Digital Manufacturing in Design and Architecture

This book examines the possibilities emerging for design and architecture by the influence of novel computer aided design and digital manufacturing tools and techniques. The studies shown here are focusing in the realisation of the digitally conceived structures into 1/1 physical prototypes. Thus, an index of insights concerning manufacturing techniques in association with structure, material, detailing and design arose. The used structural techniques are divided in five categories, which are emphasized trough out the books formation: cross segmentation, accumulation, frameworks, loops and foldings. Generative CAD tools, algorithms and scripting applications where not only used as design components, but also as devices which helped to rationalise and systematize the production process of complex geometries. Asterios Agkathidis studied architecture in the AU Thessaloniki and the RWTH Aachen, completing his postgraduate studies in Advanced Architectural Design at the Staedelschule Architecture Class (Frankfurt). He became a partner at b&k+ (Cologne), then worked for VMX architects (Amsterdam). He later founded the architecture and research laboratory a3lab Frankfurt-Thessaloniki and has been planning and realizing projects around the world since then. His work has been published, awarded and exhibited widely. His teaching and lecturing experiences include AdbK Nuremberg, TU Darmstadt, AU Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Columbia University and the Staedelschule Architecture Class. He was visiting assistant professor at the Lebanese American University and senior lecturer at Raffles Design Institute Shanghai. Today he holds a Lectureship for Digital Design at the University of Liverpool.