Thesis Projects
Robotic Assembly of Self-Interlocking Spatial Structures
This thesis explores automated assembly of lightweight space frames using 3D-printed interlocking joints, enabling prefabricated modules to be efficiently assembled on-site with drones and robotic arms, reducing material use and human labour.
Students: Pascal Bach & Ilaria Giacomini
Thesis Supervisor: Marirena Kladeftira
In Collaboration With: Marco Hutter, Robotic Systems Lab
Ground Truth: Data-Driven Robotic Sand Excavation
This research leverages machine learning, specifically generative adversarial networks (GANs), to predict complex sand behaviour and optimize robotic excavation trajectories, integrating material behaviour into fabrication data and exploring feedback loops for design exploration.
Students: Ko Tsuruta & Simon Griffioen
Thesis Supervisors: Ryan Luke Johns, Jesús Medina Ibáñez
Robotic Sand Dropping
This thesis investigates a robotic additive manufacturing technique for depositing sand droplets, developing a custom end-effector and computational workflow to explore material behaviour, geometric performance, and design potential of ephemeral sand structures.
Student: Yen Fen Chan
Thesis Supervisors: Jesús Medina Ibáñez, David Jenny
Material Consultant: Anna Szabó
3D Printing for Kinetic Architecture: Rigidity, Flexibility, and Actuation
This thesis explores the integration of 3D printing and shape memory alloys (SMAs) to develop energy-efficient, noise-free, and durable shape-morphing elements for kinetic architecture, addressing challenges of traditional motor-driven systems.
Student: Priyank Soni
Thesis Supervisors: Kwon Hyunchul, Prof. Dr. Moslem Shahverdi (Empa)
Skin and Bone: Eggshell 3D Printed Formwork with Mesh Mould Reinforcement
This thesis explores the integration of Eggshell 3D printing and Mesh Mould reinforcement systems to develop a combined ‘skin and bones’ constructive system for waste-free, non-standard concrete construction, demonstrated through prototypical wall models.
Student: Beril Önalan
Thesis Supervisors: Joris Burger, Dr. Ena Lloret-Fritschi, Dr. Ammar Mirjan
4D Printed Formworks for Concrete Spraying
This thesis explores the use of 4D printing to create permeable, sprayable formworks for concrete, investigating its potential to automate and optimize the shaping process within the AeroCrete project while reducing material use and manual labour.
Students: Wei Chengyuan & Guillaume Jami
Thesis Supervisors: Ena Lloret-Fritschi, Selen Ercan Jenny, Nicolas Feihl, Hamilton Forsythe
Imprinting Concrete with Glass Inlays
This thesis develops a robotic fabrication method combining 3D concrete printing and pick-and-place processes to construct a transparent concrete wall, integrating recycled glass elements during printing and culminating in a 1:1 prototype to evaluate the system.
Students: Liya Sunny Anthraper & Wei-Ting Chen
Thesis Supervisors: Ana Anton, Eleni Skevaki, Lex Reiter
Ice Formwork System for Concrete Shell Structures
This thesis develops a material-efficient framework for casting non-standard concrete elements in shell structures, integrating computational design with ice formwork to optimize material placement, enhance structural depth, and achieve unique ornamental and lighting qualities.
Student: Artemis Maneka
Thesis Supervisor: Vasily Sitnikov
Thesis Consultant: Juney Lee
Graded Ice Matrix Structures
This thesis explores the use of ice formwork for spatially graded concrete elements, investigating ice aggregate geometry, size, and packing densities to optimize structural integrity and advance sustainable, no-waste concrete casting for architectural applications.
Student: Lena Kitani
Thesis Supervisor: Vasily Sitnikov
Advisor: Ena Lloret Fritschi
Augmented Wood Construction
This thesis explores the use of computational design and augmented reality (AR) to design, fabricate, and assemble intricate woodwork, applying the method to a full-scale balustrade prototype for the historic Schatzalp hotel in Davos, addressing challenges in preserving and adapting historic construction elements.
Student: Carlos Wilkening
Thesis Supervisors: Petrus Aejmalaeus-Lindström, Lauren Vasey, Matthias Helmreich, Fabian Kastner
In Collaboration With: Tim Sandy, Fadri Furrer (INCON)
Immersive Collaboration: Virtual and Augmented Reality for Onsite Fabrication
This thesis develops an XR system connecting AR and VR devices to enable real-time, bidirectional collaboration between onsite and offsite users, demonstrating its potential to improve communication, prevent design deviations, and streamline fabrication through two case studies of interactive, site-specific installations.
Students: Evgenia Angelaki & Foteini Salveridou
Thesis Supervisors: Daniela Mitterberger, Romana Rust, Lauren Vasey