| Abstract Scope |
Formed thin sheet metal enables lightweight structures that integrate ornament, structure and skin - a trajectory of architectural and structural opportunity initialized in the design of buildings by Prouve, Junkers, and LeRicolais. Where previously the need for a mold has limited design approaches to the contexts of mass production, mold-less Robotic Incremental Sheet Forming (RISF) provides new opportunities for customized and bespoke architectural panels and structures. This presentation will describe the computational design and fabrication approaches developed across three prototypical architectural structures: an arch, a bridge and a façade, and how incremental forming has been leveraged within the design process to achieve structural optimization and architectural expression. Central concerns include the use of incremental forming to achieve extremely lightweight high performance structures, the integration of customized rigidization geometries informed by structural optimization, and the incorporation of material property changes induced by the forming process into the design and optimization workflow. |