The Weave - An Investigation into the Intersection of Craft and 3D-printing

Abstract: This project is a proposal for structural construction through fabrication and assembly of 3D-printed ceramic bricks developed side by side with a metaphysical investigation into the potential to express the living nature of matter through its material and formal attributes. Through an explorative process in the intersection of craft and digital fabrication, we have developed a system for LDM extrusion of composite bricks consisting of an outer ceramic shell and a low-density cementitious core, an integrated design flow based on procedural generation of fractal patterns and topological weaving, and an assembly logic capable of complex architectural expressions. The project consists of a series of prototypes leading up to the making of a 1:2 scale section of an architectural pavilion. The iterative prototypes consist of a column and a self-supporting arch, and the final section is composed of a number of interwoven elements forming a unified object. In the crafting of each structure, we built a progressively increasing control of the integrated fabrication, design, and assembly process.