Article source: ICD / ITKE University of Stuttgart

In summer 2011 the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), together with students at the University of Stuttgart have realized a temporary, bionic research pavilion made of wood at the intersection of teaching and research. The project explores the architectural transfer of biological principles of the sea urchin’s plate skeleton morphology by means of novel computer-based design and simulation methods, along with computer-controlled manufacturing methods for its building implementation. A particular innovation consists in the possibility of effectively extending the recognized bionic principles and related performance to a range of different geometries through computational processes, which is demonstrated by the fact that the complex morphology of the pavilion could be built exclusively with extremely thin sheets of plywood (6.5 mm).

East view

• Architects: ICD / ITKE University of Stuttgart
• Project: ICD | ITKE Research Pavilion 2011
• Location: Keplerstr. 11-17, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany
• Date of completion: August 2011
• Surface: 72m²
• Volume: 200m³
• Material: 275 m² Birch plywood 6,5mm Sheet thickness
• Software used: McNeel Rhinoceros and the plugins Grasshopper and Kangaroo. Also used AnSys for FEA tests, QDesign RoboMove for simulating and Kuka KRC2 for operating the manufacturing process.

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