Fabrication-Aware Design for 3DCP Shells Using Genetic Optimization (2024-08)¶

The architectural industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift where practices transition from unconnected data to context-rich, connected data. New concepts such as smart fabrication, automation and vertical integration create the need for fabrication-aware architectural representation models that allow designers to better engage with new, data-rich manufacturing technologies. 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) offers many benefits compared to conventional concrete casting, foremost the ability to fabricate complex geometry. There is currently a lack of computational modelling techniques that bridge design and manufacture for 3DCP, making it difficult to predict the printability of designs. This paper demonstrates a unified design-to-fabrication workflow through a Machine Learning approach. 3DCP is used to produce sacrificial formwork for freeform reinforced concrete shell structures. Specifically, genetic optimization is employed in the form-finding and segmentation process to consolidate a series of parameters and establish feedback loops for a fabrication-aware design model.