“Fabricating the Future” by Neil Leach and Phillip F. Yuan.
Critical essay by Hristo Kovachev explains the development of the parametricism trend, digital fabrication style, use of materials, approach of design, tectonic methodology and logics. Those themes are presented as an evolution of new fabrication techniques that are using a complex, multi-dimensional materials in architectural practice and indicate they emergence throughout the conventional concept of craftsmanship and use of traditional materials.
Digital fabrication has to be operated using computing machines in order to provide accuracy of composite materials during building process. However computational design should not be seen as a supporting service for visualizing design since it can also provide learning possibilities for machine and material to help with the design strategy. It appears as a new style in designing process rather than just an improvement of design aesthetic values. Opportunity for form to follow logic profoundly affects the exploration stages of a design and assembly of the project. Exchange of the data between computational system and physical material enhances complexity of a form and speed up the fabrication process. Appliance of this complex network in varied scales creates an opportunities for advanced assembly between machine and material, between the process of design and construction as well as between architect and fabricator.
Digital tectonics has it’s origins in traditional fabrication techniques that control the development of material and structure. As a result when we talk about digital fabrication we need to employ use of automated machines in order to enrich functionality of tectonic material and possibly create a successor that has an increased performance and extended life cycle. For it’s efficiency and sustainable qualities, eg, decreased mass waste and time of assembly, parametricism can be easily shared and manufactured in worldwide scale according on the site needs, economic possibilities etc.
Improved materials and new technologies inform conceptualization and production of architectural design and put into motion the concept of mass fabrication and mass customization. Development of techniques and structural properties of the materials can produce continuous geometry surface that optimizes the material usage, cost and possibly is widely available. Construction of single unit from eg, unfolded two-dimensional material into three-dimensional unit brings opportunity for structural stability capable of bearing greater loads. Moreover the ease of components to assemble and disassembly enhances prospect of temporary constructions.
