Robots – The Future of Building?

Posted by on Sep 29, 2011 in architecture, digital fabrication, digital manufacturing, eth, eth zurich, fabricate 2011, Gramazio Kohler, kuka, prefab, prefabrication, robotics, Ruairi Glynn, UCL Bartlett | 0 comments The Fabricate 2011 Conference, hosted by the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, showcased the installation ‘Stratifications’ by Gramazio & Kohler, Architecture and Digital Fabrication, ETH Zurich. ‘Stratifications’ uses a multiple-axis robot on a caterpillar base to perform real-time construction, combining digital design and methods in fabrication that are not...
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Tedd Benson on the Open-Built Strategy

Posted by on Sep 26, 2011 in bensonwood, college of the atlantic, digital fabrication, innovation, open-built, prefab, prefabrication, tedd benson, timber frame, timberframe | 0 comments One of the building industry’s leading innovators, Tedd Benson of Bensonwood, speaks about his work with Open-Built and about innovation (and the lack of it) in the industry. Tedd discusses his open-built system at length and how this system is derivative of Andrea Palladio’s work in the 16th century. Because he views the world from a builder/fabricator perspective, he defines...
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The Future of the Building Industry – 5 Videos from the CEO of HOK

Posted by on Sep 9, 2011 in bim bam boom, building information modeling, digital fabrication, hok, integrated project delivery, ipd, patrick macleamy, prefab, the future of the building industry | 0 comments This is a great series by Patrick MacLeamy, CEO of HOK. In the series he describes the gradual separation of architects and builders — and the idea of integrated project delivery (IPD) as an idea whose time has come again. I couldn’t embed the second video because this feature was disables on Youtube. you can find it by going to the following link:Video Two:...
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Japanese Precut Timber Construction – Digital Fabrication

Posted by on Aug 23, 2011 in archdaily, bakoko, digital fabrication, Japan, timber frame | 0 comments Precut – Modern Japanese Timber Construction from BAKOKO on Vimeo. The Arch Daily website included this great video in an article on a beach house prefabricated and then assembled in one day. Great to see another example demonstrating the potential of digital...
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3D Printing and the Emerging American Century

Posted by on Jul 6, 2011 in 3D printing, breakthrouugh institute, digital fabrication, digital manufacturing, mit, print me a stradivarius, technology review, the next trillion dollar industry, why manufacturing matters | 0 comments Manufacturing Growth (and jobs!) in the U.S. This report from The Breakthrough Institute makes a very good case for advanced manufacturing as an information technology-based solution for job creation in the manufacturing sector. If we combine the massive disruption software is causing in many industries, “Why Software is Eating the World” by Marc Andreessen, with digital...
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$7.2 billion for a new Bay Bridge – and controversy about fabrication and outsourcing

Posted by on Jun 27, 2011 in bay bridge, digital fabrication, new york times, outsourcing, prefab | 0 comments The New York Times is helping stoke the flames of controversy with another article on fabrication. The headline itself serves to heat the flames, “Bridge Comes to San Francisco with a Made-in-China label.” Indeed, fabrication is more efficient. Who gets the contract? There are many steel fabricators in the U.S., more than 2,500 according the American Institute of Steel...
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