7x Cabin

7x Cabin
by Constantinos Miltiadis and Tom Pawlofsky (CAAD, ETH Zurich)

The 7xCabin is the result of a workshop focusing on the implementation of a robotic fabrication process on the architectural scale. Instead of inventing a new architectural language based on shifts in technology, this projects searches for an integrative approach towards traditional crafts and archetypal forms.

Using digital design tools, traditional timber joints were adapted to be usable with raw, irregular logs. These joints have subsequently been produced using a chainsaw mounted on an industrial robot. All movements for the robot were planned digitally, with students preparing the exact toolpaths for each log type.

The project was realized by students of ETH Zürich’s MAS CAAD program under the supervision of Tom Pawlofsky. The interplay between traditional timber construction methods and robotic fabrication turned out to be a rich field of applied research.

Tom Pawlofksi’s Rhino2KRL plugin was used to export Kuka source code.
The cabin was reassembled and displayed at the ETHz Campus at Honggerberg during February 2014.

http://www.caad.arch.ethz.ch/blog/7xcabin-robotic-log-processing/

Project authors are:
Adel Albloushi, Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Christian Braun, Kaihong Chen, Grigorios Grigoriadis, Abel Groenewolt, Periklis Kyriakidis, Valle Medina, Constantinos Miltiadis, Regina Mirzoyants, Yu-ting Sheng, Togo Takamura and Tom Pawlofski

Video author:
Constantinos Miltiadis

This clip was accepted as a video submission to Rob|Arch 2014 - the international conference on robotic fabrication in architecture, art, and design.