Tackling today’s and tomorrow’s societal, technological, and environmental challenges demands expertise that extends beyond the boundaries of any single discipline. Architects and engineers, in particular, must integrate knowledge and skills across domains while effectively communicating with professionals from diverse fields. In response, interdisciplinary education has gained momentum in built environment education, aiming to prepare students for this complexity by engaging them in challenges that mirror real-world problems. However, if experienced professionals struggle to navigate such complexities, how can students be expected to thrive in similarly demanding learning environments? This chapter addresses this question through the lens of self- and socially shared regulated learning (S-SRL). We begin by introducing a commonly used S-SRL model to provide a foundation for understanding how students regulate their learning individually and collectively. Building on this model, we explored the typical challenges students may encounter at various stages of interdisciplinary learning tasks. Furthermore, we review instructional tools and highlight their core design principles that help students overcome these challenges, while supporting the development of essential regulatory skills. In doing so, we offer educators practical insights into fostering personal and group responsibility for learning as well as the collaboration needed to achieve successful interdisciplinary education. ... Read more

This paper presents an ongoing project that explores the usability of computer vision and deep learning to improve the quality of 3D clay printing (3DCP). One of the challenges in 3DCP is related to the nonstandard nature of the clay mixture and the environmental conditions in which the printing happens, which can result in printing failures. Manual interventions are required to adjust the printing parameters to ensure a good result. In this project, we aimed to develop an automated solution to this challenge by using computer vision and the Attention-56 deep learning network (DLN) method presented by Wang et al. (2017) and the real-time material flow control method presented by Brion and Pattinson (2022a, 2022b). Our work adapts these methods for 3DCP to adjust layer height and extrusion amount to automatically respond to changing clay mixture properties and achieve better results. ... Read more

This paper presents ongoing research that aims to develop a closed-loop and real-time error
detection and correction system in 3D clay printing (3DCP) using computer vision and machine
learning. [...] ... Read more

Along with the circular bioeconomy principles, alternative ways of utilizing biomass waste streams are considered viable approaches to reaching sustainability goals. Accordingly, a growing body of literature is exploring new materials utilizing biomass in 3D-printing applications. This article presents early-stage research that initially investigates the usability of bamboo fibers and dust with bio-based binders in 3D printing towards its use in the design and production of the built environments. The research delves into solutions through a material tinkering approach to develop a bio-based composite material that can be used in fused deposition modeling (FDM). It includes mechanical strength analyses of printed specimens to understand the effects of different infill designs on the structural performance of objects printed using bamboo-based composite. Then, it demonstrates a design-to-production workflow that integrates a mechanically informed infill pattern within a self-supporting wall design that can be produced by 3D printing with bamboo. The workflow is presented with a partial demonstrator produced through robotic 3D printing. The article concludes with discussions and recommendations for further research. ... Read more

We present a Hybrid Learning Environment (HLE) that supports collaborative learning in architectural robotics. The demand for robotics education has been growing owing to changes in related industries. This education requires specific physical equipment and skilled instructors, making it both time- and resource-intensive. To address this issue, new teaching methods and technologies are needed to make them more accessible using scarce resources. We introduced an ongoing project that responds to this need by integrating Virtual Reality (VR) and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) technologies in an educational context. This project addresses educational activities in study programmes in which hands-on design thinking is fundamental, such as architecture, building technology, and product design studies. These programmes involve courses in which students use tangible tools and materials to develop, analyse, and present their ideas. They built physical models and prototypes to explore the spatial and material qualities of a design concept and to understand how a design would work in the physical world. These models are tools for students to think and interfaces for communication between fellow students and educators. [...] ... Read more

This paper presents a novel approach to developing Digital Learning Resources (DLR) for Design Computation (DC). Learning DC requires the students to develop cognitive skills in algorithmic thinking and practical skills in using specific software. Few learning resources integrate cognitive and practical skills, often prioritizing the skills related to tool use with a focus on software functionalities. They typically follow linear narratives in audio-visual or text-based tutorials, which do not align well with the essence of computational thinking. The DLR presented in this paper is a self-paced learning resource that integrates a web of interconnected concepts, methods, tools, and instructions on a non-linear interface, and it aligns better with the divergent qualities of computational design thinking. It is developed for an MSc-level course that introduces computational design. This paper presents its design and implementation, evaluation of its pilot use, and directions for future improvements. ... Read more

Given the urgent sustainability goals, the construction industry is actively seeking renewable and recyclable biobased materials. In this research, cellulose and lignin, the most abundant biopolymers on earth, were studied as fundamental building blocks to create an innovative bio-based material to 3D print elements for the construction industry. Having obtained a 3D printable paste, the study presented in this paper delved into the 3D printing possibilities by using a clay extruder mounted on a robotic arm. A window frame was used as test case, addressing the existing gap in replacing or enhancing current window frames. To better understand the printing process and explore various geometric configurations, a section of a window frame was printed as proof of the concept. ... Read more

This paper explores the use of bamboo in Additive Manufacturing (AM), specifically towards the development of a building component. The presented study uses 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 mechanically 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. The project involves a comprehensive workflow, including material research, design development exploration, manufacturing process exploration and prototyping. ... Read more

The physical infrastructures needed for hands-on learning can be enhanced for efficiency and flexibility, meeting the rising student interest and adapting to the evolving educational landscapes. This article presents the ongoing development of a Hybrid Learning Environment (HLE) that adopts a blended approach to teaching robotics in design disciplines like architecture, building technology, and industrial design. Common platforms cannot replicate the experience of a physical learning space with tangible tools and materials, which are essential for hands-on learning in design education. This project tackles these concerns through an HLE that integrates VR and Robotics. The HLE includes a digital twin of the physical workspace created using a game engine. Different methods were explored to establish communication between physical and virtual environments. The empirical analysis of a preliminary version of the HLE demonstrates that it can enhance learning by making it more intuitive and engaging, making it easier to understand the complex operations of the robotic arm. The study also highlights further research directions, including addressing network security and latency issues, integrating multisensory approaches, and tackling the challenges in collaborative learning activities. ... Read more

This article presents an educational undertaking to integrate earthquake management subjects into the curriculum, specifically in a master's-level design studio course within an architecture faculty. The course explores the employment of challenge-based learning (CBL) and self-directed learning (SDL) principles, emphasizing computation for earthquake resilience and recovery. It is taught with a teaching team with diverse expertise, and it is formulated as an interdisciplinary learning environment that leads to the development of projects that explore know-how beyond the typical disciplinary boundaries of the students’ backgrounds. The article suggests that employing the principles of CBL and SDL, emphasizing computational thinking as a transversal competence, and introducing digital technologies into the course content and teaching methods can lead to an effective interdisciplinary learning environment that improves students’ motivation and agency. They can allow the students to take the initiative in extending their disciplinary knowledge and encourage their self-positioning as problem solvers. The projects formulated and developed by the students address all four phases of earthquake management through computational methods and digital technologies. Accordingly, it is suggested that computational earthquake management can be studied as an interdisciplinary research field that can address all phases of earthquake management, influencing both educational and professional domains. This article presents this course’s pedagogical approach, learning methods, and outcomes. It is concluded with an evaluation of this experience, highlighting directions towards future research. It is suggested that it can give insights into the effective integration of this subject into education and influence future research and professional explorations at the intersection of computation and earthquake management within interdisciplinary learning environments. ... Read more

This article presents a theoretical discussion on the need for developing digital design environments that can strengthen our relations with the tangible, tacit, and implicit dimensions of design cognition. It synthesizes relevant concepts and theories in the field of phenomenology, addressing creative design thinking. It suggests that designer's tacit ways of knowing can be accommodated in digital design practices by developing tools that allow intuitive and embodied interactions. To this end, it points out specific concepts, methods, and theories within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research, arguing that they can enable the development of better digital design tools that can cope with complex human perceptual mechanisms, including touch, as an extension of both body and mind, and that can encompass the implicit areas inherent in design knowledge. Therefore, concerning the creative design disciplines, it highlights the importance of closely following the findings of research within HCI that are relevant to design knowledge and its implementation. ... Read more

Under urgent sustainability targets, the building industry craves for renewable and recyclable biomaterials as cellulose is a fiber; Lignin is a plant-derived low-cost polymer with remarkable properties, yet its valorization is in its infancy. Recent studies have shown potentials to combine cellulose and lignin into a renewable bio-based material for the built environment, with the use of additive manufacturing to allow geometric customization and local control of material. However, previous studies also highlighted crucial issues to be solved. One main challenge is the lack of knowledge on combinations of lignin and cellulose with different binders to achieve a paste suitable for 3D printing, leading to a material applicable in the built environment. To contribute overcoming the challenge, this research aimed to explore various combinations of cellulose, lignin, and binders and to study the extrudability of the resulting paste using a clay extruder installed on a robotic arm. Several combinations were explored, evaluated, and compared. The four recipes with the highest scores were used to produce samples for tensile and three-point bending tests, water absorption and retention tests, and microscope analysis. The overall outcome has shown similarities between the mechanical properties of the mixture developed using methylcellulose as the binding agent and rigid polymer foams, such as the ones commonly used as insulation panels. Moreover, the material mix with the highest score in the preliminary assessment was further applied to fabricate samples with varied geometries to assess its potential and limitations combined with the fabrication process. Finally, two demonstrators were produced to explore the printing process for different geometric configurations: conceptual window frame and structural node were designed, and 3D printed as proof of concept. ... Read more

This article presents a project that explores the potential of Additive Manufacturing (AM) for designing and fabricating multi-functional building components for improved climate performance. In this project, an innovative façade wall design was developed by using a computational method in an attempt to integrate a displacement ventilation system into the wall. A robotic AM solution is integrated into the workflow as a potentially feasible fabrication method for the resulting wall design with an intricate geometry. Clay is proposed as the AM material, being a potential low-carbon building material. To this end, a material exploration of clay was conducted to develop an appropriate composite for AM. A displacement ventilation system was developed to achieve better indoor air quality by using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. Subsequently, an AM solution was integrated into the workflow to automate the fabrication phase. Finally, a partial prototype of the design was made through AM with clay to demonstrate the feasibility and observe the material qualities of the final product. The proposed workflow proves applicable, highlighting directions for future research. ... Read more

Exhibition at MaterialDistrict Utrecht 2022. ... Read more

Pomace (2022) is a documentary film that explores the concept of circularity through a narrative on olive cultivation.

How can the olive inspire us towards a more sustainable future? In Pomace, the intrinsic and traditional circular qualities of olive cultivation is explored in rural western Anatolia. The film illustrates what circularity is, based on a narrative on the olive, by presenting its socio-cultural, economic, technological and environmental dynamics. It also includes the endeavor of a group of designers who develops a circular bioplastic by using the residues of olive oil extraction, and to design products by using it. ... Read more

The paper explores the potentials of shape memory alloys (SMAs) for the design of autoreactive façade systems without using additional external energy. The exploration is conducted and assessed through the design of a façade concept for the city of Athens in Greece, aiming to improve both the indoor and outdoor environment by means of a kinetic autoreactive system featuring a dual-seasonal function, with a focus on the building’s direct and indirect impact on the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The paper covers a demonstration of the methodology followed, using a feedback-loop logic informed by environmental and energy performance evaluation studies in Grasshopper to optimize the geometry and movement of the shading component. During the façade design process, a comprehensive and systematic computational toolset is being developed, targeted on the abovementioned performance evaluation studies. Through the development and assessment of the façade concept, the objective is to explore the potentials and limitations for the application of autoreactive envelopes in the façade design. At the same time, the aim is to exploit the possibilities and optimization potentials offered through the developed iterative computational workflows, by showcasing the methodology and interoperability logic of the digital tools used for the data interchange. ... Read more

Exhibition at Dutch Design Week 2021. ... Read more

This paper presents a completed research project that proposes a new approach for creating circular buildings through the use of biodegradable, in situ resources with the help of computational design and digital fabrication technologies. Common Reed (Phragmites Australis) is an abundantly available natural material found throughout the world. Reed is typically used for thatch roofing in Europe, providing insulation and a weather-tight surface. Elsewhere, traditional techniques of weaving and bundling reeds have long been used to create entire buildings. The use of a digital production chain was explored as a means towards expanding the potential of reed as a sustainable, locally produced, construction material. Following an iterative process of designing from the micro to the macro scale and by experimenting with robotic assembly, the result is a reed-based system in the form of discrete components that can be configured to create a variety of structures. ... Read more