The physical infrastructures needed for hands-on learning can be enhanced for efficiency and flexibility, meeting the rising student interest and adapting to the evolving educational landscapes. This article presents the ongoing development of a Hybrid Learning Environment (HLE) that adopts a blended approach to teaching robotics in design disciplines like architecture, building technology, and industrial design. Common platforms cannot replicate the experience of a physical learning space with tangible tools and materials, which are essential for hands-on learning in design education. This project tackles these concerns through an HLE that integrates VR and Robotics. The HLE includes a digital twin of the physical workspace created using a game engine. Different methods were explored to establish communication between physical and virtual environments. The empirical analysis of a preliminary version of the HLE demonstrates that it can enhance learning by making it more intuitive and engaging, making it easier to understand the complex operations of the robotic arm. The study also highlights further research directions, including addressing network security and latency issues, integrating multisensory approaches, and tackling the challenges in collaborative learning activities.@en

We present a Hybrid Learning Environment (HLE) that supports collaborative learning in architectural robotics. The demand for robotics education has been growing owing to changes in related industries. This education requires specific physical equipment and skilled instructors, making it both time- and resource-intensive. To address this issue, new teaching methods and technologies are needed to make them more accessible using scarce resources. We introduced an ongoing project that responds to this need by integrating Virtual Reality (VR) and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) technologies in an educational context. This project addresses educational activities in study programmes in which hands-on design thinking is fundamental, such as architecture, building technology, and product design studies. These programmes involve courses in which students use tangible tools and materials to develop, analyse, and present their ideas. They built physical models and prototypes to explore the spatial and material qualities of a design concept and to understand how a design would work in the physical world. These models are tools for students to think and interfaces for communication between fellow students and educators. [...]@en

This paper presents a novel approach to developing Digital Learning Resources (DLR) for Design Computation (DC). Learning DC requires the students to develop cognitive skills in algorithmic thinking and practical skills in using specific software. Few learning resources integrate cognitive and practical skills, often prioritizing the skills related to tool use with a focus on software functionalities. They typically follow linear narratives in audio-visual or text-based tutorials, which do not align well with the essence of computational thinking. The DLR presented in this paper is a self-paced learning resource that integrates a web of interconnected concepts, methods, tools, and instructions on a non-linear interface, and it aligns better with the divergent qualities of computational design thinking. It is developed for an MSc-level course that introduces computational design. This paper presents its design and implementation, evaluation of its pilot use, and directions for future improvements.@en

Along with the circular bioeconomy principles, alternative ways of utilizing biomass waste streams are considered viable approaches to reaching sustainability goals. Accordingly, a growing body of literature is exploring new materials utilizing biomass in 3D-printing applications. This article presents early-stage research that initially investigates the usability of bamboo fibers and dust with bio-based binders in 3D printing towards its use in the design and production of the built environments. The research delves into solutions through a material tinkering approach to develop a bio-based composite material that can be used in fused deposition modeling (FDM). It includes mechanical strength analyses of printed specimens to understand the effects of different infill designs on the structural performance of objects printed using bamboo-based composite. Then, it demonstrates a design-to-production workflow that integrates a mechanically informed infill pattern within a self-supporting wall design that can be produced by 3D printing with bamboo. The workflow is presented with a partial demonstrator produced through robotic 3D printing. The article concludes with discussions and recommendations for further research. @en

This article presents an educational undertaking to integrate earthquake management subjects into the curriculum, specifically in a master's-level design studio course within an architecture faculty. The course explores the employment of challenge-based learning (CBL) and self-directed learning (SDL) principles, emphasizing computation for earthquake resilience and recovery. It is taught with a teaching team with diverse expertise, and it is formulated as an interdisciplinary learning environment that leads to the development of projects that explore know-how beyond the typical disciplinary boundaries of the students’ backgrounds. The article suggests that employing the principles of CBL and SDL, emphasizing computational thinking as a transversal competence, and introducing digital technologies into the course content and teaching methods can lead to an effective interdisciplinary learning environment that improves students’ motivation and agency. They can allow the students to take the initiative in extending their disciplinary knowledge and encourage their self-positioning as problem solvers. The projects formulated and developed by the students address all four phases of earthquake management through computational methods and digital technologies. Accordingly, it is suggested that computational earthquake management can be studied as an interdisciplinary research field that can address all phases of earthquake management, influencing both educational and professional domains. This article presents this course’s pedagogical approach, learning methods, and outcomes. It is concluded with an evaluation of this experience, highlighting directions towards future research. It is suggested that it can give insights into the effective integration of this subject into education and influence future research and professional explorations at the intersection of computation and earthquake management within interdisciplinary learning environments.@en

This article presents a project that explores the potential of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for designing and fabricating multi-functional building components for improved climate performance. In this project, an innovative façade wall design was developed by using a computational method in an attempt to integrate a displacement ventilation system into the wall. A robotic AM solution is integrated into the workflow as a potentially feasible fabrication method for the resulting wall design with an intricate geometry. Clay is proposed as the AM material, being a potential low-carbon building material. To this end, a material exploration of clay was conducted to develop an appropriate composite for AM. A displacement ventilation system was developed to achieve better indoor air quality by using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. Subsequently, an AM solution was integrated into the workflow to automate the fabrication phase. Finally, a partial prototype of the design was made through AM with clay to demonstrate the feasibility and observe the material qualities of the final product. The proposed workflow proves applicable, highlighting directions for future research.@en

Under urgent sustainability targets, the building industry craves for renewable and recyclable biomaterials as cellulose is a fiber; Lignin is a plant-derived low-cost polymer with remarkable properties, yet its valorization is in its infancy. Recent studies have shown potentials to combine cellulose and lignin into a renewable bio-based material for the built environment, with the use of additive manufacturing to allow geometric customization and local control of material. However, previous studies also highlighted crucial issues to be solved. One main challenge is the lack of knowledge on combinations of lignin and cellulose with different binders to achieve a paste suitable for 3D printing, leading to a material applicable in the built environment. To contribute overcoming the challenge, this research aimed to explore various combinations of cellulose, lignin, and binders and to study the extrudability of the resulting paste using a clay extruder installed on a robotic arm. Several combinations were explored, evaluated, and compared. The four recipes with the highest scores were used to produce samples for tensile and three-point bending tests, water absorption and retention tests, and microscope analysis. The overall outcome has shown similarities between the mechanical properties of the mixture developed using methylcellulose as the binding agent and rigid polymer foams, such as the ones commonly used as insulation panels. Moreover, the material mix with the highest score in the preliminary assessment was further applied to fabricate samples with varied geometries to assess its potential and limitations combined with the fabrication process. Finally, two demonstrators were produced to explore the printing process for different geometric configurations: conceptual window frame and structural node were designed, and 3D printed as proof of concept.@en

Pomace (2022) is a documentary film that explores the concept of circularity through a narrative on olive cultivation.

How can the olive inspire us towards a more sustainable future? In Pomace, the intrinsic and traditional circular qualities of olive cultivation is explored in rural western Anatolia. The film illustrates what circularity is, based on a narrative on the olive, by presenting its socio-cultural, economic, technological and environmental dynamics. It also includes the endeavor of a group of designers who develops a circular bioplastic by using the residues of olive oil extraction, and to design products by using it.@en

The paper explores the potentials of shape memory alloys (SMAs) for the design of autoreactive façade systems without using additional external energy. The exploration is conducted and assessed through the design of a façade concept for the city of Athens in Greece, aiming to improve both the indoor and outdoor environment by means of a kinetic autoreactive system featuring a dual-seasonal function, with a focus on the building’s direct and indirect impact on the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The paper covers a demonstration of the methodology followed, using a feedback-loop logic informed by environmental and energy performance evaluation studies in Grasshopper to optimize the geometry and movement of the shading component. During the façade design process, a comprehensive and systematic computational toolset is being developed, targeted on the abovementioned performance evaluation studies. Through the development and assessment of the façade concept, the objective is to explore the potentials and limitations for the application of autoreactive envelopes in the façade design. At the same time, the aim is to exploit the possibilities and optimization potentials offered through the developed iterative computational workflows, by showcasing the methodology and interoperability logic of the digital tools used for the data interchange.@en

This paper presents a completed research project that proposes a new approach for creating circular buildings through the use of biodegradable, in situ resources with the help of computational design and digital fabrication technologies. Common Reed (Phragmites Australis) is an abundantly available natural material found throughout the world. Reed is typically used for thatch roofing in Europe, providing insulation and a weather-tight surface. Elsewhere, traditional techniques of weaving and bundling reeds have long been used to create entire buildings. The use of a digital production chain was explored as a means towards expanding the potential of reed as a sustainable, locally produced, construction material. Following an iterative process of designing from the micro to the macro scale and by experimenting with robotic assembly, the result is a reed-based system in the form of discrete components that can be configured to create a variety of structures.@en

Tasarım düşüncesine dönük kanıksanmış ve yaygın anlayışlar günümüzün dertlerini çözmede yetersiz kalıyor. Bu anlayışların özünde tasarımın öncelikle insan ihtiyaçlarını gidermeye dönük bir problem çözme eylemi olarak kavranışı söz konusu. Sonuç olarak da bu ihtiyaçları gidermek üzere geliştirilen ürünler, sisteme çözülmesi gereken yeni problemler dâhil ederek tasarımın büyük ölçekte bakıldığında bir problem yaratma eylemi haline gelmesine de sebep oluyor. Tasarım bu haliyle bazı insan ihtiyaçlarını başarıyla giderebilse de dâhil olduğu sistemin bütünü göz ardı edilerek yaratıldığından farklı katmanlarda çözülmesi gereken yeni sorunları da beraberinde getiriyor. Burada kastettiğim sistem, hem ürünün hem de onu geliştiren ve kullanan insanın bir parçası olduğu ekolojik, toplumsal ve ekonomik her türlü yapıya referans verebilir. Bu yazı tasarımı ekosistem bağlamında; yani ekolojiyle, doğayla ve onun döngüleriyle kurduğu ilişkiler düzeyinde ele almayı hedefliyor.@en

Additive Manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing) technology has become a global phenomenon. In the domain of heritage, 3D printing is seen as a time and cost efficient method for restoring vulnerable architectural structures. The technology can also provide an opportunity to reproduce missing or destroyed cultural heritage, in the cases of conflicts or environmental threats. This project takes the Hippolytuskerk in the Dutch village of Middelstum, as a case study to explore the limits of the existing technology, and the challenges of 3D printing of cultural heritage. Architectural historians, modelling experts, and industrial scientists from the universities of Delft and Eindhoven have engaged with diverse aspects of 3D printing, to reproduce a selected part of the 15th century church. This experimental project has tested available technologies to reproduce a mural on a section of one of the church’s vault with maximum possible fidelity to material, colors and local microstructures. The project shows challenges and opportunities of today’s technology for 3D printing in heritage, varying from the incapability of the scanning technology to capture the existing cracks in the required resolution, to the high costs of speciality printing, and the limited possibilities for combining both printing techniques for such a complex structure.

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The paper presents an ongoing research about the design and a possible use of a responsive flexible mold. The mold is developed by integrating its precedents with automation and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The objective of the design is to provide an immersive design tool which has direct link to fabrication. It allows intuitive interaction to its user in order to help with the design and production of complex forms by supporting the designer's implicit skills with computer. The paper presents the design by illustrating the use of the hardware such as the actuators, the sensor and the projector; and by defining the workflow within the software. The paper concludes with the description of a possible use case in which the system is used to design and materialize an object in different scales.@en

This proceeding presents the process and outputs of a collaborative workshop which was held between Yașar University in Turkey and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The aim of the workshop was to observe the educational potentials of a custom-made formwork device towards teaching CAD/CAM to architecture students. This flexible formwork, which we call FlexiMold, is a hybrid device that is used manually by following computerized numeric information. The students designed an architectural object which has a complex shape and used this formwork to fabricate it in actual scale. We present the workshop objectives, process and outcomes in this proceeding.@en

This paper presents an ongoing project which aims to develop an HCI application. The purpose of the application is to introduce tactile experience into digital design cycle and to have transparent links between different phases of the design object. Thus, it will provide a hybrid design environment in which design conception and manufacturing are integrated and enhanced learning opportunities towards an architectural education where making is fundamental.@en

This paper shares findings from the project DevA (Developable surfaces in Architecture), a research by design based project developed a collaboration between academic and industry partners. The project aims to investigate the use of curved sheet material in architecture using hybridised 3D modelling and pattern cutting techniques. The project investigates how digital design and fabrication technologies enable the development of new structural concepts through the new means of material specification and detailing at unprecedented levels of precision. The paper presents speculative research project as well as the demonstrator Reef Pattern.@en