Robot Made 2019: Large-Scale Robotic Timber Fabrication in Architecture
Winner of the BC Woodworks Wood Design Award Jury’s Choice 2019!
The Wander Wood Pavilion is a robotically fabricated temporary installation at the University of British Columbia Campus. The pavilion is the result of the Robot Made: Large-Scale Robotic Timber Fabrication in Architecture workshop, hosted by SALA and UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing from October 13-17. The workshop was led by David Correa of the University of Waterloo, Oliver David Krieg of LWPAC, and SALA professor AnnaLisa Meyboom.
Fabricated and assembled over three days, the pavilion is conceived as an adaptable design-to-fabrication system that can be customized to suit local material availability and fabrication tools. Each participant is provided with the tools and skills to develop a unique version that can better meet their local needs. Built using the state-of-the-art eight-axis industrial robot at CAWP, the pavilion demonstrates how old materials and new technologies can reshape our built environment.
Starting with computational tools for parametric design, structural principles for wood construction, robotic CNC milling and digital workflow management, participants were provided with a unique insight into the new opportunities and challenges of advanced design to fabrication processes for timber structures. Parametric design and robotic fabrication are disruptive new technologies in architecture that allow us to build high performance structures of unprecedented formal complexity. Wood is a natural partner for these technologies because of the ability to easily mill and shape it with robotically controlled cutting tools. Wood is also highly sustainable – not only is it a renewable resource but it also stores carbon – making it one of the most sustainable building materials in the world.
Starting with computational tools for parametric design, structural principles for wood construction, robotic CNC milling and digital workflow management, participants were provided with a unique insight into the new opportunities and challenges of advanced design to fabrication processes for timber structures. Parametric design and robotic fabrication are disruptive new technologies in architecture that allow us to build high performance structures of unprecedented formal complexity. Wood is a natural partner for these technologies because of the ability to easily mill and shape it with robotically controlled cutting tools. Wood is also highly sustainable – not only is it a renewable resource but it also stores carbon – making it one of the most sustainable building materials in the world. 
This experimental structure demonstrates the new capabilities of the technology to develop innovative material applications that harness the unique properties of wood to animate public spaces.
Design & Development
David Correa
University of Waterloo: uwaterloo.ca/architecture/people-profiles/david-correa
llLab. – Design Laboratory: www.lllab.net
Oliver David Krieg
Intelligent City: www.intelligent-city.com
odk.design: www.odk.design
AnnaLisa Meyboom
UBC SALA: sala.ubc.ca/people/faculty/annalisa-meyboom
UBC Project Leads
Jason Chiu, UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
Jörn Dettmer, UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
Dean Gregory, Campus and Community Planning
David Gill, UBC SEEDS Sustainability Program
Funding
Forest Industry Innovation
This project is a collaboration between students, staff, faculty, and external partners as part of UBC’s SEEDS Sustainability Program
Teaching Assistants
Stuart Lodge
Derek Mavis
Student participants
Zahra Asghari
John Chan
Selina Chau
Jessica Chen
Alex Floyd
Kemeng Gao
Junting He
Emily Kazanowski
Haobo Liu
Jia Liu
Bryn Martin
Jenna Ratzlaff
Theo Van Vugt
Trevor Vilac
Bahar Ziraknejad
Industry participants
Ivan Antoniw
Tony Bojarsky
Nelson Brito
Aiden Carruthers
Jamie Connolly
Andrew Drakeford
Mahdiar Ghaffarian
Elton Gjata
Michael Hiebert
Marco Kneifel
Mori Kono
Yehia Madkour
Sindhu Mahadevan
Logan Mohr
Nariman Mousavirad
Dai Ona
Aaron Oussoren
Jason Ramelson
Mallory Stuckel
Majd Sukkarieh
Taryn Sheppard