Behavioural Production: Autonomous Swarm‐Constructed Architecture

Abstract

Until now, parametric processes have largely been confined to the architectural and engineering phases of a building's design. What possibilities, however, do robotics and artificial intelligence programming open up for extending Parametricism's influence into the construction phase? Robert Stuart‐Smith, a course master at the Architectural Association Design Research Laboratory (AADRL), explores how architecture might adopt autonomous swarm‐construction techniques. He describes the research that he has carried out with colleagues and students employing flying multicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to design and additively manufacture 3D‐printed buildings onsite.