Thesis Projects
Numerical Sculpting for Fabrication-Informed Spatial Printing
This thesis develops a method for creating fabrication-informed geometry through Volumetric Modelling (VM), exploring its application in wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) connections for robotically fabricated structures and proposing a new design language for WAAM connections.
Student: Ioanna Mitroupolou
Thesis Supervisors: Inés Ariza, Mathias Bernhard
Additive Nodes for Non-Regular Space Frames
This thesis develops a computational tool for creating 3D-printable nodes for non-regular timber space frames, simplifying the geometric and logistical complexities of mass customization and enabling designers to explore unique, structurally innovative compositions.
Student: Alexander Enz
Thesis Supervisors: Marirena Kladeftira, Matthias Leschok
Design for Concrete Extrusion Printing
This thesis explores the potential of Concrete Extrusion Printing for creating bespoke, freeform architectural structures, proposing a new design language that leverages the method's materiality, geometric flexibility, and fabrication constraints to produce novel aesthetic expressions for concrete.
Students: Angela Yoo, Jun Su
Thesis Supervisors: Ana Anton, Lex Reiter
Augmented On-Site Brickwork
This thesis explores the use of Augmented Reality (AR) to enable complex brickwork assemblies, combining human dexterity with digital precision to create spatial designs that integrate performance factors like acoustics, daylight, and structure.
Student: Fernando Ceña Martínez
Thesis Supervisors: Kathrin Dörfler, Selen Ercan, Tobias Bonwetsch, Timothy Sandy
Flexible Formwork for Concrete Curves
This thesis develops a flexible formwork system using 3D-printed TPU joints and PE pipes to create thin concrete curves, employing material behavior and computation as tools for form-finding, calibration, and fabrication through physical prototyping and simulation.
Student: Francisco Regalado
Thesis Supervisor: Rena Giesecke
FDM Formwork for Discrete Concrete Stairs
This thesis explores the use of FDM formwork for high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete to produce customizable large-scale building components, demonstrated through the design and fabrication of a sculptural staircase that enhances architectural space.
Students: Georgia Chousou, Matteo Lomaglio
Thesis Supervisor: Andrei Jipa
Performative Digital Composites for Lightweight Furniture
This thesis develops a computational design and fabrication system using lightweight materials (PLA and CFRP) and 3D printing technology to create adaptive, multi-material furniture, optimizing material efficiency and performance through topological design.
Students: Moon Young Jeong, Frank Cheng-Huang Lin
Thesis Supervisor: Hyunchul Kwon
Robotic Concrete Spraying and Surface Articulation
This thesis develops the Robotic AeroCrete method for producing thin-shell textile-reinforced concrete structures with articulated surface textures, using robotic spraying on permeable formwork, validated through a demonstrator for a bus stop.
Students: Jetana Ruangjun, Nizar Taha
Thesis Supervisors: Alexander Nikolas Walzer, Kathrin Dörfler
New Timber-Timber Connections for Robotic Joinery
This thesis explores the use of CNC milling and multi-robotic collaborative assembly to develop interlocking wood-to-wood connections for linear elements, rethinking traditional craft and improving assembly processes through digital fabrication.
Student: Sahar Barzani
Thesis Supervisor: Aleksandra Anna Apolinarska
Spatial Nodes, Oriented Dowels
This thesis investigates the potential of spatially inclined dowels as a joint typology for timber elements, exploring its adaptability and performance through computational methods to enhance structural stiffness in large aggregated systems.
Student: Yao Wang
Thesis Supervisors: David Jenny, Andreas Thoma, Dr. Mario Rinke
Augmented Metal
This thesis presents Neuronal Stool, a series of stools created using a generative design engine that combines 3D-printed sand moulds and aluminum casting, enabling users to explore design alternatives while considering material behavior and fabrication constraints.
Students: Haruna Okawa, ZongRu Wu
Thesis Supervisors: Aghaei Meibodi Mania, Benjamin Dillenburger
Rebar Assemblies
This thesis presents a computational framework for generating and structurally validating reinforcement layouts in concrete surfaces, using stress-aligned reinforcement lines and non-linear finite analysis to optimize reinforcement distribution.
Student: Rafael Pastrana
Thesis Supervisor: Zhao Ma