The master's thesis explores the possibilities of reusing abandoned post-industrial structures and objects of architectural heritage. Objects, which are usually difficult to renovate due to high costs and their poor physical condition, could be filled with new inflatable volumes and thus be filled with new space, function, and life. The work is inspired by designs from the 1960s and 70s of temporary and easily deployable inflatable installations, as well as the latest developments in soft robotics. Pneumatic structures equipped with sensors and activators would allow the creation of a responsive and interactive architecture evolving in time.

This project is based around myself (student/young professional) and the need for a quality house after graduating, because the current housing demand of affordable high quality housing does not meet the availability. One cause of this problem is the rather old fashioned construction industry that cannot meet the required amount of housing units that have to be built. Therefore more high tech equipment on the construction site is introduced, while also opting for more sustainable materials. These interventions are based in the city center of Rotterdam, on parasitic like empty building plots. By looking at the target group, tiny houses are suited best for this particular case (this target group). A mobile 3D printer is used to print buildings in-situ, with a sustainable construction material called basalt fiber reinforced polylactic acid. This material is made from renewable and natural sources and can be used in a circular material economy, while it can still be separated to its original raw materials. The design of the building is completely parametrically, meaning this procedure can be used for multiple small locations within the city, but can also be applied to other cities. All these interventions (3D printer, Parametrically designed, a new sustainable material, parasitic tiny houses) could possibly help reduce the housing crisis.

This graduation project focuses on creating small yet spacious dwellings. Offering unique dwellings to live in. Designed and build with a robotic design and assembly strategy. Creating commercial areas on the ground floor, with dwellings above it. Separating dwellings for these families from the public and increasing the feel of safety for them. While still maintaining a strong connection with the park on the south. The volumes of these dwellings have been distributed by a computational model, based on solar and view performances. Locating sleeping areas in climatic colder regions, while placing the living areas opposite of that. The interior offers an acoustically optimized wall to reduce noise. Integrating the interior paneling with that of the exterior with a spiderweb-like structure. This structure is optimized by their local forces, and thereby minimizing a material need. Throughout this structure the windows are placed that line up in between the steel tubes. Thereby providing sufficient daylight for all the spaces. Certain windows are still being able to be opened and closed manually, thereby increasing living comfort. The negative spaces between the dwellings are used for routing the electrical, pluming and ventilation. Integrating a high degree of customization with the practical needs associated with building dwellings. As last a robotic assembly strategy is being shown in combination with a local optimized node. Integrating a ‘off the shelve’ solution combined with a customized 3D printed node.

IN-FLOW deals with a context driven research into the unique ephemeral nature of a temporary pop up city in India. The site is situated in the northern city of Allahabad[now Prayagraj] at the confluence of two river, Ganga and Yamuna respectively. The site facilitates the gathering for religious festival called “The Kumbh Mela”. It is the largest public gathering in the world, drawing 150 plus million pilgrims over the course of three months. The site functions on a set of temporal cycles where the site is under water during rainy season, the city materialises during the dry period once the water subsides and after the festival is dismantled the farmers use the same plots for farming. The Thesis deals with a system where the site goes through various differential states and hence leads to flow of architecture and material structure from one state to another. This reversibility could serve as a rich case study to examine the working behind a temporary pop up city. The thesis is carried out at the Robotic Studio, with emphasis into the various robotic tools available to form a design intervention which adheres to the social and material culture of the site. The specific research question raised here is: Can Innovative tools (Robotic fabrication) further the craft of local construction principals around the site?