gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

cory mattheisarch486

case study

As digital design techniques take root in the architectural profession, we are faced with the possibility to develop increasingly complex forms, spaces and textures. Polemical discourse surrounding the topic of algorithmic design has brought to light not only the extreme potential of the processes, but also the responsibility that must be taken on by those who employ the systems.

Swiss architects Grazamio & Kohler take on new formal challenges while attempting to maintain a clear consruc-tion logic. This bottom up approach allows the designers to focus on the possibilites of a single material, mod-ule, or shape. Through standard rep-etition and variable orientation unex-pected results are achieved. The work exploits the extreme accuracy and speed of digital tools as a means of offsetting the otherwise exorbitant time committments needed during con-struction. This approach yeilds inter-esting results but ultimately reveals a dependance on robotics- rendering the systems inaccessible to most design-ers and tradespeople.

The following case study will look spe-cifically at Gramazio & Kohler’s brick wall systems, developed at the ETH in Zurich between 2006 and the present.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

The design process appears to begin with the selection of a specific material, research into its historical uses, and a new position about its place in contem-pory building processes. In this case, the goal was to redefine the possibility of the brick wall systems to allow for variable light and air transmittance. Historically, this sort of work has been accomplished only by the most skilled masons. Exam-ples of these analog techniques can be seen in the work by Uruguayan architect Eladio Dieste (see fig 1).

Gramazio and Kohler try to avoid purely formal pursuits by employing mathemati-cal algorithms which organize the indi-vidual bricks. The architects state, “The students defined not the geometry of the wall, but the constructive logic according to which the material was organized in a particular temporal order, and which thus produced an architectonic form.”

fig. 1 The Church of Christ the Worker, Atlantida, Uraguay. 1958.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Each module is defined in digital space, then the orientation informa-tion is translated to a robot arm which precisely places each block. The robot also lays a bonding agent on the top of each brick as it is laid so the next block will adhere to the one prior.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Wall prototypes from the ETH work-shops- experiments in porosity, texture, and form.

After completing walls made from brick, the team opted to try lightweight ver-sions made from wood. The result is a similar tectonic expression with the new possibility of horizontal bonding.This variation in the experiment reveals the team’s interest in structural economy and material efficiency alongside com-plex form.

As numerous permutations emerge from the same construction logic, the system conveys its versatility. However, given the work load on the front end of the de-sign process (developing complex algo-rithms, custom modelling software, and machine code), the speed of production may be an illusion only made possible by countless hours in the studio

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Shop fabricated panels are inserted into concrete frames, shipped to the site, and hoisted into place on the final building assembly.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Robotic shop fabrication can allow for extreme variability without sacrificing the time frame or budget of a project, but what about more site specific project? Can the efficiency of the shop be trans-planted to the field?

To address this issue Gramazio & Kohler, together with the ETH developed a mobile robot capable of precision shop assemblies on site. The same robotic arm was repackaged into a shipping container sized box capable of unfolding once it arrived on site. The limitations of “ROB” became evident as it could only lay walls up to the width of the container itself.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Tracks within the container allow the robotic arm to slide back and forth to a width of about 15 feet.

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Pike Loop, ManhattanNew York 2009

Inspired by the problem of limited fabri-cation length, the architects developed a more mobile version of the original ROB. This solution was much simpler than most of their work- placing the container on a flatbed trailer. Now the whole as-sembly is able to move across the whole width of the site, allowing for continuous wall construction.

This shift away from the highly controlled atmosphere of the shop setting intro-duces the possibility for many problems to occur... such as the robot losing track of its place as it no longer has a “world coordinate sytem.”

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Structural OscillationsVenice2007-2008

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Gantenbein Vineyard FacadeFläsch, Switzerland2006

gramazio & kohlerw i t h E T H - z u r i c h

Works Cited

http://www.gramaziokohler.com/

http://gonzalezpedemonte1.blogspot.com/2006/11/eladio-alabeandoconstruyendo.html

http://www.dfab.arch.ethz.ch/web/e/forschung/index.html