A didactic pedagogical approach toward sustainable architectural education through robotic tectonics

Abstract

Robotic tectonics have been integrated into the architectural profession through automated construction for more than a decade, advancing sustainability initiatives in the industry and increasing the quality of building construction. Over the years, avant-garde architects have explored the feasibility of this new design paradigm through the integration of newly-developed digital design software into automated construction. This robotic digital workflow continues to push designers to re-think the complete architecture process (from design conception to physical construction) and guides the building industry towards more precise, efficient, and sustainable development. However, in the current environment of architectural education, professional courses can be fragmented, thematic, and overly academic. Such content is not inherently compatible with the latest technological developments. The lack of understanding and application of digital technological can subsequently lead to the lack of sustainable development in architectural education. In this paper, we aim to introduce a new didactic pedagogical approach that is reliant on the principles of robotic tectonics and is defined through linear development in four distinct, developmental stages (based on information gleaned from four "Robotic Tectonics" workshops and various other rich teaching practices). This pedagogical framework provides interdisciplinary knowledge to architecture students and enables them to use advanced digital tools such as robots for automated construction, laying the groundwork for the discovery of new and complex building processes that will redefine architecture in the near future.