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Biomimetic pavilion

Studying the constructional morphology of sand dollars, the ICD and ITKE built a structure that showcases the potential of computational design, simulation and fabrication processes in architecture.

The Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) of the University of Stuttgart have completed a new research pavilion demonstrating robotic textile fabrication techniques for segmented timber shells, employing industrial sewing of wood elements on an architectural scale.

ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion, Stuttgart, 2016

The project was designed and realized by students and researchers within a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, biologists, and palaeontologists. Based on the biomimetic investigation of natural segmented plate structures and novel robotic fabrication methods for sewing thin layers of plywood, the project commenced with the analysis of the constructional morphology of sand dollars. It was developed also a fabrication technique, enabling the production of elastically bent, double-layered segments made from custom-laminated, robotically sewn beech plywood. Introducing textile connection methods in timber construction offered extremely lightweight and performative segmented timber shells.

Together with the University of Tübingen, pictures and SEM scans (scanning electron microscopy) were performed on several species in order to understand the intricate internal structures of sea urchins and sand dollars. It was concluded that the performance of these segmented lightweight structures relies not only on the arrangement of its individual calcite plates, but also on the geometric morphology of a double layered system and the differentiation within the material.

The pavilion consists of 151 segments that were prefabricated by robotic sewing. Each of them is made out of three individually laminated beech plywood strips. Ranging between 0,5 and 1,5 m in diameter, their specific shapes and material make-up are programmed to fit local structural and geometrical requirements. The textile connections developed for this project allow overcoming the need for any metal fasteners. The entire structure weighs 780 Kg while covering an area of 85 sqm and spanning 9,3 meters. With a resulting material thickness / span ratio of 1/1000 on average, the building has a structural weight of only 7,85 Kg/sqm.

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Section of a sand dollar

Parametric study of the structure

Cut plywood for the ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion

Plywood element for the ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion