Does automation take away from the individuality of design? Do automatic vehicles take away your driving skills? Do predictive keyboards take away your writing skills? Of course, the answer is no, and in fact, automation in construction can be a tool that enhances design.
The truth is that automation in the construction industry only enhances the toolbox and the genius of the human mind which has been and is the essential difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. An enhanced toolbox unshackles the human mind beyond the mundane and sets it free to explore new horizons.
Experimentation, without having to pay a price in time and involvement becomes a real possibility. The mind is set free to explore fearlessly as failure doesn’t cost much either in terms of money or time.
The work of Gramazio Kohler Research is a testament to this, as displayed by their augmented bricklaying project at Kitrvs winery. They built a façade from 13596 individually rotated and tilted bricks, entirely assembled on-site with an augmented reality fabri¬cation interface. It wasn’t a fully automated process though, as using robotics in architecture has barriers like limited mobility and dexterity and relative difficulty in handling malleable building material. Thus, researchers from Gramazio Kohler Research collaborated with incon.ai, a spinoff recently launched by the Robotic Systems Lab of ETH Zürich, to devel¬op the custom made dynamic optical guidance system. They reintroduced craftsmen into a digital fabrication process. By optically instructing masons with tailored digital information through a custom augmented reality user interface, a direct connection to the digital design model was established.
Computational design was deployed in tandem with the skills of human craftsmen, showing how digital fabrication can be successfully used to create a unique design that is still distinct. The parametric façade – semi-transparent – would have been difficult to achieve using traditional construction techniques, but the automation in the design process provided new opportunities to create a unique design. Through this augmented reality interface, the masons no longer depended on physical templates but could work with enhanced spatial precision while maintaining their craft and expertise in mortar handling.
Other works of Gramazio Kohler Research also show that automation in construction does not necessarily impede the individuality of design. It is instead an asset that can be used in tandem with human craftsmanship. In fact, it can be an overall benefit – as designs and concepts previously limited by human ability can be realized by the aid of automation architecture.
Slowly, 3-D printing and automated-construction sites are becoming a reality. Pre-fabrication is taking modular design to a new level. And it is the brilliance of the human mind and its need to create that is doing this. So, what’s the catch?
The roadblock, in the truest sense, arises out of having a mental block against learning new skills. This manifests in putting forward the thought process that labels technology as responsible for thwarting or even killing individual creativity. We must clearly understand that creativity is an output of the mind and any tool, old or new, hi -tech or manual, is only a medium to bring it to fruition.
All creative fields like film making, photography, animation, art, and architecture have undergone a sea of change thanks to technology. There is cost reduction; speed; easy experimentation; and significant enhancement in quality. All because technology has come to the aid of the individual creative human mind.
At Aligned Studios, hiring is an exhaustive process geared to attract the best talent available globally. Having said that, great emphasis is placed on constant technology upgrades and in-house training modules to constantly upgrade human talent to work in tandem with state-of-the-art technology. A conscious effort goes into encouraging technology aided individual creative efforts in sync with team objectives to deliver end goals. Rather than inhibit individual creative skills, technology only goes to enhance creative expression.