Traditional fabrication methods for plastic building panels, such as moulding and extrusion, have recently been advanced by large-scale robotic 3D printing (LSR3DP), enabling mass customisation and the production of complex architectural geometries. While existing research on LSR3DP has primarily focused on single-material printing, the exploration of multi-material or multi-property applications remains limited, especially at full architectural scale. This study addresses this gap by developing a performance-driven digital workflow for PETG-based façades that integrates structural efficiency with solar-responsive transmittance gradients. A multiobjective optimisation process using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) generated 16 optimal façade geometries across four orientations (north, east, south, west), achieving up to 14% reduction in summer solar radiation and 26% increase in winter solar gain compared to a conventional vertical façade, while minimising structural displacement. The optimal south-facing solution was selected for detailed daylight performance assessment. A procedural gradient generation workflow was developed to discretise solar-based transmittance values across varying mesh densities and gradient resolutions. The best-performing variable transmittance configuration achieved 46.24% Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI-a) and 69.21% spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), representing a 25.94% improvement in UDI-a over a conventional uniform-transmittance curtain wall. This integrated approach demonstrates LSR3DP’s potential to produce unified, materially expressive façades that embed environmental performance directly into form and material logic, eliminating reliance on mechanical shading systems.
As part of a project aimed at upgrading older, non-renovated buildings by retrofitting their envelopes to meet the European climate targets required by 2050, a low-cost Augmented Reality (AR) tool was developed to facilitate the renovation and maintenance process. Considering that the renovation process involves a large number of different panels, which are assembled like a large puzzle in the building using plug-and-play techniques, traceability remains a challenge. To facilitate the assembly of the panels, which contain digital information, and using AR techniques, the panels will be displayed on the real building in their final position. In this way, AR tools will bridge the gap between digital information and the real-world environment, allowing users to visualise information about the position to be installed in the real place. Additionally, the tool will have the option to display further information (such as safety instructions or installation details) related to each panel, ensuring that workers have all necessary information on-site. Developed as a web-based Single Page Application (SPA) compatible with standard smartphones and tablets via WebXR, the tool eliminates the need for expensive hardware or software installations. The tool demonstrates the feasibility of using a cost-effective AR solution to provide necessary information to on-site operators, as well as generating real-time Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and alerts that managers can consult.
This article presents an innovative matchmaking approach to identify the most effective modular prefabricated solutions, innovative digital technologies, and circularity criteria across different contexts. Developed with the aim to boost the retrofit rate of existing buildings, our methodology addresses critical energy retrofit needs, aligning with the European Union's ambitious climate-neutrality objectives. Modular and prefabricated solutions can speed up renovations, offering benefits in terms of indoor quality, aesthetics, environmental impact, and cost. The matchmaking approach, developed within the scope of the EU-LIFE BuildUPspeed project, capitalises on best practices (such as prefabricated modular solutions, circularity criteria, and digital technologies) across five contexts (Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands), considering local needs and capacities. A “catalogue” of retrofitting building products was compiled, including guidelines for product implementation (a technical requirements checklist). An extensive mapping of ecosystem characteristics was conducted, considering the construction market’s capacities and social, cultural, technological, and economic shortcomings that limit the use of innovative technologies. Using collaborative dialogue, developers, building experts, and local players were involved in several actions to promote, capitalise on, and identify the most effective prefabricated solutions tailored to different ecosystems. The results obtained can be used to promote targeted investments and customized retrofitting solutions for specific contexts.
Plastic materials, known for their lightweight, formability, transparency, and durability, are the state of the art for building façade applications. Recent advances in Large-Scale Robotic 3D Printing (LSR3DP) have enabled the production of bespoke, translucent façade components. While research has largely focused on individual panel properties, there is a gap in developing a comprehensive strategy for integrating these components into a complete façade system. This paper explores the potential of combining custom 3D-printed façade elements with standard curtain wall connections. Quantitative analysis involves constructing and testing a 1 m x 1 m LSR3DP façade assembly for air and water tightness, benchmarking its performance against a conventional curtain wall. Qualitatively, the approach is evaluated through a mock-up, highlighting the architectural possibilities of blending standard and non-standard façade elements. The findings demonstrate that this hybrid system is both technically viable and opens new design possibilities for architects and façade engineers.
As the demand for highly efficient yet aesthetically pleasing, complex building envelope structures is rising worldwide, computational analysis and generative design tools are becoming ever so relevant. Previous methods for achieving a natural distribution of structural or shading elements in non-uniform façades are mostly based either on computer-generated pseudo-randomness or a literal biomorphic approach where a naturally occurring pattern is directly projected on the façade surface. As an alternative, this research introduces a novel technique for optimisation that utilises a two-dimensional Power Spectrum Analysis, suitable for numerically assessing the alignment of designed geometry with natural patterns. By integrating this optimisation method into the design process, the façade pattern generation can be automated and optimal design can be selected by evaluating multiple design solutions. Instead of using repetitive geometrical patterns or generated pseudo-randomness, patterns objectively similar to those occurring in nature can be created without directly copying natural structures. The distribution of the structural and shading elements controls the way natural light permeates the building and, considering the data gathered from images of natural scenes, this method can be used to design structures not only with optimal structural and energy performance but also with visual and psychological occupant comfort in mind.
