https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7646-8505
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Abstract
Irregular wood is often downcycled despite having significant embedded strength. Reintegrating this wood into structural assemblies can improve material efficiency in the built environment. This work implemented material logic in a design-to-fabrication workflow for building structures using bifurcated tree branches to leverage this potential (). This process is demonstrated through the design and construction of a prototype. A user-oriented computational interface is proposed that manages irregular geometries, matching and optimization algorithms, and structural simulation for design iteration. The demonstrated workflow, which concludes with augmented reality (AR) assisted fabrication, facilitates designing with varying materials, enabling upcycling a wide range of nonstandard building elements. At scale, this methodology can significantly reduce the environmental impact of construction.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the instrumental help of the Research Assistants Hailey Quinn, Angela Zhang, and Aldrin James Gaffud, as well as the precious consults from Yijiang Huang, Daniel Marshall, Gil Sunshine, and Sheila Kennedy and the thoughtful comments of the TAD journal reviewers. This work was developed with the support of the HASS award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Planning.
Data Statement
The data supporting this study’s findings are available from the corresponding author, Tim Cousin, upon reasonable request.
Notes
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Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tim Cousin
Tim Cousin Tim Cousin is an Architect and researcher, he graduated from MIT with a Master of Architecture and a certificate in Building Technology. His work focuses on building and material reuse. Cousin's research on computational strategies for waste up-cycling into new structural assemblies was presented at ACADIA 2022, the Rotch Gallery, the 2023 CISBAT conference at EPFL and the Potential Laubholz exhibition at ETH Zurich.
Latifa Alkhayat
Latifa Alkhayat is a Bahraini Architect and Researcher. Through her work, she studies future material practices and circularity. She received her Master of Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and recently cocurated the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023.
Natalie Pearl
Natalie Pearl is a Design Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research explores digital fabrication, geologic processes, and natural forces in design. Pearl graduated with a Master of Architecture from MIT in June 2023.
Christopher B. Dewart
Christopher B. Dewart is a Technical Instructor and Head of the Wood Fabrication Shop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His work focuses on the aesthetics of furniture design and architecture. His work is in numerous collections, including the Fuller Craft Museum, Person’s Gallery, the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, and the Church of the Advent.
Caitlin Mueller
Caitlin Mueller is an Associate Professor at MIT Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Building Technology Program, where she leads the Digital Structures research group. She works at the creative interface of architecture, structural engineering, and computation. Her focus is new computational design and digital fabrication methods for innovative, high-performance buildings and structures that empower a more sustainable and equitable future.