Gramazio Kohler Research

In spring 2024, we will design and fabricate an innovative wooden frame construction that will be manufactured cooperatively by human and machine workers. The project is a collaboration between Gramazio Kohler Research and a small team from Disentis/Mustér and will be erected on a forgotten rocky outcrop above the Lukmanier pass, where the Caschlatsch castle once stood. The structure is not only intended to make a sculptural statement, but also to be visited by hikers. The design for the structure is being developed entirely with parametric tools by students of the Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture and Digital Fabrication (MAS ETH DFAB) at ETH Zurich and tested in collaboration with local partners using VR technologies. Both these design tools and the processes for collaborative human-machine assembly are experimental in nature and originate from previous research conducted by Gramazio Kohler Research. These combine the best of both worlds: the dexterity of artisans with the precision of the robotic arm in positioning in space. Using an augmented reality interface, the team of human workers retains control of the process and can compare what has been built with the digital model at any time and change or adapt the distribution of tasks between humans and robots.

Wood is a natural building material that is gaining in importance in the current climate crisis and has the potential to efficiently replace a significant proportion of conventional, CO2-intensive building materials such as concrete, brick and steel. The research at Gramazio Kohler Research does not follow the traditional industrial model, but pursues a sustainable and integrative approach. Instead of complete automation, the complex and diverse nature of construction is recognized. People are actively involved in the process and act as modern artisans supported by technology. The symbiosis of tradition and innovation, craft and technology, where humans and robots work together in intensive collaboration to create complex structures, is expressed in the planned structure. The Surselva region offers the ideal location for contextualizing the project and discussing the challenges involved, as it has a rich building culture tradition that oscillates between the alpine baroque of the Disentis monastery and the outstanding contemporary architectural production.

#caschlatsch Dashboard
#dfdu AG
Studio UH Architecs ETH SIA
Nicolas Fehlmann Ingénieurs Conseils SA

Credits:

Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich
Prof. Matthias Kohler, Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Petrus Aejmelaeus-Lindström (Project Lead), Oliver Bucklin (Research Lead), Ananya Kango, Simon Griffioen, Francesco Milano, Aurèle Gheyselinck, Alexandra Moisi, Joseph Kenny, Chen Kasirer, Gonzalo Casas

MAS ETH DFAB Students: Amir Ali Amini-Aghdam, Benhur Baiju, Chia-Hsuan Chao, Joana Francisco Tomaz, Piero Hamid, Junjie Huang, Paul Jaeggi, Jiaxiang Luo, Giacomo Montiani, Wataru Nomura, Panayiotis Papacharalambous, Sukhdevsinh Parmar, Kevin Saev, Gonzalo Seminario Garcia, Megi Sinani, Namdev Talluru, Kai Hsun Yeh

In collaboration with: #dfdu AG (Stefan M. Seydel), Studio UH Architecs ETH SIA, Nicolas Fehlmann Ingénieurs Conseils SA

Client: Gemeinde Disentis/Mustér

Selected Experts: Bearth Lenn AG, Strabag AG Disentis/Mustér, Prof. Daniela Mitterberger (COMPAS_XR), Ziqi Wang (Task Sequencing and Allocation)

Sponsor: Schilliger Holz AG, Bearth Lenn AG, Strabag AG Disentis/Mustér


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Gramazio Kohler Research Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication ETH Zürich HIB E 43 Stefano-Franscini Platz 1 / CH-8093 Zurich +41 44 633 49 06		Follow us on: Vimeo \| Instagram