Extrude Lab

Robotic 3D printing with Grasshopper

Architects have always had a tenuous relationship with the materials and methods of the structures they create. Every year the building industry creates exorbitant amounts of building waste through subtractive processes. In a time of material shortages, environmental crisis and geopolitical tensions, it is evermore important to explore new ways to create.

Extrude lab challenges you to cross the boundaries between designer, programmer and operator, engaging with contemporary software & equipment to reimagine the way we build. This unit will serve as a platform to explore the unique intersection between robotic additive manufacturing and architecture design.

Created for those longing for on-campus activity, this unit will be heavily workshop based, encouraging design through making. You will learn how to independently operate custom paste extruding robots, generate scripts through grasshopper and design with intention, challenging the current limitations in advanced production.