David Correa Zuluaga

University of Waterloo | UWaterloo · School of Architecture

In this paper, the authors present research into autonomously responsive architectural systems that adapt to environmental changes using hygroscopic material properties. Instead of using superimposed layers of singular purpose mechanisms–for sensing, actuation, control and power–in the form of high-tech electronic equipment as is emblematic for cur...

Rapid advances in digital fabrication technologies and new materials development allow for direct control and programmability of physical material transformations. By utilizing multimaterial 3D printing technologies and anisotropic material compositions, we can physically program hygroscopic materials such as wood to precisely sense and self-transf...

We developed biomimetic hygro-responsive composite polymer scales inspired by the reversible shape-changes of Bhutan pine ( Pinus wallichiana ) cone seed scales. The synthetic kinematic response is made possible through novel four-dimensional (4D) printing techniques with anisotropic material use, namely copolymers with embedded cellulose fibrils a...

Synopsis Plant movements are of increasing interest for biomimetic approaches where hinge-free compliant mechanisms (flexible structures) for applications, for example, in architecture, soft robotics, and medicine are developed. In this article, we first concisely summarize the knowledge on plant movement principles and show how the different modes...

To date, the literature has focused on synthetic fibre-reinforced composites, but it has not adequately addressed the unique properties that differentiate natural from synthetic fibres, such as their natural variation in microstructure and composition across species. This review paper proposes a critical overview of the current state of 3D printing...

Four-dimensional printing (4DP) via fused deposition modeling has been used to create hygromorphic biocomposite actuators through wood polymer composite (WPC) filaments. The shape-change transformation of the 4DP composite mechanism is preprogrammed by controlling the printing process parameters and the design of the print-path pattern. Until now,...

Wood is a hygroscopic material that experiences directional swelling when it undergoes changes in moisture content. This anisotropic property can induce bending in bilayer structures; a reaction that is usually undesired in building construction but is now being studied as a means of creating climate-responsive architectural systems. While there ar...

Design extends beyond shape and form; it integrates multiple scales of material assemblies and processes of making. However, this sentiment is easily challenged by disciplinary boundaries, contractual structures of project delivery, or practical manufacturing logistics. Considering design as something that happens in the studio and not on the shop...

4D Printing (4DP) can be used to create bio-inspired, hygro-responsive actuators using Wood Polymer Composites (WPCs). The research emphasises the role of precise control of kinematics through material programming and printing parameters to achieve dynamic shape-change mechanisms in response to environmental factors. In 4DP, the geometric configura...

The intricate details of Zellige tile work in Islamic architecture have high cultural significance and important sacred associations. The quasi-crystalline geometry found in el Attarine Madrassa Zellige patterns are a splendid example of the geometric rigour and exceptional craftsmanship of these sacred decorations. Modern methods have been used to...

Building envelopes are primarily responsible for buildings' energy consumption and environmental performance. Kinetic building shadings have emerged as an alternative for improved environmental performance in the past years, dynamically adjusting to changing outdoor conditions. Elastic kinetic systems rely on the flexible nature of their components...

The many advantages of additive manufacturing are particularly noticeable in the fabrication of 4D-printed actuators. Through the selection of specific printing properties and materials, hygroscopic wood polymer composites (WPCs) can be produced and their reaction to humidity can be preprogrammed to achieve the greatest deformations in the shortest...

Hydromorph Biocomposites (HBCs) are self‐shaping materials whose motions are actuated by moisture‐induced swelling of natural fibers and designed through a multilayered bioinspired material architecture. Their reactivity, i.e., kinetic of actuation, is relatively slow and is currently limited by the moisture transport. Porosities are commonly assum...

Wood actively equalises its moisture content in relation to its surrounding environment. Technical applications that can harness this characteristic can have a great impact in the improvement of indoor hygrometric comfort. So far few applications have made use of this unique property. The natural hygroscopic intelligence of wood can lead to the dev...

Developing Materials that can change their shape in response to external signals, like heat or humidity, is a critical concern for architectural design as it enables designers to develop building components that can be programmed to transform in response to changing environmental conditions. However, developing a stimulus-responsive material requir...

4D printing (4DP) is a growing branch of 3D printing technology that involves the design of composite material architectures capable of shape-change transformations, which occur post printing, in response to external stimulus. Among these, Wood Polymer Composites (WPCs) change their shape in reaction to changes of moisture content, shrinking or swe...

Traditional fabrication methods of architectural ceramics seek to minimize plastic deformation during wet-processing by prioritizing sectional consistency. Adapting sectional thickness is critical for improving material performance to address localized functional requirements. Functionally Graded Additive Manufacturing (FGAM) enables a design-to-pr...

This paper presents two projects that challenge the prioritization of regularized performance attributes in contemporary ceramic material systems. Both projects utilize Functionality Graded Additive Manufacturing at different scales to alter material performance attributes. Custom tool path generation is leveraged to control material deposition ove...

Plant movement is of great inspiration for the development of actuators in architectural applications. Since plants lack muscles, they have developed unique hygroscopic mechanisms that use specialized tissue to generate movement in response to stimuli such as touch, light, temperature, or gravity. Most research in architecture has been focused on t...

3D-printing of biocomposites using continuous natural fiber composites is emerging as a relevant manufacturing method to develop highly tailorable materials. These are materials with high performance characteristics, whose capabilities have been achieved through the controlled design of the mesostructure via the 3D printing process. However, the de...

In most 3D-printed ceramic projects, the nozzle is taken for granted. The only consideration is the nozzle aperture size, which is generally dictated by a small set of diameter sizes provided by the printer manufacturer. Additive manufacturing (AM) research primarily focuses on optimal reproduction of CAD models. This research in nozzle customizati...

Wood is of renewed interest in construction and many computationally conceived projects are now taking advantage of it often in the form of component-based systems. These component-based systems have the ability to parametrically vary (be adapted) based on the logic of the structural system and, in some cases, the limitations of the materials thems...

Natural fibers are moisture-sensitive due to their complex polysaccharidic composition. Upon moisture intake, they exhibit large hygroexpansion, which is controlled by their multiscale architecture. Composite materials using natural fibers are therefore affected by humidity, which limits their application. The most common approach found in the lite...

Utilizing existing principles of plant movement, we can design climatic-responsive facades made of hygroscopic materials. This paper investigates the use of a double actuating system to create an architectural façade. Several adaptive façade strategies have been previously developed using wood bilayers, but there has not been significant investigat...

Plants use highly reliable nastic movement through the oriented hygroscopic swelling of tissue to autonomously respond to external stimuli. Buildings, on the other hand, use highly unreliable kinematic mechanisms with multiple failure-prone components that are dependent on electromechanical input. Literature describing stimulus-responsive shape-cha...

Innovation in parametric design and robotic fabrication is in reciprocal relationship with the investigation of new structural types that facilitated by this technology. The stressed skin structure has historically been used to create lightweight curved structures, mainly in engineering applications such as naval vessels, aircraft, and space shuttl...

Hygroscopic shape-changing materials that can autonomously transform in response to stimulus from environmental weather conditions are of great interest in the development of adaptive building envelope systems. However, there is limited understanding on how shape change variations in these mechanisms can locally affect local micro-climatic conditio...

This project aims to construct a stand-alone structure utilizing additive stacking robotic assembly to produce a free-form wall system that combines standard and non-standard elements. While there is extensive work on the placement of standard construction components (without individual customization, e.g. bricks), or the development of innovative...

As the field of 3D printing technologies expand, complex materials that require a deeper engagement, due to their more unstable properties, are of increasing interest. Cementitious composites, clays and other ceramic materials are of particular relevance: their potential for fast large-scale fabrication and local availability position these technol...

As the field of 3D printing technologies expand, complex materials that require a deeper engagement, due to their more unstable properties, are of increasing interest. Cementitious composites, clays and other ceramic materials are of particular relevance: their potential for fast large-scale fabrication and local availability position these technol...

This paper introduces a series of prototypes investigating a new architectural language in wood that is driven by a critical approach to recent technical developments in design, fabrication and material. Although wood is slowly being recognized as an advanced material for future construction due to its high performance and sustainable nature, its d...

This paper introduces a series of prototypes investigating a new architectural language in wood that is driven by a critical approach to recent technical developments in design, fabrication and material. Although wood is slowly being recognized as an advanced material for future construction due to its high performance and sustainable nature, its d...

Hygroscopically Actuated Granular Materials are a new class of designed granular materials in architecture. Granular materials are large numbers of particles that are only in loose contact with each other. If the individual particle in such a granular material is defined in its geometry and material make-up, one can speak of a designed granular mat...

The HygroSkin project explores a novel mode of climate responsive architecture based on the combination and interrelationships of material-inherent behaviour, computational morphogenesis and robotic manufacturing. The dimensional instability of wood in relation to moisture content is employed to develop a meteorosensitive architectural skin that op...

This paper covers the findings of a master's level investigation into the potential of fungal-based architecture. The overarching hypothesis of the research is that fungal growth can be scaled for architectural application through the development of a multi-scalar assembly system. This investigation was conducted in three stages. In the first stage...

The aim of this project paper is to present new findings in the implementation of a design for fused filament fabrication (FFF) and custom material development methods, alongside a stimulus-responsive 3D printed prototype (Fig. 1). The project demonstrates control in the design and manipulation of new composite materials to create architectures cap...

The implementation of active and responsive materials in architecture and construction allows for the replacement of digitally controlled mechanisms with material-based systems that can be designed and programmed with the capacity to compute and execute a behavioral response. The programming of such systems with increasingly specific response requi...

The paper presents new developments into autonomously responsive architectural systems that adapt to environmental changes using hygroscopic material properties. The presented work expands upon previously developed research by the authors on wood-veneer composite meteorosensitive architectural systems based on the biomimetic transfer of the hygrosc...

The HygroSkin project explores a novel mode of climate responsive architecture based on the combination and interrelationships of material inherent behaviour, computational morphogenesis and robotic manufacturing. The dimensional instability of wood in relation to moisture content is employed to develop a meteorosensitive architectural skin that op...

This paper focuses on the implementation of a computational design and robotic fabrication method that integrates the elastic and hygroscopic behavior of wood as active drivers in the design process, using the material's differentiated characteristics as its main capacity. The project builds on previous work by the authors, furthering their researc...