Publications / 2020 Proceedings of the 37th ISARC, Kitakyushu, Japan

Changing Paradigm: a Pedagogical Method of Robotic Tectonics into Architectural Curriculum

Xinyu Shi, Xue Fang, Zhoufan Chen, Tyson Keen Phillips and Hiroatsu Fukuda
Pages 743-749 (2020 Proceedings of the 37th ISARC, Kitakyushu, Japan, ISBN 978-952-94-3634-7, ISSN 2413-5844)
Abstract:

With the rapid spreading of digital technology and automated construction applications in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) society, the current trend is becoming clearer, that automation will change the way we design and build. Robotic Tectonics, as a part of automatic construction methods aiming to achieve the integration workflow from architectural design to finial construction products, emerged from architectural profession for a decade. Avant-garde architects explored the possibility of this new design paradigm through creating the integration of digital design software within the simulation and controlling of robotic construction, and only recently, this completed digital workflow pushes architectural design to re-control the process from initial design conception to finial physical construction, guiding the AEC industry towards a precise, efficient, thus more sustainable development. However, a success technology innovation is based on the widespread acceptance, where education plays an important role, but in the current architectural education, there is barely no professional courses focused on this. The need to find a framework to integrate the robotic tectonics workflow with architectural curriculum is increasing. Therefore, it became mandatory to integrating and testing of the complete robotic tectonics workflow into architectural curriculum. In this paper, a pedagogical method of robotic tectonics is defined through a linear scenarios of four stages, based on experiences gleaned from ?Robotic Tectonics' workshops and various other teaching practices. Then this pedagogical method is tested into an architectural curriculum with 135 undergraduate students, for each student, the complete participation of the overall process and questionnaires is required. Results shows this pedagogical method introduces multi-layered interdisciplinary knowledge to architecture students and enables them to using related technologies of robotic arms for automated construction practices, changing the paradigm of architectural curriculum for new design and build processes that will redefine architecture in the near future.

Keywords: Robotic Tectonics; Architectural Education; Pedagogical Method; Digital Workflow; Architectural Curriculum