rocker-lange blog

I am very happy to share the recent outcome of our spring activities in the Robotic Fabrication Lab at HKU. The project entitled “Ceramic Constellation Pavilion – Spatial shifts through robotically fabricated terracotta bricks” represents the first research work in the newly formed collaboration between Sino Group and the Robotic Fabrication Lab.

The Pavilion, which was guided by Christian J. Lange, Donn Holohan and Holger Kehne was built by students utilizing robotic technology. The research initiative that supports arts, cultures, and technology is intended to foster cultural awareness of new technologies for the built environment.

In a context that has been largely shaped by standardization and mass production, the project seeks to overcome the constraints of today’s architectural production through the introduction of a structure made entirely of non-standard components.

This inaugural workshop of the “Sino Group Robotic Architecture Series” utilized terracotta clay to test the possibilities and limits within robotic fabrication and to revitalize a material system that has a significant tradition in Asia.

Departing from traditional brick bonds, the 3.8m tall project articulates a load-bearing composite structure with timber – where each of the nearly 2000 3d printed terracotta bricks is unique and different, enabling varying degrees of transparency, morphological shifts, and new experiences.

Around 700 kg of raw terracotta clay was printed over a period of 3 weeks into individual bricks that were then fired at 1025 degrees Celsius. With 2-3 minutes average printing time for each brick, the pavilion is one of the first of its kind in the world that incorporates this specific material system.

All components were fabricated with the equipment in the newly fitted Robotics Lab at HKU’s Faculty of Architecture and assembled during a ten-day workshop by students from the Department of Architecture.

The project was recently on show in the North Atrium of Olympian City, West Kowloon and will find its new home soon on the campus of the University of Hong Kong.

Credits:
Project Leaders: Christian J. Lange, Donn Holohan, Holger Kehne

Research Assistants: Tony Lau, Anthony Hu, Teego Ma Jun Yin, Ernest Hung Chi Lok, Chau Chi Wang, Ren Depei, Mono Tung, He Qiye, Henry Ho Yu Hong

Workshop students: Go Yi, Sisay Sombo, Cheung Hoi Ching, Cheung King Man, Cheung Pak Yin, Ho Pui Lun, Verena Leung, Sharon So Cheuk Ying, Xu Junjie, Zhao Jinglun, Sampson Ip Cheuk Sum, Tan Shaoying, Yeung Tsz Wing

Funding: Sino Group

Structural engineers: Goman Ho &amp, Alfred Fong – Ove Arup Partners Hong Kong Ltd

For for images on the project please visit also:
http://www.arch.hku.hk/

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Very happy to be included in a recent article on robotics in architecture in the South China Morning Post. The article discusses the current outlook of this technology in Hong Kong and was written by Ernest Kao. It’s actually a very good read. Enjoy!

For online version of the text please visit:
http://www.scmp.com/

Christian J. Lange will be teaching again a Summer workshop on Robotic Fabrication in Architecture at The University of Hong Kong. The program will take place from June 5th through June 16th 2017.

This year’s summer workshop “Ceramic Constellation” is sponsored by SINO GROUP and is based on the current research undertaken in the lab that focuses on ceramic fabrication through the aid of the robot. Ceramics have a long history in Architecture, especially in the context of China. However, in today’s standardized world, the richness of the material is nearly gone. With few exceptions in contemporary Chinese Architecture, it seems that the materials’ remaining territory in the building industry diminished to the use of dull homogeneous façade tiles. Therefore the intention of this workshop is to test the potential of the material in todays advanced technological world and to build a large-scale pavilion that will be installed on a site in the Olympian City shopping mall in Kowloon.

The workshop comprises of a series of exercises on tectonics, computational design and robotic fabrication techniques and will culminate in the construction of a 1:1 large-scale architectural intervention. The workshop will expand the student’s skillset and understanding through building an innovative structure in real scale, and aims to open up the student’s understanding of the emerging creative uses of Robotics in Architecture.

Program:
– Workshop on Robotics in Architecture.
– Computational workshop on component based assembly structures.
– Fabrication of components
– Construction and Installation of a 1:1 scale intervention.

Set Up:
Hardware: 1 x ABB 6700 1 x ABB IRB 1600
Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, HAL

Participants:
Up to 20 students of the Department of Architecture, HKU, led by
Christian J. Lange
Donn Holohan
Holger Kehne

Dates:
The program will take place from June 5th through June 16th 2017.

Information session:
To give students a better understanding of the workshop we will have a lunch-time information session on May 12th in room 419 1:00pm.

Registration:
The program is open to all fulltime students registered in the BAAS, March, MLA, MPhil and PHD programs in the Department of Architecture. Interested applicants should send a one page CV to the BAAS secretary Angela Ting by May 19th.

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At last, we can show some photos of the final outcomes of the latest studio taught by Christian J. Lange at The University of Hong Kong. The M.Arch I studio entitled “Elements: Robotic Interventions 0.2 – Towards new territories in Architecture” had two main objectives. On the one hand it was a hands-on investigation on how we as architects can generate new technologies, material systems and craftsmanship with the aid of the robot, and on the other hand, the studio looked in how we can apply those for the development of architectural elements such as the column the roof and the wall.

Students eventually built three medium scale prototypes that were based on three different traditional timber construction techniques. The first being the “Dou Gong” bracketing system, which usually is the structural network that joins columns to the frame of the roof in traditional Chinese architecture. The second being the reciprocal frame structures that can be found in the timber woven-arch bridges in the Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. And the third being the “Luban Lock” or the so-called “Chidori system” a design concept derived from old Japanese/ Chinese toys, and that elegantly produces a six-legged hidden joint.

credits:

supervisor:
Christian J. Lange

students:

Chau Chi Wang
Hu Zhihao
Hung Chi Lok Ernest
Lau Siu Yan
Ma Jun Yin
Ma Ki Ho
Ng Ka Chun
Ng Ka Lam
Ren Depei
Wong Siu Shan
Yan Ming
Zhou Zhengmian

For the past year Christian J. Lange has been working on the set up of the new robotics lab at the Faculty of Architecture at The University of Hong Kong. The lab was recently installed and consists of two ABB industrial robots, a rotational table and various end-effectors.

In an environment with rapidly growing cities, the robotic fabrication lab has its emphasis on the discovery of new methods, techniques and material assembly systems that have a meaningful and sustainable impact on the high-density build environment in the context of Hong Kong and Asia.

Currently Lange is teaching a March I studio focusing on the opportunities of robotic fabrication in traditional timber construction techniques that are specific to the Asian context. Below are some photos of the recent midterm presentation.

We are pleased to show some photos of the outcomes of the recent Robotic Fabrication Workshop. The workshop took place during late June 2016 at the University of Hong Kong and was led by Christian J. Lange and Donn Holohan. The project took on the typology of the tower as a point of departure to study the potential of low energy timber construction systems in conjunction with robotic fabrication.

credits:

supervisors:
Christian J. Lange
Donn Holohan

students:
Chan Yat Him Gabriel
Kong Ka Yu Christina
Tung Chiu On
Wong Yee Fung, Yves
Lu Chang
Laura Rulianto
Chan Hong Wan Aaron
He Qiye

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Christian J. Lange will be teaching a Summer workshop on Robotic Fabrication in Architecture at The University of Hong Kong.The program will take place from June 20th through June 26th 2016

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Outline:

Robotics in Architecture is a relatively young subject within contemporary design practice. At the Faculty of Architecture we are currently building up a Research Lab that will be dedicated to this new research field. In an environment with rapidly growing cities, the lab will have its emphasis on the discovery of new methods, techniques and material assembly systems that have a meaningful and sustainable impact on Architecture and the context of Hong Kong and the PRD.

The summer workshop “Robotic Intervention” will focus on traditional techniques of timber construction and will be a first test for a novel production method with robotic aid. Participants are invited to investigate on the relationship between material, geometry, computation and robotic fabrication through the design and making of a prototypical structure.

The workshop comprises of a research component on traditional timber material systems, a series of exercises on computational design and robotic fabrication techniques and will culminate in the construction of a 1:1 scale architectural intervention. The workshop will not only increase the student’s architectural skillset to build a structure in real scale, it primarily aims to open up the student’s understanding of the emerging creative uses of Robotics in Architecture.

Program:
– Workshop on Robotics in Architecture.
– Research on traditional timber construction systems
– Computational workshop on component based assembly structures.
– Fabrication and installation of a 1:1 scale intervention at HKU.

Set Up:
Hardware: 1 x ABB IRB 1600
Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, HAL

Previous knowledge required:
Medium level experience on Rhino & Grasshopper

Participants:
12 students of the Faculty of Architecture, HKU, led by
Christian J. Lange, Senior Lecturer in Architecture, FoA
Donn Holohan, Assistant Lecturer – Fabrication Manager, FoA

Registration:
The program is open to all fulltime students registered in the BAAS, March, MLA, MPhil and PHD programs in the Department of Architecture. Interested applicants should send a one page CV to the BAAS secretary Angela Ting by June 11th.

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Professor Ingeborg M. Rocker, Rocker-Lange Architects – developed with students at the GSD, Harvard University a robotic built wall.

Student quotes:
“This was the best experience so far at the GSD: generating a digital design, fabricating a model and then building it in a 1:1 scale.”  Jeff LaBoskey

“A whole set of new challenges occurred when we started to build the design – and a constant re-adjustments of design and building process had to happen – overall great fun and a fantastic learning experience for all of us. The most rewarding is to be in the space we have created and to watch people experiencing it.” Misato Odanaka

“This is the type of experience for which I came to the GSD! More of this!” Teresa McWalters

Credits:
On the Bri-n-ck project, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design

Advisor:
Ingeborg M.Rocker

Leading Team:
Jeff LaBoskey
Misato Odanaka
Benjamin Franceschi
Teresa McWalters

Coding:
Jessica Rosenkrantz, Nervous System
Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, Nervous System
Christian J. Lange, Rocker-Lange Architects

Core Team:
Natalya Egon
Ricardo Munoz
Matthew Swaidan
Tory Wolcott

Team:
Masana Amamiya, Sen Ando, Ben Brady, Julian Bushman-Copp, Lindsay Chandler-Alexander, Brad Crane, Theodore Diehl, Elizabeth Farley, Matthew Fiely, Chelsea Garunay, Jeremy Jih, Tessa Kelly, Jeongyon Kim, Jessica Knobloch, Carl Koepcke, Annie Kountz, Eva Leung, Cara Liberatore, Lesley McTague. Paul Merrill, Brian Militana, Yuhka Miura, Jason Phipps, Alicia Taylor, Jessica Vaughn, Ka Yip

Special Thanks:
Stephen Hickey
Martin Bechthold

Funding:
Junior Faculty Grant and Preston Scott Cohen, Chair of the Architecture Department

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