Architecture

Resumen. El presente artículo se posiciona en la brecha existente entre una múltiple proliferación de métodos de diseño asistido por computador, y una prácticamente nula innovación en los procesos constructivos que los materializan. Se desarrolla una estrategia sistemática ...

This article reports on our current explorations on systemizable tasks of architectural design and parametric design supported by rule-based generation methods of spatial configuration alternatives to assist user-design processes of progressive development low-cost dwellings. This exploration is part of an ongoing major research towards an integrated planning support system for low-income housing; we called Esther, which is focused on the development of a network-based set of tools to support logistics of self-designed /-built dwellings life-cycle. Esther addresses the systemized collaborative work between dwellers and specialists during the whole development cycle of dwellings.

The ongoing research is focused on the development of a low-cost solar tracking system to improve domestic fixed PV installations which performance is dramatically diminished due to the absence of reorientation mechanisms to maximize solar energy capture. A straightforward way to reduce fabrication and maintenance costs of a domestic solar tracking system is to avoid the use of photoresistors. Most solar trackers use photoresistors to reorient their PV panels. However, the daily and seasonal solar path is well known and its variation is negligible when comparing photoresistor-based and preprogrammed reorientation against the amount of solar energy that is captured.

En esta ponencia contrastaremos la utilización desde el punto de vista analítico de la maqueta arquitectónica y el modelo científico en los trabajos desarrollados en la asignatura de tercer año, Historia de las Estructuras y la Construcción, cuyo objetivo es la producción de herramientas de aprendizaje y desarrollo de la creatividad en el proyecto de arquitectura. Para la discusión se utilizaron recientes experiencia de la asignatura del Ciclo Formativo (1° a 3 er año) Métodos Computacionales en Arquitectura, teniendo esta última como objetivo principal, desarrollar el pensamiento estructurado (a veces llamado pensamiento algorítmico o también pensamiento computacional) para resolver problemas de aplicación en Arquitectura empleando métodos y herramientas computacionales. Palabras claves: representación arquitectónica, malla curricular, complejidad, reproducción a escala, razonamiento basado en modelos.

This article describes a systematic implementation of an explored technology-transfer model, looking for an optimization of building, enlargement or equipments processes in the housing industry. For achieving that optimization, a heterogeneous group of manufacturing activities are studied according to the UN Classifications Registry (UN 2007), and their application in the chilean industry is evaluated. The explored model has been formulated according to Senn’s (1992) method of prototype design, and the method of information systems development based on its life-cycle. Finally, by using a Visual Programming Language (VPL) interface, the model is applied for the formulation of the design problem of a customized constructive component. In this case, the component is a sanitary services pack. The proposal includes an experimental Graphic-User Interface (GUI), where each client configures the constructive components according to his particular requirements.

Palabras clave/ Representación, plan de estudio, reproducción a escala, modelación. Keywords/ Representation, study plan, scale reproduction, modeling. Recepción/ 2 marzo 2015 Aceptación/ 6 abril 2015 RESUMEN/ En este artículo contrastaremos la utilización, desde el punto de vista analítico, de la maqueta arquitectónica y el modelo científico en los trabajos de la asignatura Historia de las Estructuras y la Construcción, utilizando para la discusión recientes experiencias de la asignatura Métodos Computacionales en Arquitectura. La modelación científica de un objeto o fenómeno es la traducción a un lenguaje formal sobre el cual se permita operar universalmente, siendo el modelo una representación simplificada de una entidad o proceso complejos. Aunque en la maqueta y el modelo se representan las partes y sus relaciones, las diferencias están en el modo y las técnicas específicas de traducción del objeto de análisis, surgiendo como dilema que si para la innovación es necesario reestructurar la traducción de los objetos de análisis, cuál de las dos herramientas de aprendizaje es más significativa para el estudiante: la maqueta o el modelo. ABSTRACT/ This article compares-from an analytical point of view-the use of a scale model and the scientific model in the works of the subject on History of Structures and Construction, using recent experiences in the subject on Computer Tools in Architecture. The scientific modeling of an object or phenomenon is a translation to a formal language that can be operated universally, where the model is a simplified representation of a complex entity or process. While the scaled model and the model represent parts and their relationships, the differences lie in the modes and in the specific translation techniques of the object under analysis. The dilemma that emerges is whether innovation requires a restructuring of the translation of the objects under analysis, and which of the two learning tools has more meaning for students, the scaled model or the model.

The architectural heritage of Valparaíso, Chile is disappearing before our eyes while all the conventional resources to reverse this situation seem to have been exhausted. A large portion of the existing historic building substance consists of timber frames that succumb one after another to weathering, termites and structural fires. The acute shortage of traditional timber framers and a weak local heritage industry feed investors' disinterest in preserving the original structural conception of these timberframed buildings when they need restoration or rehabilitation. There is a need for technological innovation enabling one-off production of complex-skilled joinery at competitive costs. Robotic machining emerges as a flexible and customizable alternative to the missing timber framers and the insensible substitution of original timber joints for metal fasteners. We present a proof-of-concept of parametric 3D modelling and robot path generation using a single visual scripting environment integrated to CAD software that requires no knowledge of robot programming and might encourage designers as well as small-and medium-sized manufacturers to develop a local heritage industry. Several classes of timber joints found in Valparaíso were parameterized and instances thereof manufactured by a six-axis industrial robot with a spindle mounted thereon to gain empirical knowledge of the entire process. Experimental results show that procedural modelling of parts, assemblies, and tool paths in the tested visual scripting environment is time-consuming and rather complicated for conventional architectural thinking, but is largely compensated by its software and hardware interaction potential.

We present a proof of concept of parametric 3D models of fully associative geometry and milling tool paths for the robotic machining of traditional timber joints, using a visual robot-programming environment integrated into a popular CAD software. A representative sample of traditional timber joints was obtained from a field survey conducted in Valparaíso, Chile. Each specimen was theoretically validated in nearly half a hundred carpentry treatises and manuals corresponding to the historical period in which the surveyed buildings were built. Parametric robotic milling prototypes were experimentally validated in manufacturing process using two industrial robots with different spindles and cutting tools.

We present an ongoing research project focused on the development of more efficient setups for cooperative multi-robot systems in 3D-printed construction. Early kinematic simulations of a mobile robotic cell prototype with two ceiling-mounted orbiting manipulators have provided new insights into 3D printing topology. An extrusion nozzle is mounted on each collaborative robot whose primary function is to match the extrusion path to the print contour while they move along a circular path. The challenge of setting up on site a semi-structured environment for cooperative multi-robot 3D printing led us to think up a new species of construction 3D printer.

We present a novel workflow for timber joinery robotics in low-rise building construction. A parametric 3D model that associates architectural design, structure geometry and robotic fabrication information was implemented using only CAD-based visual robot programming. Our case study is the design and manufacturing process of a two-story timber-framed dwelling. The main frames of the structure were assembled with mortise and tenon timber joints machined in glue-laminated timber using a 7-axis industrial robot in a wood company. This pioneering experience aims to apply timber framing robotics to social housing in emerging countries.

In the last few years, scattered experiences of the application of additive manufacturing in the construction of buildings using 3D printing with robots or automated equipment have emerged around the world. These use a variety of procedures and suggest relevant advantages for the construction industry. In order to identify the different processes and features in development in this field and to guide future research and applications, this article presents a review of the literature on the main aspects involved in the use of 3D printing in the construction sector. The review includes state-of-the-art material mixtures, printing technologies, and potential uses, as well as a novel analysis of building strategies, management systems, and benefits stated about this new approach for construction. It reveals progressive experimentation regarding diverse features, with challenges related to the consolidation of procedures and this technology’s readiness to participate in the building market.

This article provides support for Universities dedicated to Architecture and Urbanism to implement a Robotic and Digital Fabrication Unit, based on the experience of laboratories in Chile and Brazil. Public funding agencies often promote "technological innovation" associated with "Industry 4.0" which requires a conceptual understanding of this framework. The authors address the industrial robot as a central element of research projects associated with robotic techniques, and creative processes. In summary, this article discloses a repertoire of technological alternatives and installation considerations, with a detailed review on how to set up a robotic unit for academia, for teaching, research and design development, in the context of Southern Creative Robotics.

In the field of construction, human-robot collaboration and mixed reality (MR) open new possibilities. However, safety and reliability issues persist. The lack of flexibility and adaptability in current preprogrammed systems hampers real-time human-robot collaboration. A key gap in this area lies in the ability of the robot to interpret and accurately execute operations based on the real-time visual instructions and restrictions provided by the human collaborator and the working environment. This paper focuses on an MR-based human-robot collaboration method through visual feedback from a vision-based collaborative industrial robot system for use in wood stereotomy which we are developing. This method is applied to an alternating workflow in which a skilled carpenter lays out the joinery on the workpiece, and the robot cuts it. Cutting operations are instructed to the robot only through lines and conventional “carpenter’s marks”, which are drawn on the timbers by the carpenter. The r...