Fabpod: An Open Design-To-Fabrication System

Digital workflows from the design to the production of buildings have received significant recent attention in architectural research. The need for both integrated systems for design collaboration (Boeykens and Neuckermans, 2006) and clear and flexible communication flows for nonstandard fabrication outcomes have been identified as fundamental (Scheurer, 2010). This paper reports on the development of a digital "design system" for the design and prototyping of an acoustic enclosure for meetings in a large open work environment, the FabPod. The aim was to keep this system open for temporal flexibility in as many aspects of the finalisation of the design as possible. The system provides novel examples of both integrated collaboration and clear communication flow. (1) Acoustics is included as a design driver in early stages through the connection of digital simulation tools with design models. (2) Bi-directional information flows and clear modularisation of workflow underpins the system from design through to fabrication and assembly of the enclosure. Following the completion and evaluation of the FabPod prototype, the openness of the system will be tested through its application in subsequent design and prototyping iterations. Design development will respond to performance testing through user engagement methods and acoustic measurement.