Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction – Final Presentations

The first year of the Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction – Final Presentations at IAAC showcased a semester of experimentation with robotic fabrication, natural materials, and building systems. As part of their Applied Research Studio, students designed architectural proposals for IAAC’s upcoming facility—focusing on how automation and sustainability can converge in construction.

The projects explored novel ways to work with discarded logs, earth, willow, stone, and steel. Robotic arms milled irregular wood into precise joinery; hybrid systems combined local stone and timber; and rebar was reimagined not as a hidden element, but as a visible structural expression. Using CNC milling, multi-agent systems, and toolpath scripting, each group developed a full-scale prototype driven by material behaviour and fabrication logic.

Throughout the semester, the studio operated as a lab for applied experimentation—testing new workflows that integrate digital design, robotics, and environmental responsibility. Rather than applying automation to conventional materials, the work focused on adapting fabrication to the constraints and opportunities of natural or reused resources.

The Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction – Final Presentations were reviewed by an international jury: Aldo Sollazzo (LaMáquina / Noumena), Luis Sacristan (Heatherwick Studio), Teresa Cheung (EPFL), and Fabien Giraud (Artist and Researcher).

Academic guidance: Alexandre Dubor (Programme Director), Edouard Cabay (Faculty), Pit Siebenaler (Faculty Assistant), with coordination by Valeria Carrion.

If you’re interested in engaging with this kind of hands-on experimentation—where robotics, material culture and design processes intersect—you can learn more about the Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction.