Hybrid Materiality

Abstract

One of the most recognisable aspects of the digitalization of the design process is the increasing use of 3D printers and robots in the construction phases. When combining with analogue techniques, hybrid materiality in construction and architecture opens up significant application opportunities, but also challenges to the design process and production. In this study, the design and hybrid fabrication of a freeform gridshell structure, placed as a temporary installation in a public park, is presented. The structure was materialized in a hybrid combination of 129 wooden battens and 68 PLA 3D printed nodes, spanning 5 meters and reaching 2.5 m height. The examination of the challenges posed by the hybrid fabrication of the structure suggests that pre-conceived perceptions on production and installation stages should be reconsidered, and it highlights the importance of integrating material constraints and time limitations in the earliest phases of the design process.