Harnessing Uncertainty in 3D Printing
Can you start by giving us an overview of the ForMat Lab and the scope of research you and your team are undertaking there?
ForMat (Form and Matter) Lab, which I founded in 2019 and have directed since, is a research lab housed within the Stuckeman Center for Design Computing at Penn State’s Stuckeman School.
The lab focuses on exploring the dynamic relationship between form and matter, fabrication and performance within the field of design computing. Our research challenges the conventional view of architectural design as a purely intellectual or immaterial process, instead highlighting the critical role that material engagement plays in shaping design outcomes. We believe that design and making are interdependent processes that inform and enrich one another.
Whether working by hand or with digital tools, we approach making as a computational process, placing strong emphasis on sensory engagement and the inherent ambiguities materials bring to design thinking and creativity.
We see fabrication not merely as a technical task but as an opportunity for creativity, where the unpredictability of materials can lead to unexpected discoveries.
Currently, our research in the lab centers on the design, fabrication, and testing of sustainable materials and systems using computational and digital tools and methods. This includes adaptive robotic fabrication and the sustainable development of mycelium-based building components and structures.
ForMat Lab serves both as a physical makerspace and a collaborative research group. One of my proudest achievements in establishing the lab has been creating a supportive community of graduate and undergraduate researchers. Together, we are exploring new ways to integrate computation, materiality, and sustainability into architectural design, fostering a space where experimentation and mutual learning drive our work forward.
What aspects of your research do you intend to cover in your presentation at CDFAM NYC, “Form – Matter – Fabrication – Performance: From Control to Uncertainty and Back”?
In my presentation, I will primarily focus on how we are augmenting digital fabrication frameworks to address the limitations of current protocols, which often rely on precise, predetermined instructions and strict control over the materialization process.
Traditionally, these protocols create a separation between design and fabrication, treating materialization as the seamless execution of a digital model. However, unpredictable material behaviors frequently arise during digital fabrication.
Rather than seeing these as failures, we explore how to harness them as design opportunities. By integrating these emergent material behaviors into the design process, we aim to move from a purely controlled approach to one that embraces ambiguity, allowing it to inform and inspire design creativity. Additionally, I will discuss the ongoing research at ForMat Lab, including our work on adaptive robotic fabrication and biofabrication.
CDFAM Computational Design Symposium brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking, the next event taking place in Brooklyn NYC, Oct. 2-3, 2024.
Many engineers and academics work to reduce variation or unknowns in their manufacturing processes. What benefits do you think they could gain from exploring and embracing the variability that the process might sometimes create?
Many aspects of fabrication are difficult to predict or simulate, and certain material features only emerge during the process itself. These ambiguities can expand the design space and offer opportunities for new ideas.
Instead of treating such variations as failures, systematically exploring how they occur allows us to better understand and anticipate these features, ultimately using them as part of the design process.
By embracing this approach, digital fabrication can move beyond simply executing a seamless materialization of a digital model; it can become a tool for creative discovery.
Furthermore, the integration of sensors into fabrication systems enables capturing and digitization of these emergent material behaviors. This constant feedback loop—from digital to material and back—provides a more informed and adaptive fabrication process, allowing us to repeat and refine these features to drive new design outcomes. In this way, variability and ambiguity can transform from challenges into drivers of creativity, creating richer design possibilities.
Can you discuss the software you use in your research and explain the data flow to the machines, including how you integrate scanning, video, and other sensors into your process?
In the lab, we primarily use Rhino, Grasshopper, and various plugins as our central design and fabrication tools—what I often refer to as the “mothership.”
These platforms allow us to handle a wide range of tasks, from initial design exploration to programming robots for fabrication. Additionally, my students frequently use Python and other programming languages to customize and extend our capabilities as needed.
A significant development in our workflow has been the integration of vision-based sensing technologies, led by my former PhD student, Özgüç Bertuğ Çapunaman, who graduated in August 2024. His research focused on developing and testing workflows for creating accurate digital twins of our robotic workcell using computer vision. This enables us not only to carry out adaptive robotic operations and capture emergent material features, but also to assess the accuracy of fabricated artifacts—hence the title of my presentation, “From Control to Uncertainty and Back.”
We are integrating these sensing and digital twin technologies into various fabrication workflows, including biofabrication with mycelium-based composites, expanding the possibilities for sustainable building materials. Additionally, we are collaborating with the Additive Construction Lab (AddConLab) at Penn State to incorporate these technologies into large-scale concrete 3D printing workflows, further pushing the boundaries of precision and adaptability in architectural-scale fabrication.
If you could ask anything of the software and hardware developers attending CDFAM, what would it be?
I would ask if they’d be interested in collaborating with us and potentially sponsoring our research and supporting my graduate students. We’re always looking for opportunities to push the boundaries of digital fabrication, and partnering with developers could lead to exciting advancements in both software and hardware.
Finally, what is the major takeaway you hope people will gain from your presentation, and what do you hope to learn at CDFAM?
The major takeaway I hope people gain from my presentation is the importance of the interplay between control and uncertainty in design and fabrication processes.
I aim to demonstrate how embracing the unpredictability of materials can open up new creative opportunities and lead to unexpected discoveries in design, rather than relying solely on precision and control.
By exploring material behavior during fabrication and experimenting with various parameters, we can uncover possibilities that might otherwise be overlooked.
At CDFAM, I look forward to learning how others navigate the balance between precision, accuracy, and control on one side, and ambiguity, uncertainty, and unpredictability on the other.
