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3D-Printed bamboo components system
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
Electronic archive copy is available via Aalto Thesis Database.
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en
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84
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Abstract
Hong Kong’s bamboo scaffolding is a building system characterized by material adaptability and rule-based structural organization. The construction knowledge behind this system is still largely manual. Process standardization is difficult, and the direct integration with the current digital manufacturing methods is still limited.
This paper studies how this form of flexible structural logic can be transformed into a rigid and digital manufacturing system. The study proposed a 3D printing component called Box Node. The node adopts a simple box shape and replaces the nylon zipper with a mechanical component composed of a central hub and a compression cap. Within the node, the rib structure allows the connection to adapt to the natural changes in the diameter of the bamboo. The design reproduces the friction-based locking behavior of traditional joints in rigid geometry.
The Box Node performs a spatial role in addition to a structural one. The connection becomes visible rather than concealed. As a result, the joint contributes to spatial definition instead of functioning only as a technical detail. This idea is tested through the design of the Rhythmic Pavilion. Driven by spatial rhythm and connection rhythm, variations in density and scale transform the logic of urban scaffolding into an open, three-dimensional social space. This study establishes a framework in which traditional material logic is reinterpreted through computational design, forming an architecturally consistent and digitally fabricated system.
This research establishes a computational framework that transforms the inspiration of traditional materials wisdom into a digital manufacturing system that maintains architectural coherence, is easy to construct, and provides clear and understandable spaces.