Con-Create

Net structures, because of their minimal material waste and intuitive aesthetics, are gaining more interest recently. There are various efforts to redesign the tensile- and compression-only structures, as the computational tools and novel materials have broadened the scope of geometries possible to construct. However, the fabrication process of these structures faces different challenges, especially for mass construction. Some of these challenges are related to the technology and equipment utilized for materializing these complicated forms and geometries. Working with concrete as a quickly forming material for these irregular forms seems promising. Nevertheless, using this material has difficulties, including the preparation of formworks and joints, material reinforcement, structural behavior in the fresh state, and the assembly procedure. This paper introduces a method based on computational design and geometrical solutions to address some of these challenges. The goal is to shift the complexity of construction from the high-tech equipment used in the fabrication stage to integrating design and fabrication through a hierarchical system made entirely by affordable 2D CNC laser cutters. The stages of developing the method and the process of designing and building an architectural size proof-of-concept prototype by the proposed method are discussed. The efficiency of the method has been shown by comparing the designed prototype with the Con-Create Pavilion.