IMD _Institute of Media and Design

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ROBOTIC DESIGN LAB | Bachelor and Master Research Project | PROJECTIVE FABRICATIONS

The seminar explored deformations, projective geometries and a novel robotic fabrication technique in order to better understand Muqarnas, a mysterious element of Islamic architecture.

Muqarnas is an early precedent for projective and mapping strategies for domes where 2D patterns generate sophisticated 3D structures. Such strategies have been central to various contemporary high-tech architectural designs. In the case of Muqarnas, flat patterns are the basis for intricate clusters of concave hollows, also known as honeycomb or stalactite vaulting.

This form generation process was also the principle employed for robotic fabrication in this workshop. A heatgun end-effector attached to the robotic arms deformed plastic sheets at calculated intervals, intensities and positions to reproduce geometries modelled on CAD.
Rather than additive or subtractive fabrication processes, students explored how flat materials can be deformed into custom, variable 3D structures.

Supervision: Carolina Meirelles Reis Sotero de Menezes

Student work by:
Alisinan Kücükgül, Luiza Barbosa Martins, Viktor Przyborowski, Rama Saleh, Yapici, Basak

https://imd.rz.tu-bs.de/files/gimgs/th-339_339_Muqarnas_1.jpg
https://imd.rz.tu-bs.de/files/gimgs/th-339_339_spiralization-01_v2_1.jpg
https://imd.rz.tu-bs.de/files/gimgs/th-339_KE_projectivefabrication11.jpg
https://imd.rz.tu-bs.de/files/gimgs/th-339_KE_projectivefabrication8_v2.jpg