Non-linear fabrication

PhD project presentation for FRTN80 ht 2025

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Anton Tetov 2025-09-29

Short resume

2014-2017
Student @ School of Architecture year 1-3
2027-2018
Intern @ Sesam Arkitekter 2017-2018
2018-2019
Student @ Spatial Experiments 1 & 2
2019-2020
MAS DFAB @ ETH Zürich

Short resume

2020-2021
Project assistant @ Gramazio Kohler Reserach
2021-2023
Project assistant @ LTH
2023-2028
PhD student @ LTH

My first DFAB project

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  • Spatial Experiments 1
  • Swarm Construction
  • 3DP

Larger

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Computational Coral Clay City,
MAS thesis by Eleni Skevaki and Nicolas Feihl

Emmanuelle Sallin, Remy Clémente & me

Even larger

1:1 scale prototype for the SE Music Lab

Photo by Indra Santosa

Largest

Clay Rotunda - SEMusicLab

Current research

Nonlinear Design & Fabrication for Earthen Architecture

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Nonlinear Definition

Nonlinear Design & Fabrication for Earthen Architecture

  • (of a system) Whose output is not directly proportional to its input.
  • Erratic and unpredictable; […]
nonlinear - Wiktionary (as of 23:49, 15 June 2023)

Earthen Definition

Nonlinear Design & Fabrication for Earthen Architecture

  • stone, clay, earth
  • local
  • non industrial / unprocessed / less processed / raw

Unpredictable materials

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Unpredictable sites

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Feedback principle

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From Adaptive Clay Formations by Edurne Morales Zúñiga & me

Hypothesis

A robust and resilient process can be achieved by accepting and adapting to unforeseen results, like those stemming from fabrication parameters or material behaviour.

Goal

Demonstrate large scale, nonlinear fabrication processes for building elements using local, raw materials.

Research questions

  • How can we develop non-linear fabrication processes for raw, local materials such as clay or earth?
  • How do we design for non-linear fabrication processes?
  • What kind of architecture can be created using non-linear fabrication processes?

Detailed Research Question

  • How can we create models of the built environment that accurately records material behaviours and that can be used in design, construction and operation?
  • What material behaviours emerge in these processes and how can they be described?
  • How can we to adapt to the unforeseen

Research-by-design methodology

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Diagram from: Ramsgaard Thomsen, M., & Tamke, M. (2009). Narratives of making: thinking practice led research in architecture. In Communicating (by) Design 2009 (pp. 1-8)

Research-by-design methodology

  • probe - explorations
  • prototype - experiments in material behaviour
  • demonstrator - showcase potential applications

Setup

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  • Robot arm on mobile platform
  • Extrusion systems
  • Machine perception

Workflow

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Prints

Nonlinear Design & Fabrication for Earthen Architecture

Tacit knowledge for robots.