VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages
Abstract
Recent advances in digital fabrication have fundamentally changed the design and production processes in architecture. Since the turn of the millennium, numerous research projects have focused on their application for the realization of new designs. Despite efforts in curbing resource consumption through geometry and process optimizations, little attention has been paid to the possibilities of repair with digital fabrication, which would be crucial to avoid the irresponsible waste of resources. According to the “Document of Madrid”, the buildings of the second half of the 20th century pose new challenges to conservation. [ICOMOS 2011] In the 1980s, new technologies and materials were used, particularly around innovative façade and supporting structures, to realize novel architectural designs. These buildings are commonly referred to as high-tech architecture. [BUCHANAN 1983] Due to their construction, production, and materiality, these objects are particularly suitable as case studies for this investigation. The rapid obsolescence of technical innovations compared to the overall lifespan of a building and their resulting replacement, call for a holistic and appropriate strategy for the repair of high-tech architecture. Digital fabrication promises to offer solutions to produce complex spare parts and repair existing bespoke building components. This can enable a more selective and minimally invasive approach to the repair of individual elements as opposed to complete façade replacement. Therefore, a repair strategy leveraging 3d printing or robotic fabrication could offer a less resource-intensive approach for the repair of building components. This hypothesis will be illustrated by showcasing the repair process of a high-tech-façade in Switzerland.
Matthias Brenner, M.A. Architecture TUM CAPM, studied architecture at Technical University of Munich, Università di Roma ‘La Sapienza’ and Metropolitan University Toronto. Additionally, he conducted studies in the field of transdisciplinary innovation design at the School of Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute Berlin (2019-2020). Currently, he holds a position as a doctoral candidate at the Professorship for Construction Heritage and Preservation (Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg) at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich.
Silke Langenberg is full professor of construction heritage and preservation in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. Her professorship is affiliated with both the Institute for Preservation and Historic Building Research (IDB) and the Institute for Technology in Architecture (ITA). Previously, she was full professor for building in existing context, monument preservation, and building survey at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. She’s dedicated to the theoretical and practical challenges of inventorying, appraising and preserving monuments as well as younger (and very young) buildings and stocks.
Orkun Kasap studied architecture and urban planning in Turkey, Denmark and Switzerland. After completing his master’s degree in architecture at ETH Zurich in 2014, he worked at Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich as a research associate and then at the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication as project coordinator and education officer until June 2019. He also works in various architectural offices worked and participated in architectural competitions in Turkey and Switzerland. Since August 2020 he has been senior assistant at the professorship for construction heritage and monument preservation at ETH Zurich.