The Potential of Digital Fabrication for the Repair of High-Tech Architecture
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Date
2022
Publication Type
Other Conference Item
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Abstract
Recent advances in digital fabrication techniques have fundamentally changed the design and production processes in architecture. Since the turn of the millennium, numerous research projects have focused on the use of this technology for the realization of new designs. Despite efforts in curbing resource consumption through geometry and process optimizations, little attention has been paid to the possibilities of repair with digital fabrication. Investigating the potential of digital fabrication for the repair of existing constructions is critical to avoiding the irresponsible waste of resources.
According to the “Document of Madrid”, the buildings of the second half of the 20th century pose new challenges to conservation. [ICOMOS 2011] In the 1980s, new technologies and materials were used, particularly around innovative façade and supporting structures, to realize novel architectural designs. These buildings are commonly referred to as high-tech architecture because their design concept is based on the use and display of advanced technology. Due to their construction, production, and materiality, these objects are particularly suitable as case studies for this investigation. The rapid obsolescence of technical innovations compared to the overall lifespan of a building and their resulting replacement, call for a holistic and appropriate strategy for the repair of the high-tech architecture.
Digital fabrication techniques offer new solutions for the production of bespoke building components. This enables a more selective and minimally invasive approach to the repair of individual elements as opposed to complete façade replacement. Therefore, a repair strategy leveraging digital fabrication methods (e.g., 3d printing, robotic fabrication) offers a less resource-intensive approach for the repair of building components. As a first use case, the repair process of a high-tech façade in Switzerland is meant to illustrate this process. Subsequently, the possibilities of applying this resource-efficient method to different kinds of building stocks around the world will be investigated.
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published
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Book title
Book of Abstracts ICOHTEC 2022 Annual Meeting
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Volume
Pages / Article No.
66 - 67
Publisher
Centre for Economic and Social History, University of Ostrava
Event
49th Symposium of the International Committee for the History of Technology (ICOHTEC 2022)
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Methods
Software
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Date created
Subject
High-Tech Architecture; Repair; DIGITAL FABRICATION IN ARCHITECTURE; PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS (PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC MONUMENTS); CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT (BUILT ENVIRONMENT); Construction History; 3D Printing; Photogrammetry
Organisational unit
09724 - Langenberg, Silke / Langenberg, Silke
02284 - NFS Digitale Fabrikation / NCCR Digital Fabrication
Notes
Conference lecture held on October 16, 2022.
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