ARCHIBIOFOAM

ARCHIBIOFOAM – DIGITAL DESIGN AND ROBOTIC FABRICATION OF BIOFOAMS FOR ADAPTIVE MONO-MATERIAL ARCHITECTURE

The overall objective of the ARCHIBIOFOAM project is to create mono-material yet multifunctional material systems for architecture through the additive fabrication of biofoam materials in functional structures. Our approach integrates bio-based materials science, computational metamaterial design and robotic additive manufacturing.

Our computational fabrication process will enable functionally graded, load-bearing and adaptively shape-changing structures through the structuring of the novel biofoam material at multiple hierarchical scales. The objectives are to:

• Create 3D-printable biofoams with programmable properties at the microscale by manipulating the microstructure of bubble films in the biofoam to expand or contract directionally in response to external stimuli,
• automatically generate optimal biofoam-based metamaterial structures by developing a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to achieve the targeted shape changes,
• and materialise architectural scale components with tailored stiffness and autonomously actuating parts by developing robotic additive fabrication processes at the metre scale.

By leveraging the properties and geometry of materials at multiple hierarchical scales, bio-based mono-material systems can meet multiple performance criteria and eliminate the need for multi-material layered construction. This novel computational fabrication approach is at the heart of the current climate challenge, aiming to enable biobased materials to outperform high embodied energy construction materials, while being recyclable and compostable at the end of their life.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR & PARTICIPATING RESEARCHER

Prof. Achim Menges and Dr.-Ing. Tiffany Cheng
Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), University of Stuttgart

RESEARCHERS

Sujie Park (ICD)
Ekin Sila Sahin (ICD)

PARTNERS

Dr. Juha Koivisto – Complex Systems and Materials, Aalto University
Prof. Stefano Zapperi – Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan
Luisa Jannuzzi – Woamy Ltd.

FUNDING

Horizon Europe – EIC Pathfinder Challenge: AEC digitalisation for a new triad of design, fabrication and materials