Stratoconception, an additive manufacturing process for timber architecture: challenges and opportunities
Résumé
The additive manufacturing has been recently adopted by the construction industry to overcome the existing design limitations and to build large-scale structures. The timber architecture and construction have not yet adopted the additive manufacturing technologies. This paper focuses on the understanding of the use of the Stratoconception ® additive manufacturing process for timber architecture and construction by identifying the opportunities it offers and the challenges it presents. First, we outline the Stratoconception® process. Furthermore, we highlight and assess by experiment the opportunities and the challenges of the implementation of this process. We target the complex shape design and the multi-functionalization of the components as important opportunities that can lead the design of new high-value building components for timber architecture. Next, we introduce the potential use cases for the process and emphasize the capacity of the technology to be implemented in the common timber construction practices.
The lack for Stratoconception® use in the context and in the dimensions of architecture brings the challenges of scaling-up the process and integrating it into the multicriteria architectural design process which exceed the existing methods and tools. We describe the overriding issue of managing the waste of material caused by the micro-milling phase of the process. The building of a knowledge base of relation between Stratoconception® and timber architecture reveals the need for an adapted and efficient design framework for the process use for timber architecture projects. Thus, we propose and
describe a theoretical design framework achieving the integration of the AEC issues into a design process and fostering the development of new efficient building components by guiding the designer towards rational decision making.