BT Bundle 2023

2023

Discrete Automation

BT-Bundle |2023

Robotic construction workflow for reconfigurable timber housing The construction industry’s impact on carbon emissions and resource depletion necessitates innovative approaches to reduce environmental harm.

The research explores the integration gap between computational design and robotic construction, with the use of timber as a renewable material to mitigate this impact by developing a workflow from design to fabrication, robotic assembly solution, and discrete element design for robotic assembly. The research’s vision advocates for automation for a more equitable society, reduced working hours, necessary production, and resource redistribution.

The study describes an automated construction workflow for a discretized timber system. The study consists of a generative design model, prototyping, and a building design case. The focus is on the computational design workflow and robotic assembly based on the system’s connection. The workflow is demonstrated on a housing design concept generated from the rules embedded in the connection design.

The system is designed to align with principles of

robotics and circularity, emphasizing modularity, design-fordisassembly, design-for-reuse, and reconfigurability. A combinatorial design workflow is proposed, including the assembly of generic discrete elements into function-based aggregated structures that can be rearranged over time. The result is a generative system that can produce architectural designs.

To prove the concept, three prototypes were made on different scales.

One prototype demonstrated the fabricability of components and their connection. The other prototype enabled the testing of the robotic assembly, while another prototype showcased aesthetic qualities and design variations. The prototypes served as evidence that customized structures can be created by aggregating prefabricated discrete elements. The robotic assembly prototype was successfully disassembled and reassembled multiple times.

The research concluded that the design of the construction components must be fully integrated into the syntax of the robotic workplace to achieve a successful automated assembly. A smooth transition of materials, modules, and aggregations between the digital and physical domains is allowed by utilizing a consistent design syntax. Thus it is possible to have a workflow that integrates design, fabrication, and assembly.

Robotic construction workflow for reconfigurable timber housing overview. 1: 5 robotically assembled prototype and 1:1 connection prototype.

Name Graduation year Tutors

Adalberto de Paula 2023 Serdar Aşut & Stijn Brancart

3D Generative Adversarial Networks to Autonomously Generate Building Geometry Generative arti cial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize all industries, with a notable impact on architectural design. Speci cally, using deep learning to autonomously create complete building geometries. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), is a generative deep learnign model and has been employed to generate 2D and 3D object representations. However, current literature has limited applications of GANs using 3D data as an input to generate 3D geometry, especially in the elds of architecture and engineering.

Prior studies focused on generating small-sized 3D geometries (e.g., 64 x 64 x 64 voxels) suitable for objects like chairs. In contrast, our research aims to develop a GAN model architecture capable of producing high-resolution, realistic building geometries. The training dataset is comprised of 3D models of single-family homes extracted from an existing dataset and pre-processed for our speci c application. Initially, state-of-the-art GAN models were assessed to determine if they are suitabile for architectural design. After, a

BT-Bundle |2023

systematic study was conducted to identify crucial hyperparameters that resulted in succesful GAN training for the speci c application of generating building geometry in 3D.The successful model, named 3DHouseGAN, incorporates Wasserstein loss with gradient penalty, Leaky ReLU activation functions in both the generator and critic, and the RMS Prop optimizer with a xed learning rate. This model generates outputs that closely resemble the size, shape, and proportions of the training data, exhibiting minimal output noise.

Further enhancements were achieved by employing ten layers and increasing the number of channels.

Evaluation of 3DHouseGAN for memorization produced inconclusive results, prompting recommendations for additional research, including the incorporation of memorization rejection mechanisms and training on larger datasets. This research prompts re ection on how advanced algorithms can reshape creativity, inspiring intelligent, data-driven solutions in the realms of architecture and engineering.

Generate Building Geometry

Lisa-Marie Mueller 2023

A selection of buildings generated by 3DHouseGAN.

Name Graduation year Tutors

Lisa-Marie Mueller 2023 Dr. Michela Turrin and Dr. Charalampos Andriotis

visual comfort l(AI)outs

BT-Bundle |2023

A framework for daylight and view guidance during the early layout design process The interior layout of apartments is made in the early design stage of an architectural project when the decisions can significantly impact the building’s performance. During the early design phase, the ability to impact an architectural project is the most important, and this phase serves as the foundation of subsequent design phases. Proper daylighting improves visual comfort and minimises the dependency on artificial lighting. Combining good natural (day)lighting with a greenery view substantially affects the health and well-being of the building occupants. Optimising the layout of apartments based on daylight and view in the early stage of the building is crucial to ensure visual comfort. In this regard, artificial intelligence presents the potential to provide valuable support for performance-based decision-making in interior zoning based on daylight and view. However, there is currently a lack of machine learning methods to support designers in making informed decisions regarding early interior design decisions that affect daylight and view quality.

A novel ML design process workflow has been proposed to integrate ML models seamlessly into the architectural

design process. Designers upload their layout designs into a dedicated tool, where the layout designs are pre-processed for compatibility with the ML model. Subsequently, the ML model predicts daylight and view values, which are then translated into practical visual representations during an after-processing step. A multimodal machine learning model utilising a ResNet and fully connected network is the most effective for predicting daylight and view quality in residential spaces. An ML model is trained using one image feature and two numerical features to predict the median daylight illuminance on the 21st of March, July and December and the p80 for ground and sky view inside a room. An optimisation step identifies the optimal apartment layout based on a layout evaluation method guided by EN17037 requirements.

Overall, this framework represents a significant advancement in integrating ML models into architectural workflows by systematically evaluating daylight, view quality, and room orientation, providing visual feedback, and offering optimisation suggestions that align with contemporary design standards and requirements.

Name Graduation year Tutors

Charlotte K at 20223 Michela Turrin & Eleonora Brembilla

Integrated Design with Reclaimed Steel

BT-Bundle |2023

Facilitating the Reuse of Structural Steel in New Building Designs As the construction industry faces increasing challenges regarding material scarcity, waste production, and environmental impact, there is a pressing need to transition towards circular practices. This project addresses this need by focusing on the reuse of structural steel, considering that the steel sector is the most energy-consuming and CO2-emitting industry globally (World Steel Association, 2020). The project aims to advance circularity in the built environment by answering the following research question: How to facilitate the design process when integrating reclaimed steel sections in new construction with the use of computational tools?

steel, a computational tool was developed composed of a digital stock inventory and a matching algorithm. The digital inventory provides a centralized repository of the steel sections available in stock. Subsequently, the matching algorithm compares the list of steel sections needed for a design project with the stock inventory and provides potential substitutions to optimize the utilization of reclaimed steel.

These tools were seamlessly integrated into a user-friendly web interface to create a comprehensive one-stop platform and foster collaboration among stakeholders.

The research began with a comprehensive analysis of existing practices and challenges through literature review as well as interviews with industry professionals. The proposed design workflow incorporates strategies to address the identified challenges and provides a framework for the different project phases and various stakeholders involved. In order to support the design workflow and facilitate the integration of reclaimed

The design workflow and matching algorithm were successfully tested through a design case study, which resulted in a reduction of carbon emissions when reusing steel sections and demonstrated significant time and labor savings involved in the matching process. By quantifying environmental emissions within the web interface, users are able to make informed design decisions during the development of the project to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more resource-efficient construction sector.

Successful Matches of Reclaimed Steel & Emission Savings Results

Parametric Design Process & Optimization Workflow

Integrated Design Workflow

Name Graduation year Tutors

M. Daniela Martinez Palacio 2023 Stijn Brancart & Serdar Asut

Breaking Ground with Bamboo

BT-Bundle |2023

Robotic Additive Manufacturing of a Self Supporting Wall with Bamboo The construction industry and the existing building stock are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

To address this environmental challenge, there is a growing interest in using bio-based materials, such as wood, in architecture. However, the availability of wood resources is limited. Bamboo, a non-wood species, holds promise as a potential substitute due to its rapid growth rate. Currently, its adoption in the construction industry remains limited due to the challenges posed by its hollow tube anatomy and the lack of established building codes for its use.

Additive manufacturing techniques, have seen significant advancements in the past three decades. Especially concrete and steel structures have made significant progress, the research and application of additive manufacturing with bamboo for construction purposes still lag behind.

The thesis aims to address this research gap by developing a building component made with bamboo using additive manufacturing technology, which leads to the following research question:

What is the workflow to develop a building component made of bamboo with additive manufacturing?

The presented study utilizes bamboo in the form of dust and fibers, which can be sourced from waste streams. This innovative approach not only offers a solution to the challenges of bamboo’s anatomy but also has the potential to use bamboo in a more circular way. With this approach, rather than being discarded at the end of its life cycle, bamboo products can be recycled and transformed into valuable powder and fibers, granting them a second life.

By leveraging the benefits of additive manufacturing technology, such as reduced material waste and the ability to fabricate complex geometries, the design aimed to create a mechvanically informed infill tailored to the loading condition of the building component. After use, the component can be re-introduced into a new mixture to be used in a new AM application, enabling circular use.

Mechanically informed infill

Self supporting wall with an integrated bench

Name Graduation year Tutors

Printed prototype

Jasmine Wong 2023 Serdar Asut & Stijn Brancart

Thin Glass Installation

BT-Bundle |2023

The architectural significance of glass structures, propelled by continuous innovations in manufacturing and post-processing, underscores the material’s exceptional structural potential.

Aluminosilicate glass exhibits superior strength and flexibility compared to the commonly used soda lime glass, due to its distinct composition and manufacturing process. This enables the production of ultra-thin glass with thicknesses as low as 25 m, giving rise to the category of “thin glass” encompassing any glass below 2mm in thickness.

Thin glass, with its attributes, has made significant strides in industries such as automotive and electronics, owing to its optical clarity, scratch resistance, durability, flexibility, and reduced weight. In architecture, the evolving design vocabulary embraces complex geometries and the integration of curved panels, offering clear structures that provide exceptional optical clarity and blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Thus, thin glass holds potential for creating complex, lightweight, and transparent architectural structures.

This research addresses the limitations of thin glass in construction

and explores optimal bending techniques to maximize its capabilities.

The methodology comprises a literature review of the glass industry, design principles, and an in-depth study of thin glass properties.

This study culminates in the establishment of design guidelines and a computational approach to assist the design process while using cold bent thin glass. After investigating the available and most used design and structural simulation software, the ones found more accurate are integrated in the process.

The findings highlight the successful development of a computational method that provides tools, design principles, and guidelines for working with single curved cold bent thin glass panels.

Additionally, the research examines suitable connection types for thin glass projects and concludes with a proposal for a hinge clamp connection. A case study showcases the proposed workflow, leading to the creation of a prototype utilizing a 3d-printed based approach of the suggested connection design.

The conclusions emphasize the significance of the integrated computational design workflow and its implications for architectural design using thin glass.

Integrated Design for Glass Projects

Case study utilizing the workflow to replace existing partition walls with single curved thin glass walls

Name Graduation year Tutors

Marialena Toliopoulou 2023 James O’Callaghan & Paul de Ruiter

Circular Transitional Housing for displaced people in extreme conditions: the case of Pakistan Global displacement has been rapidly increasing over the last decades and is expected to rise even further in the upcoming years due to the negative impacts of climate change and more frequent and severe weather events, highlighting the growing demand for housing for the displaced.

The thesis aims to integrate circular building principles into the design process of transitional housing units (THUs) to help retain material value and reduce negative impacts. To contextualise the research, the extreme climatic conditions of Pakistan are taken as a case study, leading to the research question: How can transitional housing for displaced people in the extreme conditions of upper Sindh province in Pakistan be made using circular building principles?

By examining existing THU options and their lifecycle, stakeholder involvement, and circularity principles, a suggestive tool to help THU planners make circularity informed design decisions is developed. It has a dual functionality: design support for new shelters; and design evaluation of existing ones. Twenty-four circularity principles across the domains of material, design, manufacturing, and management, are gathered. Each of them has certain benefits and risks connected to using it in humanitarian construction.

This provides the scientific basis for the development of the recommendation set and the visual evaluation of a projects’ circularity potential. The efficacy of the suggestive tool is shown through the design proposal.

BT-Bundle |2023

The extreme conditions of repeated flooding and high temperatures in Sindh necessitate resilient design strategies. Vernacular inspired passive techniques and the use of locally available biobased materials, such as bamboo and hemp, are used to mitigate temperature impacts and enhance sustainability. Design principles such as design for disassembly, longevity, and adaptability, are implemented.

Prefabricated hempcrete modules make the construction process easy and enable the components’ reuse. The design proposal portrays the unit as a stock of valuable materials, which can be reintroduced in the local economy at the end of the displacement period – a material bank.

Fifteen circularity principles in total are implemented in the THU proposal for Pakistan. The project has a high circularity potential based on the design evaluation. It can thus be concluded that by following the design support recommendations an overall circular THU can be developed.

However, stakeholder collaboration is key for success.

Incorporating circularity in THUs can foster innovation in the humanitarian sector, which in turn could also be applied to tackling challenges faced by conventional architecture.

The findings contribute to the development of circularity practices in humanitarian construction, in accordance with the principle of do-no-harm.

Visualisation ash oods Wall modules

Alternative lifecycle and EoL scenarios for THU

Name Graduation year Tutors

Exploded view of THU

Manufacturing & Reuse

Julia Gospodinova 2023 Olga Ioannou & Job Schroën

Facade User Archetypes

BT-Bundle |2023

Exploring the potential of self designed facade-user Archetypes in personalization of external shading systems in office buildings.

Building envelopes are extremely significant in providing adequate indoor environment. The design methodology associated with building envelopes primarily addresses optimization for improving indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency of the buildings. The research proposes a user-centered design approach that evaluates the factors influencing occupant comfort and preferences. The multidomain impact of building envelopes and external shades is studied to determine the environmental domains associated with shading systems. A classification scheme is developed for shading systems on the basis of their operation, placement, interaction and permeability. Next, shading system parameters are evaluated through geometry, materiality and control to understand which design parameters have the highest influence on occupant comfort and energy performance. To accurately capture the multi-domain influence of shading systems, the shading systems are simulated within a model space using the EnergyPlus and Radiance engines.

The responses received from a designed questionnaire are analysed using correlation and ANOVA test is used to evaluate which occupant characteristics show a higher correlation to certain preferences and environmental preferences. Based on the results, feature set iterations are developed which are processed further for dimensionality reduction. The clusters resulting from the analysis form the archetypes, which are then utilized in design scenarios. The weights and preferences of the archetypes are incorporated to determine the most suitable shading system for the occupants. Scenarios are developed to use supervised / semi-supervised learning methods to predict the archetype of new users based on existing archetypes formed. The findings demonstrate a high accuracy of the archetypes in recommending shading systems based on the assigned environmental importance and visual preferences of individual users. The research highlights that each user has unique preferences, which can lead to different design recommendations based on their responses.

Key Performance Indicators for manual shades

Factors affecting user Preferences

Workflow designed for integrating user preferences within user-centered design scanrios

Pranay Prakash Khanchandani Name 2023 Graduation year Alessandra Luna-Navarro, Eleonora Brembilla and Charalampos Andriotis Tutors

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