Digital timber for affordable housing: from form finding and optimisation to digital fabrication

数字化设计和制造正在改变设计和施工之间的关系。新的方法正在催生对建筑的创新思维方式，复杂形式的实现正变得快速和负担得起。该项目旨在通过数字化设计为未来可持续和负担得起的城市扩大木结构应用。木材是一种具有优异结构性能的可持续材料。通过异地数字化制造和现场快速组装，不仅可以减少施工时间，还可以减少排放、成本、运输和建筑物的重量。数字时代建筑业的发展远远落后于汽车或航空航天行业。2009年建筑业的二氧化碳排放量占全球排放量的23%。从成熟的森林中采伐木材为新的种植提供了空间，导致持续的碳吸收，使不断增加的木材基础设施能够储存更多的碳。《联合国人权宣言》规定了适足生活权，但仍有10多亿人得不到适足住房。随着我们生活方式亟需的环境变化和住房标准的提高，数字木材可能成为设计新的负担得起的环保城市的答案。这项研究项目提出了一种从形状寻找和优化到数字制造的数字木材使用的整体方法。

Digital design and fabrication are changing the relationship between design and construction. New methods are giving rise to innovative ways of thinking about architecture, where the realization of complex forms is becoming fast and affordable. This project aims to expand timber structural applications through digital design for future sustainable and affordable cities. Timber is a sustainable material with excellent structural properties. Through offsite digital fabrication and fast on site assembly, it could reduce not only construction time but also emissions, cost, transport and the weight ofbuildings. The development of the construction sector in the digital era is well behind the automotive or aerospace industries. The CO2 emissions of the construction sector in 2009 accounted for the 23% of the global emissions. Harvesting timber from mature forests gives space for new planting, leading to continued carbon uptake, allowing increasing timber infrastructure to store evermore carbon. The UN Declaration of the Human Rights stipulates the right for adequate living, however more than a billion people do not have access to adequate housing. With a much needed environmental change in our way of living and improvement on housing standards, digital timber could be the answer to the design of new affordable and environmental cities. This research project proposes a holistic approach to the use of digital timber, from form finding and optimization to digital fabrication.