Structural Design Research Studio: Reduced-Waste Design for (Dis-)Assembly (Spring 2022)
Instructors
Masoud Akbarzadeh
Yuxuan Wang (Teaching Assistant)
Students
Yefan Zhi, Xiaohan Zhao, Yifan Zhao, Zhaoxin Yang, Kejing Li, Chengyang Li, Lichen Zhu, Joonhyuk Yun, Zihan Huang, Zhiyuan Zhou, Ruili Wang, Dayu Long
Guest Critics
Andrew John Wit (WITO, Temple University), Franca Trubiano (UPenn), Kathy Velikov (University of Michigan, RVTR), Marion Weiss (Weiss/Manfredi, UPenn), Billie Faircloth (KieranTimberlake, UPenn), Homa Farjadi (UPenn), Richard Farley (UPenn), Joseph Choma (Design Topology Lab, Clemson University), Laia Mogas-Soldevila (Dumo Lab, UPenn), Florian Meier (Knippers Helbig)
Files
Brief
The architecture and construction industry is indeed responsible for serious waste problems. The construction process leaves significant waste and debris, including the process of demolishing structures to construct new buildings at the end of the life cycle and the waste and debris resulting from the material processing and preparation for new construction. They all contribute significantly to the waste problems globally. To address this problem and eliminate waste, the continual use and reuse of resourses should be at the core of the design process. Consequently, an architect should carefully select the construction material and analyze the method of construction and preparation of the materials to minimize the waste and allow for re-usability in the future. Moreover, the building design and use characteristics should also be involved in this process. Only then, a circular design process may be established, which would be at the intersection of the material properties and building design and use. This design approach values the ”creative and distinctive use” rather than the quality of material.
Problem Statement and Objectives
This studio aims to investigate innovative methods of design, assembly, and disassembly of prefabricated parts that meet the functional requirements of a mid-rise building. The assembly method should evolve progressively to ensure the structural integrity of the building and consider environmental factors of the site. The overarching objective of the studio is to:
- learn from the ancient local methods of assembly;
- propose innovative, site-specific prefabricated methods of construction and labor;
- minimize waste in both pre-production and post-production;
- facilitate reusability of the parts in the future; and
- value the cultural factors that form the architectural function.
Design Research Approach
The design method starts with assembly research by analyzing the conventional construction methods. The choice of materials and components will be based on the availability of the material, and the assembly should be compatible with the climate and environmental factors. While the prefabrication is at the core of this studio, six different sites with different cultural and environmental factors will be chosen to answer the following questions:
- What might one learn from historic construction methods in a specific site?
- How can this method be adopted for future methods of construction?
- How can prefabrication reduce the use and waste of the particular material?
- How does the assembly of the structural system conform with the programmatic function of the building?
- How can this process minimum energy and waste in the future to recycle the material and use it for other purposes?
