insulating facades.
Challenges in modelling thermo-optical performance of 3D-printed facades: a cross-domain review
Piccioni, Valeria; Leschok, Matthias; Borkowski, Esther; et al. (2023)
Building Simulation Conference Proceedings ~ Proceedings of Building Simulation 2023: 18th Conference of IBPSA
Thanks to large-scale 3D printing, it is possible to fabricate performance-integrated building facades, contributing to the building sector's decarbonisation. The assessment of thermo-optical performance in 3D-printed facades (3DPF) is still at an early stage. The main challenges are related to the specificity of such components: the geometrical complexity, the interaction of multiple physical effects and the influence of the fabrication process on their properties. This focused review examines the aspects of performance indicators, multiphysics and multiscale modelling by reviewing recent efforts in the fields of advanced facades and process engineering. Learnings from the reviewed studies guided the development of a novel approach for modelling the thermo-optical properties of polymer 3DPF and informing their design.

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Valeria Piccioni

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