Fabrication of susainable free-form façades

Abstract

In contemporary architecture free-form buildings play an important role. The materials used, for example fibre reinforced composites or concrete, are not sustainable. Because the built environment is responsible for a significant part of the global resource usage and because it is one of the most polluting industries it is important to make every effort to reduce its environmental impact. In more conventional architecture renewable and more sustainable materials like timber are among the oldest building materials and are now being rediscovered. In curved façades however it is much less common because curved surfaces and the material properties of renewable and sustainable materials cause complexities in the production and assembly processes. Whether curved façade panels, made from a bio-composite, can be fabricated using an industrial fabrication process has not been extensively researched. The goal of this thesis is to explore the possibilities of making curved façades more sustainable by using a bio-composite and by using an industrial production process. This is done by conducting literature research and by designing a bio-composite façade panel and production process. This process has been supported by experimenting, prototyping and a case study of the Depot Boijmans van Beuningen designed by MVRDV.
Because the bio-composite façade panel is produced using a hot press and an aluminium mould it is best suited for façades of which all panels are identical or for panels with a lot of repetition. One of the advantages of the material, design and production method is that the panels consist of very few parts. The water resistance is something that needs to be improved ether by changing the composition of the material or by applying a bio-based coating.