Research Methods for the Architectural Profession by Ajla Akšamija

Author:Ajla Akšamija
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2021-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

Computer-aided manufacturing and digital fabrication are increasingly being used for prototyping (Aksamija, 2016). These methods are also useful for evaluating constructability, material properties, form, and geometric properties. By combining computational design tools with prototyping techniques, researchers can generate multiple prototypes and iterate design approaches. The diversity of accessible fabrication processes, such as laser cutting, 3D printing, computer-numeric controlled (CNC) milling, and robotic construction, enable the production of prototypes in a variety of forms and materials. The classification of digital fabrication methods can be grouped into three general categories: additive, subtractive, and formative. Additive methods, such as 3D printing, create shapes and forms by depositing certain materials. Subtractive techniques, such as CNC milling or laser cutting, remove parts of a material to form a shape or an object. Within the formative category, techniques such as robotic construction are used to form objects and components. Some of these methods are suitable for planar and 2D fabrication, such as laser cutting and CNC milling, while others are suitable for 3D fabrication, for instance, 3D printing and robotic construction. Regardless of the type of digital fabrication method, researchers must be familiar with the size limitations, production sequence, suitable materials, and data exchange mechanisms to use these techniques for prototyping. Besides digital fabrication techniques, manual fabrication can also be employed for prototyping. This approach is typically used when actual materials need to be used for prototype production, instead of representational materials.

The benefits of prototyping include an ability to evaluate design concepts, assumptions, and approaches before application in actual buildings; flexibility and the opportunity for refinement; the experimental nature of possible investigations; the possibility of using digital fabrication techniques for prototyping; and the ability to conduct performance testing in some cases (discussed in the next section). The limitation of this research method is that the number of possible iterations and prototypes is usually limited, due to time and cost constraints. As the complexity of a prototype increases, such as larger scale or realistic representation of materials, the cost and necessary time for conducting these types of studies also increases.

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