Elytra Pavilion - Thesis Prep 793a Helen Hyon by Jose Sanchez

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E L Y T R A P A V I L I O N FIBER COMPOSITE | ROBOTIC FABRICATION | MODULARITY ANALYSIS BY HELEN HYON

01 INTRODUCTION

“This Garden installation by architects and engineers at the University of Stuttgart was inspired by the forewing shells of a flying beetles known as elytra and constructed using a novel robotic production process.” –V&A Museum

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Commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the ELYTRA PAVILION was a major installation on exhibit during the Engineering Season Exhibition from May 18, 2016 to November 6, 2016. It stood on the Northeast corner of the John Madejski Garden aiming to create a dynamic experience for the visitors.

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This pavilion encompasses the elements of emerging fabrication techniques and innovative design strategies still novice to the realm of architectural design. However, in comparison to the research and development previously emerged from ICD/ITKE in regards to performative fiber composite structures and robotic fabrication, did the Elytra Pavilion truly fulfill the intent to demonstrate synergy of emerging robotic technologies on architecture, engineering, and production?

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In the analysis of the 2016 Elytra Pavilion, the history of biomimetic morphology will be addressed and the tectonic of the robotic fabrication will be dissected to understand where the project was a success and the aspects that inverted the innovative development rather than exerting a stronger impact of the interdisciplinary research at ICD/ITKE.

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The design team was led by Achim Menges, an architect and director of the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) at the Universtiy of Stuttgart and Moritz Dörstelmann, a PH.D. candidate at ICD. The team consisted of Marshall Prado, Aikaterini Papadimitriou, Niccolo Dambrosio, Roberto Naboni, Dylan Wood, and Daniel Reist. Jan Knippers, structural engineer and director of the Institute for Building Structures & Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart led the engineering team. Students from ITKE include Valentin Koslowski, James Solly, and Thiemo Fildhuth. Additionally, Thomas Auer from Transsolar Climate Engineering in Stuttgart led the climate engineering for the project with teammates Elmira Reisi and Boris Plotnikov.

Fig. 01.01 (Page 1) Photo by NAARO, 2016. The Elytra Filament Pavilion was installed on the North-East corner in the John Madejski Garden at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Fig. 01.02 (Page 3) Photo by NAARO, 2016. The on-site robotic production of a singular module in response to the real-time data collection. Fig. 02.01 Photo courtesy of Institute of Lightweight Structures. Soap and film study. Fig. 02.02 Photo Copyright Atelier Frei Otto. 1972 Munich Olympic Stadium designed by Frei Otto. Lightweight tensile and membrane construction with a whimsical design motive.

02 NATURAL ORIGIN

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“In biology most load-bearing structures are fibrous composites. They are made of up fibrous elements with primarily tensile capacity, embedded in a matrix material that surrounds and supports the fibrous reinforcements, maintaining their relative positions. While the fiber and matrix elements remain distinct in the composite material, their combination results in properties that differ considerable from those of the individual constituent parts, typically leading to superior performance characteristics.” –Fibrous Tectonics

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Daniela Fabricius “E14” Radical Pedagogies, Princeton University V&A News Release, May 2016

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Taking precedent from Frei Otto’s physical form-finding methodology, Achim Menges was the first to implement this ideology digitally in computational terms. From this pedagogical thought, Achim Menges and Jan Knippers have collaborated for the past couple of years at the University of Stuttgart’s ICD/ ITKE, conducting ground-breaking research on the integration of architecture, engineering, and biomimicry principles.2 The Elytra Pavilion is the fourth built rendition of the research exploring the possibilities of architecture adopting principles of biological fiber systems.

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In 1964, Frei Otto founded the Institute for Lightweight Structures at the University of Stuttgart, pioneering in research and development of an interdisciplinary cooperative approach to architectural design. The Institute for Lightweight Structures is considered as Otto’s pedagogical experiment to recognize the changes that had taken place in the intellectual world of the designers, engineers, biologists, and anthropologists to enable new innovations by the collective intellectual.1 The Institute for Lightweight Structures was driven by constant model-making and pushing the boundaries of building materials. Hence, beginning with the study of physics and form through soap and film experiments (Fig. 02.01) and developing tensile membrane structures that implemented the research and development from the Institute for Lightweight Structures into iconic buildings like the Munich Olympic Stadium in 1972 (Fig. 02.02).

Fig. 02.03 Photo by ICD/ITKE Project Documentation, University of Stuttgart. Robotic fabrication in process, off site for ICD/ITKE 2012 Research Pavilion. Fig. 02.04 (page 9) Photo by Roland Halbe. Exhibit of the completed ICD/ITKE 2012 Research Pavilion.

2012 ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 02.03

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There were three ICD/ITKE Research Pavilions that were directly precedent to the 2016 Elytra Pavilion in biomimetic structural properties of using fibrous tectonics and exploration of integrative computational design. As a result, the novel robotic production process for large-scale coreless filament winding of the glass and carbon fiber as well as the development of related computational design and simulation methods necessary to facilitate the use of the development of each pavilion directly influenced the 2016 Pavilion.3 It is important to understand how the researchers at ICD and ITKE developed the previous Research Pavilions: the abstraction of a biological model, the process in which research was applied to the design and fabrication, especially the application to digital, robotic, and automation of fabrication.

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The fabrication of the pavilion began off-site using a 7-axis Kuka, which stood on a 2-meter pedestal. The 7-axis robotic arm would then wind 60-kilometers of resin-saturated glass and carbon fibers on a temporary steel scaffold with defined anchor nodes. This temporary steel scaffold sat on another robotic controlled turntable, which would allow for the Kuka-arm to reach all the anchor nodes located along the steel scaffold. The 2012 Research Pavilion was the first architectural-scale load-bearing structure to be produced entirely by a robot-controlled, coreless filament winding process (Fig. 02.04). The advantage of the robotic fabrication enabled the development of super lightweight and materially efficient structure and expanded the use robotics into an architectural tectonic that established precedent for the 2016 Elytra Pavilion.

Achim Menges et al, ‘Coreless Filament Winding Based on the Morphological Principles of an Arthropod Exoskeleton,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 50-53.

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The 2012 ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion began with the exploration of the material and morphological principles of biological fiber composites of an exoskeleton of a lobster. One of the key components to this research was the to create a coreless filament winding, taking into consideration the fiber undergoing a material property change during the process of winding layers on a scaffold. While developing the computational process, there was constant integration of the structural and robotic simulation. However, since the process was explored digitally, a variety of winding syntaxes enabled a filtering process of biomimetic design rules. Essentially, the computational model enabled an automated generation of the robot control code for materialization.

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Fig. 02.05 Photo by by Dr. Thomas van de Kamp and Tomy dos Santos Rolo at the ANKA Synchrotron Radiation Facility of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Micro-computer tomography of a various beetle elytron scanned for the 2013-2014 Research Pavilion. Fig. 02.06 Photo by Professor Oliver Betz at University of Tuebingen. SEM scans of Potato Beetle for the 20132014 Research Pavlion. Fig. 02.07 (page 10) Photo by ICD/ITKE Project Documentation, University of Stuttgart. Robotic fabrication in process, off site for ICD/ ITKE 2013-2014 Research Pavilion. Fig. 02.08 (page 10) Photo by Roland Halbe. Exhibit of the completed ICD/ ITKE 2013-2014 Research Pavilion.

2013-2014 ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION

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“The repercussions between principles of structural differentiation, robotic fabrication constraints and material behavior then became the drivers of the developed computational design process for generating the performative morphology.” -Integrative Computational Design Methodologies for Modular Architectural Fiber Composite Morphologies

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Moritz Döerstelmann et al, ‘Modular Coreless Filament Winding Based on Beetle Elytra,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 56-59. Marshall Prado et al, ‘Coreless Filament Winding: Robotically Fabricated Fiber Composite Building Components,’ in Wes McGee and Monica Ponce de Leon (eds), Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design, Springer (Berlin), 2014, pg 275-89.

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In the process of winding the material, there was an initial layer of glass fiber that was applied to the defined nodes then the structural carbon fibers were laid corresponding to the local load-bearing requirements. These requirements were embedded into the robot control code as a production process. In this instance, digital computation and parametric variation enabled the production of unique cells for the pavilion.

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If the 2012 stimulated the advanced design and transferring the morphological principles of fibrous systems, the objective shifted to biological lightweight construction principles for the 2013-2014 ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion. The biological principle shifted to a beetle’s elytra, which are the hardened forewings that protect the fragile flying wings against mechanical impact loads with incredibly lightweight double-layered composite shells.4 Furthermore, the robotic filament-winding technique expanded towards a collaborative dual-robot setup. Instead of the Kuka-arm placing the filament around the steel scaffold, the robots were equipped with the scaffold with re-configurable end-effectors that iteratively picked up the fiber roving from a static filament emitting point.5 The effectors and the overall shape defined the design and geometry were the result of the interaction of fibers that were layered in between the two robots. From this winding process, the double-curved surfaces from the fibers occur as the layers increase in the winding process.

Fig. 02.07 Photo by ICD/ITKE Project Documentation, University of Stuttgart. Robotic fabrication in process, off site for ICD/ITKE 2013-2014 Research Pavilion. Fig. 02.08 Photo by Roland Halbe. Exhibit of the completed ICD/ITKE 2013-2014 Research Pavilion. Fig. 02.09 Photo by ICD/ITKE Project Documentation, University of Stuttgart. Diagram of dual robot setup and the resin coated fiber composite spool. This diagram shows a collaboration of robotic automation.

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Similar to the 2012 Research Pavilion, the fibers were saturated in resin during the winding process, which would cure and harden with time. However, unlike the previous fiber composite pavilion, the automation robotic toolset involved the construction of unique parts for the pavilion (Fig. 02.09). Using this single production toolset and value reconfiguration, there were 36 unique shell modules produced for this pavilion. Each module corresponded to local shell characteristics, varied in size, geometry, and fiber layout. After the modules were prefabricated off-site, the cells were taken to the site and assembled to form the pavilion with minimal time and labor efforts. This Research Pavilion has direct comparison features with the 2016 Elytra Pavilion because of the highly variant modularity that was enabled through computer manipulation rather than physical and laborious manipulation. In addition, this pavilion accomplished to adopt a dynamic automation process as well as a dynamic aesthetic and physical experience Fig. 02.08).

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Fig. 02.07 Photo by ICD/ITKE Project Documentation, University of Stuttgart. On site robotic fabrication in process. Fig. 02.06 Photo by Roland Halbe. Exhibit of the completed ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2015.

2014-2015 ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION

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Contrary to the previous fibrous tectonic Research Pavilions, the ideology of on-site robotic fabrication was introduced rather than prefabrication. Both the biological study of the nest building process and the robotic fabrication techniques developed to adapt to the fluctuating conditions on-site supplemented this requirement. As a result, the 2014-2015 Research Pavilion explores the robotic automated adaptive fabrication strategies for fiber-reinforced pneumatic form work at an architectural demonstration scale and introduction to on-site robotic fabrication as an architectural tectonic.

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Moritz Döerstelmann et al, ‘Fiber Placement on a Pneumatic Body Based on a Water Spider Web,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 62-65.

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One appealing aspect of this natural construction is the natural technique development for building a submerged fiber reinforced pneumatic nest, meaning the layers of the spider silk were layered to trap a pocket of air using minimal form work of the air bubble. In order to adopt this biological process into a robotic process for fiber layering shell on a pneumatic shell, ICD/ITKE developed a computational tool to embed a responsive fiber layering behavior to the changing shape of the pneumatic body during construction. The difference in the production process was the transformation from the air-supported structure during construction to a self-supporting shell once the internal air is released. The robot would layer the fiber in response to the layers of ETFE skin; it would bundle more layers where loading conditions need to be reinforced and areas were the skin was seamed and cross-linking the fibers to reinforce the membrane. As a result, the biological behavior of the water spider and the behavior-based fabrication strategy became merged and shifts the instruction-based fabrication towards an automated behavioral robotic fabrication process.6

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For the third Research Pavilion extending the research branch on the fibercomposite process, the 2014-2015 Research Pavilion integrated a “weatherproof skin” based on an a biological study of a diving bell water spider. Rather than gaining morphological principles from the biological role models, this biological investigation had a focus on the process-based biomimetic principles utilized in the construction of the subaquatic nest.

Fig. 03.01 Photo by NAARO, 2016. The Elytra Filament Pavilion was installed on the North-East corner in the John Madejski Garden at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Fig. 03.02 Photo by NAARO, 2016. The Elytra Filament Pavilion was installed on the North-East corner in the John Madejski Garden at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Fig. 03.03 (page 15-16) Diagram by Helen Hyon, 2016. Plan diagram of hexagonal modules and fiber aperture variations.

03 DOCUMENTATION

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Just as the first industrial revolution enticed the spirit of experimental architects and engineers to adopt the exploration of new modes of construction and materials, the Elytra Pavilion intends to foreshadow the next industrial revolution of robotics and behavior adapting production systems enabling the emergence of new structural and material systems.

For one hexagonal module to be constructed, a 6-axis Kuka robot arm is programmed to wind resin-saturated fiber along defined nodes on a hexagon metal scaffold that rotates on a separately controlled robot. It took about three hours for the robotic fabrication to complete the fiber winding for a single module. Once the fiber is wound around the scaffold, it takes about 24 hours for the resin-coated fiber to cure and harden. After the fiber composite has hardened, the material property of the fiber become load bearing and the fiber module can be removed from the metal scaffold.

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From the plan analysis diagram in Figure 03.03 (page 15), the modules with the largest apertures have less length of fiber wound around the module. These modules with larger apertures are only located along the outer edges of the canopy. Each of the hexagonal modules that the column directly supports has a dense layer of fiber composite, smaller opening aperture, and a clear roof shield. The apertures of each hexagonal module can essentially have an infinite range of morphological permutations of fiber placement. However, the parameters of the morphology are limited to the perimeter of the cell and defined number of nodes each cell has.

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The initial canopy that was installed in May was composed of 40 hexagonal modules (Fig. 03.02). There are two basic components that make up the pavilion. First are the hexagonal canopy cells, which singularly weigh about 45-kilograms and span 2.4-meters in diameter. These cells are made up of transparent glass fiber composite and black carbon fiber composites. Most of these modules are also equipped with a translucent roof shield. The seven supporting columns are the second component to the pavilion that interfaces between the inhabitable ground and the canopy.

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The Elytra Pavilion presumes to be the culmination of the Research Pavilions developed by the architects, engineers, and researchers from the University of Stuttgart’s ICD/ITKE. The pavilion aims to demonstrate the interdisciplinary research of architecture, engineering, and biomimetic principles, the 2016 extends it’s purpose as a responsive shelter. The commissioned pavilion for the V&A Museum reiterates the biomimetic influence of the forewing shell of a beetle, studied in the 2013-2014 Research Pavilion, hence entitled “Elytra Pavilion.”

ELYTRA PAVILION TOP VIEW

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Fig. 03.04 Photo by Victoria & Albert Museum. Photograph of a single module at the ICD Fabrication Hall. Fig. 03.05 Diagram by Helen Hyon, 2016. Exploded axonometric diagram of parts of a single hexagonal module.

TRANSLUCENT SHIELD BOLTED ON 35 MODULES

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LAYERS OF FIBER COMPOSITE

FIBER COMPSITE NODE + BOLT FOR SHIELD

Similar to the Research pavilions, the innovative aspect of the robotic fabrication is the lack of a mold for the fiber composite placement in the construction process. For the initial modules that were prefabricated, the variation of fiber permutations were predetermined digitally. Whereas the modules that

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Each module has 22 defined nodes along one edge of the hexagon. There are two layers of nodes along a thin metal frame which are directly on top of each other that remain integrated in the modules after the fiber composite cures. As you can see in Figure 03.05, the thin metal frame where the defined nodes are screwed on actually remain as part of the final module. However, the nodes on the center that are initially screwed on the temporary scaffold frame are completely removed. These nodes are structurally supported by the fiber composites that become rigid after they are cured and become attached to the clear roofing shield.

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Fig. 03.06 Photo by NAARO, 2016. As do most contemporary pavilions, the Elytra Pavilion has a dual purpose as a cultural exhibition of architectural innovation. In this example, the exhibition extends it’s purpose to allow visitors to peer into the process of automation. Fig. 03.07 Elevation by Helen Hyon, 2016. Elevation view showing the minimal structural columns stabilizing the canopy of hexagonal modules.

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LOCAL PRODUCTION SITE

Fig. 03.08 Photo by Material ConneXion Italia, 2016. The on-site production is situated in between 3 columns 03.09 Photo by Victoria & Albert Museum, 2016. Detail show of Kuka wrapping the resin-coated carbon fiber composite around a node on the metal frame. Fig. 03.10 Photo by Victoria & Albert Museum, 2016. Detail show of Kuka wrapping the resin-coated carbon fiber composite around a node on the metal frame.

were fabricated on site contained permutations that responded to the data collected on the environmental and social inhibitors in duration of the exhibition.

Without the restriction of creating an elaborate structural mold and the anisotropic characteristic of the wet fiber versus the hardened fiber pronounces the first advantage of fibrous tectonics of efficient use of material. A single thread, coated with resin, has a thickness of less than 4-millimeters. Since the structural capacity is calculated digitally, there will never a single layer of thread that is unnecessary. Not only will the minimum amount of material required will be used, but it also allows for the weight of the module to be controlled.

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At the micro perspective of the process, there are infinite variations of the fiber winding process and infinite variety of structural properties that can be made with variations of combination of glass and carbon fiber composites along the defined nodes. However, the Elytra Pavilion lacks variance at the macro perspective. Although the advancement of shell variances was successfully accomplished for the 2013-2014 Research Pavilion, the canopy of the Elytra Pavilion oppose the biomimetic principles of the non-linear, non-repetitive, and individual geometry. The repetitive characteristic of the hexagonal parameters does not show a physical breakthrough as an architectural tectonic. How can the process be celebrated for the novelty of it’s innovative process when the visual aesthetic and final composition lacks an obvious innovating impact? Despite the parallel bottom-up investigation and variances in fiber placement and the accumulation and implementation of extensive research of robotic automation, the final production takes a step backwards.

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Nevertheless, it is worth dissecting the novelty of the computational design and robotic automation undertaken for the Elytra Pavilion. How can computational simulation of a synergetic approach to design and robotic fabrication, specifically as a producer of parts, become an architectural tectonic? Is it possible that it is a waste of intelligence if it still requires physical human labor and human-controlled machines to assemble?

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As mentioned before, each module uses two types of resin-saturated fibers. Utilizing the same material and structural ideology as the 2013-2014 Research Pavilion, the glass-fiber composite is applied first around the defined nodes of the metal scaffold. Figure 03.06 shows the implementation of the on-site winding process of the initial glass-fiber layer. The translucent glass-fiber composite becomes the spatial frame. Although they have a straight direction from one node to another, the cycle of fibers around the hexagonal frame creates an illusion of a parabolic geometry. Since the black-carbon fiber has a significantly higher stiffness and strength property, it is used to reinforce structural requirements on top of the glass-fiber layer.

Fig. 03.11 Photo by Victoria & Albert Museum, 2016. Detail photo of three hexagonal modules attached. Fig. 03.12 Photo by annonymous visitor. Detail photo of the nodes and layers of fiber composite on a column component. Fig. 03.13 Axonometric diagram of a single module with a large aperture. This diagram shows all the layers of the composite fibers. Fig. 03.14 Axonometric diagram of the initial glass-fiber composite that gets woven on a module. A full cycle of glass-fiber composite is layered on every module prior to getting additional layers of black carbon-fiber that corresponds to loadbearing requirements of the module. Fig. 03.15 to 03.17 Various permutations of the carbon-fiber composite is woven in response to the structura bearing-load.

DISSECTION OF FIBER VARIATIONS

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The prefabricated modules of the Elytra Pavilion has about four variations of fiber compositions. Although the binding geometry and dimensions are identitical, it is possible to have an infinite number of fiber compositions, which also lead to variations in material properties and structural strength. This is the reason why each of the columns have a different appearance - the length of fiber that was wound around the frame depends solely on how much structural reinforcement each column required to hold up the canopy. The following diagrams dissect the fiber placement variations along the nodes of the hexagonal frame:

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Fig. 04.01 Photo by MIT Design Lab of the Silk Pavilion led by Neri Oxman. Computational design with robotic fabrication of an initial “nest” prior to launching silk worms to inhabit structure. Fig. 04.02 Photo by MIT Design Lab of Silk Pavilion led by Neri Oxman. Addition of silk worms as the adaptive generator of the pavilion’s skin. Fig. 04.03 (page 31-32) Drawing by Helen Hyon, 2016. Diagram showing the fiber composite winding process of a single module. Diagram shows the parts of the process. Fig. 04.04 - Fig. 04.11 (page 33-36) Drawings by Helen Hyon, 2016. The diagrams show the accumulation of fiber composite as it attaches to a node per cycle.

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The architectural tectonic of robotic fabrication and automation is still an underdeveloped method for design and construction, but becoming more relevant and incorporated in architecture as designers begin to cross-over to an interdisciplinary approach to design.

In the case of the Elytra Pavilion, robotic fabrication allowed two major procedures. First, it allowed for a controlled anisotropic material to generate the form. It allows for multiple movements to be completely controlled and remain in-sync, while allowing for a controlled amount of resin to be coated on the fiber. This widens limits of typical building material properties to become less conforming to typical building blocks. In addition, since this process is an additive procedure, it is a much more resourceful method of material-use than the subtractive method of using robotic fabrication, such as milling.

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Secondly, this additive material robotic fabrication allows for quick variation adaptations. You only need to create the variations in the digital parameters and the robot will automatically correspond to the changes. Unlike, a human artisans, it doesn’t require the unlearning/learning process. As mentioned before, a single module for the Elytra Pavilion required about 4 hours to complete it’s winding process. If the machine can developed to be consistently reliable, automation of computational designed parts in architecture provokes the discipline to finally improve archaic methods of construction.

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“[The Elytra Pavilion embodies] the profound impact that the first industrial revolution had on architecture and showcase the experimental spirit of architects and engineers that embrace the adoption of new modes of making and materials in a truly explorative manner. In a similar way, the installation seeks to forecast how the so-called fourth industrial revolution of robotics and cyber-physical production systems enables the emergence of new structural and material systems.” –DIVASARE

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The direction towards the automation of robotic fabrication has the objective to allow architectural tectonics to become even more flexible and increase adaptability and integration. The development of robotic fabrication therefore becomes the generator of spatial, structural, and ecological exploration in architecture.

04 ROBOTIC FABRICATION

Therefore, computational design and digital simulation of material properties and structural capabilities in sync with automatic robotic fabrication is definitely a process that should be continuously explored and developed in architecture.

With a higher level of integration and cross-linking between the physical and digital domains, the utilization of robotic fabrication and automation of manufacturing has been earning better interest, with the potential to improve architectural design, engineering, and construction strategies. It’s important to realize that the robots are now enabled to have more capabilities embedded to become more self-aware, self-predict, self-configure and self-organize. Since this leads to the emergence of new cyber-physical production systems that intensely connect the physical processes of making with the virtual domain of computation and big data.7

Jay Lee, Behrad Bagheri and Hung-An Kao, ‘Recent Advances and Trends of Cyber-Physical Systems and Big Data Analytics in Industrial Informatics,’ in Proceedings of the INDIN 2014 International Conference on Industrial Informatics, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2014.

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Fig. 05.01 - Fig. 05.02 Photo by NAARO, 2016. Each photo shows the assembly process of the Elytra Pavilion in May 2016. Despite the efforts of designing a lightweight module for simple assembly, large machinery, human labor and extensive supervision was required.

05 CRITICAL ANALYSIS

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In the case of the 2014-2015 Research Pavilion, the behavioral robotic fabrication process directly affected the fiber layering process immediately. The Elytra Pavilion also attempted to integrate a behavior sensing responsive fabrication. The ideology of linking the robotic fabrication system directly with environmental and social behavior on site is novel, however the Elytra Pavilion was not a successful implementation of the strategy. To start, aside from the recordings from the sensors embedded in the modules posted on the website, the public could not be aware of how these numbers were implemented into the fiber composite variation process of the three additional modules that were made on site. In addition, it is unclear where the three additional modules were placed and why it was placed in certain locations. Why let the public know of these innovative features when details are not revealed to the public? 05.01

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As Neri Oxman introduced silk worms as the skin generator of the Silk Pavilion (Fig. 04.02), I believe it is possible to incorporate the user as the generator of form. This enables architecture as a social enabler and integrate architecture into a social duty. Similarily, it is also possible to incorporate the site, environment, or cultural values as the generator of form, as the Elytra Pavilion attempted, but in a more explicit and impactful manner. The Elytra Pavilion also disregarded biomimetic principles that the ICD/ITKE typically incorporates into their aesthetic design component. The repetition of the same parameters for the form work of every module was a setback in a design perspective. Although there was a potential to manipulate the same form work to produce a variety of geometry of each module. With the technology of computational design, parametric variations, and robotic fabrication it is critical that the aesthetic AND experience makes an impact on the users or environment. It is also important that these techniques are used at a scale that can be assembled at a human-scale. Even the assembly process of the Elytra Pavilion at the V&A Museum was too robust. Although it may have been a quick assembly process, too many machines and human supervision was required to place the modules in place (Fig. 05.01 - Fig. 05.05). The design strategy should aim to be easily assembled or disassembled and the automation robotic fabrication should become a tool for variation.

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Fig. 05.03 - Fig. 05.05 Photo by NAARO, 2016. Each photo shows the assembly process of the Elytra Pavilion in May 2016. Despite the efforts of designing a lightweight module for simple assembly, large machinery, human labor and extensive supervision was required.

REFERENCES

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Dörstelmann, Moritz. “Fibrous Lightweight Morphologies.” Tallin Architecture Biennale. Museum of Estonian Architecture, Tallinn. 9 November 2015. Exhibition Lecture. Dörstelmann, Moritz et al, ‘Integrative Computational Design Methodologies for Modular Architectural Fiber Composite Morphologies,’ in David Gerber, Alvin Huang and Jose Sanchez (eds), Design Agency: Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture, Riverside Architectural Press (Los Angeles), 2015, pp 219-28.

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Dörstelmann, Moritz et al, ‘Modular Coreless Filament Winding Based on Beetle Elytra,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 56-59.

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Knippers, Jan and Achim Menges. “Fibrous Tectonics.” Architectural Design: Material Synthesis Volume 85, 05 (2015): 40-65. Print. Lee, Jay, Behrad Bagheri and Hung-An Kao, ‘Recent Advances and Trends of Cyber Physical Systems and Big Data Analytics in Industrial Informatics,’ in Proceedings of the INDIN 2014 International Conference on Industrial Informatics, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2014. NAARO Photography. “Elytra Filament Pavilion.” Victoria & Albert Museum. 2016. Menges, Achim, et al, ‘Coreless Filament Winding Based on the Morphological Principles of an Arthropod Exoskeleton,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 50-53. Prado, Marshall et al, ‘Coreless Filament Winding: Robotically Fabricated Fiber Composite Building Components,’ in Wes McGee and Monica Ponce de Leon (eds), Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design, Springer (Berlin), 2014, pp 275-89.

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Fabricius, Daniela, “E14” Radical Pedagogies, Princeton University.

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Dörstelmann, Moritz et al, ‘Fiber Placement on a Pneumatic Body Based on a Water Spider Web,’ Material Synthesis: Fusing the Physical and the Computational, Architectural Design, Wiley (London), 2015, pg 62-65.

ELYTRAPAVILION V&AMUSEUM | LONDON | ICD/ITKE | MAY-NOVEMBER2016

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H E L E N H Y O N UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | FALL 2016 | ARCHITECTURE 793A | MEREOLOGY | JOSE SANCHEZ

ELYTRAPAVILION V&AMUSEUM | LONDON | ICD/ITKE | MAY-NOVEMBER2016

H E L E N H Y O N UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | FALL 2016 | ARCHITECTURE 793A | MEREOLOGY | JOSE SANCHEZ