rocker-lange blog

I am thrilled to report that two projects that came out of the Robotic Fabrication Lab at HKU in the past two years have been long-listed in this year’s dezeen awards. The “Reformative Coral Habitat” project made it to the sustainable design list, while the Tidal stool has been selected for both the sustainable design category and the furniture design list. Congrats to the teams.

For more information on the projects, please use the following links:
www.dezeen.com/awards/2022/longlists/tidal-stool
www.dezeen.com/awards/2022/longlists/reformative-coral-habitats-reef-tiles

The Tidal Stool | A shoreline intervention through a robotic 3D terracotta printing method

I am happy to report the recent installation of a set of tidal stools on the shoreline of Kuk Po village, Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong. The stool is part of a larger project on the revitalization of of the village and is a critical commentary on the common practice of how we deal with shorelines in Hong Kong.

Rather than separating through an artificial intervention, the project brings together two different ecologies, the anthropocentric and the natural environment. Both are the beneficiaries of its functional design approach. With its intricate spaces and crevices, the stool provides for many creatures hide-outs from predators and enhances the ecology of the shoreline. During high tide, the stool is partially submerged in the water. During the low tide, it invites the villagers and its visitors to take a break and enjoy the beach.

Overall, the team produced 30 unique stools with different heights for different users and varying degrees of surface complexity. The goal in producing the multiplicity of solutions was to understand which geometry would, in the end, perform best for the natural environment. All stools were produced using a standard industrial robot. The stools were made using a unique mix of terracotta clay, which is very suitable for natural habitats due to its Ph-level. So, in case the stools deteriorate over time, they get back to nature without any harm.

Funding body: Kuk Po Vision | Country Conservation Office

Project Credits:
Robotic Fabrication Lab | Faculty of Architecture | The University of Hong Kong

Christian J. Lange (Team Leader)
Weijen Wang (Team Leader)

Team:
Chen Zhaowei
Yin Fangyi
Chan Ching Yin

Very happy to share the recent feature in Ming Pao weekly on our exhibition of the Reformative Coral Habitat project at PMQ in Hong Kong. Thanks to our team in the Robotic Fabrication Lab in the Faculty of Architecture at HKU to make this a successful event.

To read the article, please use the following link:
www.mpweekly.com/culture/

Finally I can show some pictures of the latest outcomes of the Fall 2019 studio. This MArch studio is the third studio that focused on 3d clay printing and brick specials. This time we looked into spatial arrangements of this peculiar material system. Below you can find an excerpt of the brief:

Agenda:

Over the past three years, the agenda within the research and teaching of the robotic fabrication lab in the Faculty of Architecture at HKU has focused on the development of novel approaches for 3d printing ceramic brick specials. The key question within this specific research trajectory was on how we, as designers, can rethink one of the most traditional material systems in Architecture with innovative fabrication methods of today.

While in previous studios the focus was primarily on the development and making of the individual brick and its performance beyond physical strength, this semester, we will re-direct our attention to structural capacity and techniques of assembly. Traditionally Bricks are put together via a level and a plumb line. That method is suitable for walls, but more complex systems such as arches and vaults need temporary scaffolding or a specific false-work to achieve accurate assembly and structural strength.

The studio, therefore, will investigate how robotic 3d printing and novel fabrication processes for false-work can rethink and transform structural brick systems that rely on pure compression. The ultimate goal of the studio is to develop, make, and test experimental prototypes, and to understand their fitness for inventive programs, types, and spaces.