Mania Aghaei Meibodi

Material Engagement_Computational Design and Additive Manufacturing for Large Scale Concrete Elements

Material Engagement course integrates computation and 3D printing to design and fabricate freeform-formwork with the purpose of expanding the geometric vocabulary of concrete elements and its performance in
architecture. Additive Manufacturing is a forerunner of the fourth industrial revolution and is going to change the way we build everything. Coupling this technology with computation will allow fabrication of highresolution concrete elements with almost no geometric limitation (undercuts, internal voids, cantilever areas, etc.). Enabling fabrication of geometrically complex concrete elements has implications beyond surface and formal aesthetics, it opens opportunity for smart, integrative, lightweight concrete elements with unseen aesthetic.

The course is structured around a series of lectures, computational design workshops, prototyping, critical readings and team work. Students work in teams of three to design and fabricate large-scale concrete columns that demonstrate the potential of 3D printing for large scale architectural elements

Presented videos and images are a selection of students work throughout the term.

Back to MSDMT