Living Prototypes
Digital fabrication processes and prototypes for resource-conscious living spaces.
To explore how digitally fabricated prototypes can contribute to creating resource-conscious living spaces. By utilising natural materials and advanced digital fabrication techniques, the project seeks to redefine traditional residential building components, focusing on sustainability, efficiency, and innovative construction methods.
Living Prototypes brings together three university-industry teams across Europe to conceive, design, plan, and fabricate prototypes for everyday living spaces. The prototypes utilise digital fabrication techniques and natural materials, aiming to demonstrate their feasibility in residential buildings. Through workshops with project advisors, a range of public and online formats, and exhibitions, the project engages with both industry and the public to promote a digital building culture that prioritises sustainability and resource-efficient materials.
A collaborative research initiative supported by university research centres and industry partners. The project culminates in the development of digitally fabricated prototypes for residential buildings, with a strong focus on natural materials and sustainability.
The project has produced several notable outputs, including:
- Digitally fabricated prototypes for residential buildings
- Public and online workshops exploring the challenges and opportunities in digital fabrication
- An exhibition at Aedes Architecture Forum presenting the process, functionality, and aesthetics of the prototypes
- A symposium at ANCB discussing the potential of digital fabrication for sustainable architecture.
The Project
Living Prototypes focuses on the creation of digitally fabricated prototypes for residential buildings, using sustainable and natural materials. The prototypes are developed over two university semesters, concluding with an exhibition at Aedes Architecture Forum. The project is driven by the belief that digital fabrication, combined with natural materials, can revolutionise the way buildings are designed and constructed, making them more resource-efficient and adaptable to environmental needs.
The project aligns with ANCB’s 2017 series Craftsmanship in the Digital Age: Architecture, Values, and Digital Fabrication, and aims to transfer advanced research from laboratories into architectural practice. By demonstrating the use of resource-efficient materials and digital technologies, the project promotes a shift towards a sustainable digital building culture, with implications for both construction and maintenance processes in the future.
Research Projects
1. Bio-based Lifecycle Materials – Cellulose Enclosures
Research Partners: CITA – Centre for Information Technology and Architecture, Copenhagen, and COBOD International A/S, Copenhagen
This research explores the potential of cellulose-based bioplastics as a renewable, biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics in 3D printing. By using digital data analysis technologies, the team aims to predict and control material behaviour during the printing process, advancing sustainable practices in building material lifecycles and circularity.
2. Natural Fibre Winding – Composite Installation in Existing Buildings
Research Partners: ITKE – Institut für Tragkonstruktionen und konstruktives Entwerfen, Universität Stuttgart, and FibR GmbH, Kernen
Robotic fibre winding offers a highly efficient fabrication technique, as it produces minimal waste and requires no formwork. This research focuses on using flax-based fibres, a sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials, for creating adaptable architectural components for existing buildings. These prototypes aim to improve material efficiency and adaptability in living spaces.
3. Local Materials – 3D-Printed Earth-Based Structures**
Research Partners: IAAC – Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Barcelona, and WASP, Massa Lombarda
Earth is a traditional building material that offers sustainability and local availability. By combining computational design with 3D-printing, this project explores ways to improve the structural and climate-regulation properties of earth-based materials. The goal is to make earth construction more efficient and aesthetically appealing, while supporting the densification of built environments using locally sourced materials.
Our Contribution
IAAC’s Postgraduate Programme in 3DPA (3D Printing Architecture) collaborates with WASP, a leader in 3D printing, to push the boundaries of digital fabrication using natural materials. IAAC leads the exploration of 3D-printed earth-based structures, focusing on how these techniques can be applied in urban contexts for sustainable construction. By experimenting with locally sourced materials and advanced digital fabrication technologies, IAAC contributes to the development of more resource-conscious living spaces.
Who is it for?
This project targets architects, researchers, and industry professionals interested in the application of digital fabrication and sustainable materials in the built environment. It also engages with policymakers, urban planners, and the general public through exhibitions and symposia, fostering dialogue around the future of sustainable construction and the role of digital fabrication in residential architecture.
ZunkunnfBau 2021 (BBSR)
500,000 € (amount for 2018-2019 period)
224.902,30 €
Advanced Architecture Group
ZUNKUNFBAU, ANCB, ITKE, FIBR, KADK, COBOD, WASP
