Architecture, Structures and Construction最新文献

This research presents a methodology for automated construction of engineered earth structures in temporary, or "meanwhile," landscapes. Through a series of experiments, the optimal material compositions were identified to balance bioremediation potential based on cell viability, and structural stability based on rheological criteria. The study integrated computational design with environmental analysis and developed robotic manufacturing techniques optimized for heterogeneous materials. This approach aims to achieve manufacturing repeatability by accommodating variations in local soil, ensuring reliable performance across different sites. A set of small-scale prototypes were created, along with a full-scale demonstrator installed on a meanwhile site and monitored over 12 months (5mx3.5mx1.5 m). Automated earth construction enables the precise design of a landscape’s composition, layout, and structure, which subsequently influences abiotic factors like soil moisture, temperature, and aeration essential for microbial activity. This workflow establishes the basis for a soil-agnostic robotic manufacturing process, enabling the on-site delivery of beneficial microbial consortia to remediate pollution and improve soil health.

Social sustainability is key for a successful green transition and circular design, focusing on justice and quality of life for all at both local and global scales. Despite its importance, social concerns are often underexamined in contemporary design practice and possibly even overshadowed by material concerns. This paper unfolds a theoretically informed discussion and analysis of a Danish case study to explore the complex context and practices of social sustainability in a circular design project, ‘the Swan’ kindergarten, and its’ design-related phases. We collected empirical data from online videos, interviews with key design related stakeholders, and social media showcasing local community involvement. Our theoretical framework highlights a ‘caring perspective’ that relies on situated knowledge and emphasizes understanding complex social phenomena within their broader contexts. Our approach foregrounds the entanglement of material and social concerns through three interrelated lenses of care: 1) material practice (what is done), 2) affective involvement (who it involves), and 3) ethical intentions (why it matters). Our findings reveal that, despite ethical intentions, material practices are often driven by environmental agendas and tectonic aesthetics, overshadowing social concerns like global justice and local affective involvement. With these preliminary insights, we aim to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining a focus on social sustainability and advancing the debate on ‘the social’ in circular design.

This study explores the sequential use of Additive Manufacturing with two distinct materials– concrete and cellulose– for the fabrication of a modular hybrid wall system made up of a set of uniquely shaped, self-supporting interlocking blocks. At a functional level, the proposed system is composed of two layers: (1) a 3D-printed structural concrete panel which forms the exterior finish and ensures the fit between components; and (2) a 3D-printed cellulose coating that forms the interior finish of the wall and plays the role of acoustic insulator through a formal optimization process. Furthermore, the block design supports dry assembly and disassembly, aligning with principles of Design for Disassembly and promoting reusability. A full-scale wall section is prototyped and compared to its digital model to evaluate geometric conformity and assembly performance. This research underscores both the potential and current limitations of combining 3D Concrete Printing with 3D-printed biomaterials, advancing towards prefabrication solutions for adaptable, circular construction practices.

The structures humans build rarely show any semblance of kindness towards nonhuman animals, ranging instead from the demeaning, to the inhospitable, to the coercive and downright abusive. By far the most ubiquitous are the industrialised buildings constructed to contain those farmed for food. Overt yet simultaneously insidious, these (infra)structures of harm extend across vast swathes of land, dominating human-nonhuman relations. This paper explores the adaptive reuse of farm buildings as a transformational response to unendurable spaces through an interdisciplinary reading of design as activism. Expanding mainstream concerns around the climate and energy crises, we address wildlife loss and ecological breakdown in co-existence with the fundamental social justice concerns that underpin them. Taking egg-laying hens as a much pained example, we engage with the question, ‘how might the de(con)struction of industrial farm structures be harnessed as a tool of activism, supporting liberation and sanctuary-making with ex-farmed animals?' Recognising hens as designers and construction workers in their own rights, agency is extended towards nonhuman designers as a means towards spatial justice, reparation and (re)empowerment. Feminist participatory design methodologies are adapted for human-nonhuman collaborations, triggering an expansion of our communication and care practices to prioritise relational processes over formal outcome. Speculative fiction, narrative and model-making methodologies imagine the stripping back of impenetrable facades to open up alternative futures, expanding the boundaries of our perceived horizons in co-construction of the ‘otherwise’ (Olufemi 2021).

The preservation of 20th-century architectural heritage represents a crucial challenge in contemporary contexts, increasingly shaped by tourist pressure and gentrification dynamics. This heritage, which embodies groundbreaking technological advancements and a radical shift in architectural paradigms, constitutes a valuable cultural resource that demands rigorous, multidisciplinary, and innovative approaches to both its conservation and enhancement. The international discourse on architectural preservation underscores the inherent complexity of this endeavor, which requires engaging with high-quality yet often underappreciated or insufficiently studied works from the recent past. This research focuses on the Cité Frugès in Pessac as a case study to explore a heritage transformation strategy based on a progressive musealization process. Rather than limiting itself to the mere material conservation of the built environment, the project envisions a controlled transformation that integrates the study of the site’s historical phases, architectural evolution, and socio-cultural development. The proposed approach aims to reconcile preservation with adaptive reuse, allowing the site to respond to contemporary needs while safeguarding its historical and architectural identity.

Unitized curtain walls with integrated sun-shading systems have become a prevalent choice for high-rise building façades. The present paper presents a novel sun-shading façade system comprising bending-active plates made of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) arranged in three series vertically. Each elastic plate is supported at the corners by diagonal steel members, which are paired and equipped with rotating actuators to modify the opening angles. This modification induces elastic deformations on the bending-active plates, altering their shapes to provide varying levels of sun protection. The steel members act as scissor-like elements, supported on the curtain wall mullion using extruded aluminum pressure plates and U-channel rails. The bending-active plates serve as external horizontal louvres, offering adaptive sun-protection. A numerical investigation of a bending-active plate’s structural behavior is conducted through Finite-Element Analysis (FEA). Various symmetric curvatures of the plate are achieved through actuation of the scissor-like elements at specific opening angle values. The analysis considers the self-weight of the plate and a uniform distributed wind load of 1 kN/m². The study explores three different plate thicknesses (4, 5 and 6 mm) in selecting the most favorable thickness. The plate with a selected thickness is then perforated by 15, 21, 28 and 36% of the total area. Two alternative perforation patterns are examined for each perforation percentage. The analysis delves into the form-finding and load-deformation behavior of the bending-active plate, shedding light on the structural integrity and functionality of the sun-shading system.

The development of sustainable construction materials has led to increased interest in geopolymer concrete as an alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This study evaluates the mechanical, durability, and predictive modeling aspects of coconut fiber-reinforced GGBS-based geopolymer concrete (CFR-GPC). Experimental analysis was conducted for varying Na₂SiO₃/NaOH ratios (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) and fiber contents (0.25%, 0.5%) to assess compressive and flexural strength, workability, and durability. The highest compressive strength of 33.66 MPa and flexural strength of 7.00 MPa were obtained for a Na₂SiO₃/NaOH ratio of 2.0 with 0.25% fiber content. Durability tests confirmed excellent resistance to acidic and sulfate-rich environments, with minimal weight loss and superior strength retention. A Random Forest Regressor machine learning model was developed to predict compressive strength, achieving high accuracy (R2 = 0.956, MSE = 0.1547). The findings highlight CFR-GPC as a viable, eco-friendly alternative to OPC-based concrete, suitable for pavements, precast elements, and marine structures. The integration of machine learning enables rapid mix optimization, reducing reliance on extensive laboratory testing. Future research should focus on long-term durability and real-world applications to establish CFR-GPC as a mainstream sustainable material.

Heavily relying on extraction-based materials in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC), the industry is one of the strongest consumers of raw materials. This research explores the temporalities of material layers in architecture, where high durability can be connected to materials with shorter lifespan, allowing for repair, restoration, reconfiguration and reclamation of material at the end of life in one built environment. By exchanging short lived materials with regenerative and fast-growing biogenic alternatives, we can maximise the lifespan of long-lasting materials and therefore reduce unnecessary extraction of raw-materials. This paper presents the qualitative development and testing of a method exploring a biogenic mortar solution for reclaimed clay-based brick assemblies. It offers insight into the method of co-cultivation of the used bacteria Sporosarcina pasteurii and fungus Ganoderma lucidum, forming a mycelium-bacteria based composite (MBBC). It explores the qualitative potential of this material in a fabrication strategy in three settings; (1) the joint between two bricks, (2) an assembly of four bricks and (3) a demonstrator of a wall fragment prototype at full scale. Additionally, the paper includes initial tensile bond strength tests. While only having a small specimen set which have been tested on a self-built test-setup, the exploration results in similar tensile properties (MBBC: 0,05 MPa) as described by hydraulic lime-based mortar (0,045 − 0,068 MPa).

California, like many other places, is increasingly interested in building with mass timber as a global trend for low-carbon construction. Despite California's plentiful forest resources and a demonstrated need for Engineered Wood Products, no mass timber production using local trees has happened in recent years. Design teams need to source mass timber products internationally or from a different U.S. State. The high investment costs, product certification processes, and skilled labor required to start production of newer Engineered Wood Products, such as Cross-Laminated Timber, have led to many years of failed or stalled attempts. However, California forests are overstocked and need a high-added value avenue for fiber coming out of forest restoration projects to reduce the risk of wildfires. The paper presents the recent successes in developing a mass timber industry in the State of California. The paper presents a new small-scale low-cost DIY strategy for developing mass timber manufacturing capacity in places with no prior established industries and limited skilled workforce. The research focuses on low-hanging fruit wood products, requiring limited initial investment such as Nail-Laminated Timber and Dowel-Laminated Timber. A series of illustrated instructions were developed and shared with interested local stakeholders. After a year and a half, three groups started manufacturing engineered wood products panels from local forests. The illustrated How-to guides expand on the use of different tree species, panel types and the role of craft in small-scale manufacturing. The instructions can be disseminated in new contexts, new to mass timber manufacturing, to support local forest utilization and low-carbon construction.

Urban planning significantly influences the ecological and social structures of cities, but traditional methodologies often prioritize economic development at the expense of environmental sustainability and social equity. This paper explores the integration of circular economy principles into urban planning, advocating for a paradigm shift towards more sustainable and inclusive urban environments. Employing a hydrofeminist lens, this study examines the entanglements around two non-human actors in capitalist linear city planning: the River Schijn in Antwerp, which has been heavily modified for industrial use, and Stumpy, a cherry tree in Washington DC’s Tidal Basin which will be uprooted because of the seawall dismantlement. Engagement practices, such as forest bathing or preserving their stories, are short-term circular site stories that can form a counter dialogue to the bigger linear city planning. By re-evaluating and re-enchanting our urban strategies, we can better address the complex web of relationships that define our cities, making them more adaptable to both human and environmental needs.