Due to technological innovations free-form shapes in architecture can be seen more often nowadays. For instance in façades, roofs and pavilions. In between this design shape and actual producible shape lays a complex process that has to do with approximating and subdividing this shape in economically producible panels. Restrictions for production depend on the used materials, production techniques and the method of assembly. The aim of this research is to develop a method for manufacturing free-form steel structures – with a guarantee for high accuracy – relying only on a CNC laser cutter. This methodology consist out of three parts. The first part focusses on generating a quadrangular subdivision based on the topology of the shape. The second part explains a global approach that increases the developability in the panels, while maintaining a certain accuracy to the original shape. Lastly the modified geometry is transformed to structural elements on which a preliminary structural analysis is executed to provide an estimation of the required dimensions of the elements.

As part of my graduation within Architecture, Explore Lab, I want to develop a method to help future residents and other involved parties of a collaborative housing group, to compile a clear and plenary design brief in order to create a coherent architectural design. After developing and applying this method I will redesign a former school building into a collaborative home. Setting up a design brief is mostly neglected in collaborative projects. Often, future residents discuss their demands, wishes and ideas only amongst themselves during informal gatherings, even though this is an important factor in the eventual designing of their space. In my master thesis, I want to develop a method to help future residents and other involved parties of a collaborative housing group, to create a clear and plenary design brief. By applying this method to develop the design brief, I will gain knowledge on the demands and wishes of future cohousing residents and supply further knowledge on the spatial and social dimensions of collaborative housing. After this I will implement the results of the research and method into a design project. With these results, I will start the design of a fictional collaborative housing project.

The current research is part of a trans-disciplinary discussion on the long-lasting impact of the acoustic environment on cognitive performance, literacy and auditory perception for preschool children, aiming to underlie the increasing necessity to perfectly tune every-day facilities such as schools and work spaces, rather than only performance auditoriums. The main focus is placed on improving speech intelligibility, which is the task of recognizing the message from the din, by evaluating the speech-in-noise perception. The research is based on a promising hypothesis that hybrid devices should allow for low-frequency absorption and high-frequency diffusion which correspond to certain properties of vowels and consonants respectively. Given the transition to the modern aesthetics of the flat wall, compared to the inherent complexity of surface ornamentation in the past, there is a growing demand to provide acoustic solutions that allow for a higher level of complexity towards an improved acoustic environment. The effect of periodicity on a uniform scattered distribution is investigated by examining different geometrical patterns, aiming to convert traditional materials into sound controlling devices. Customized and mass-produced versions are developed,arguing whether a lower level of complexity can meet the same goals if certain low-level rules with high level of self-organization are applied, introducing the idea of simplicity and architectural smartness by preserving the economy of means for the end users. Last but not least, since speech transmission is related to spatial context and surface properties, both the macro-scale and micro-scale are examined.

The study envisions an open-source toolbox for designers for generating design alternatives providing a deeper understanding on how periodicity affects the acoustics of a given space. Since periodic surfaces reduce the complexity of the reflected sound field, designers are encouraged to focus on a-periodic patterns aiming for a non-repetitive sequence via the geometry articulation.Further it suggests the manipulation of certain parameters, such as period,depth-to-width ratio and well width, towards an integrated workflow to achieve an optimized acoustic design. These alternatives can then be used as input fora software similar to Pachyderm Acoustics plug-in for Grasshopper, in order to get a glimpse which of those showcase a high scattering performance within the relevant frequency range. This should for no reason substitute the necessity for a thorough acoustical study as a next step but would however, involve designers more actively in the initial process of form-finding, while gaining awareness of the impact of their design choices on the acoustic environment.