Research in Robotic Fabrication


Architectural Research Lab is an independent laboratory dedicated to architecture design research relevant to the construction industry. Our research focuses on the potential of advance computer numeric controlled and robotic fabrication in architectural design and prototyping leading to useful techniques that make future construction more effective. The lab conducts research into advance fabrication technique such as the PAM technology and other techniques.

Numerous research have been widely published in international journals and conferences including:

  • Loh, P & Leggett, D 2020, ‘House #05: Incremental Construction In Digital Practice’, in J Burry, J Sabin, B Sheil, & M Skavara (eds), Fabricate 2020: Making Resilient Architecture, UCL Press, London, England, pp. 280–285.
  • Loh, P and Leggett, D and Prohasky, D 2019a, ‘ROBOTIC FABRICATION OF DOUBLY CURVED FAÇADE SYSTEM’, in T Haeusler, M and Schnabel, M and Fukuda (ed), Intelligent & Informed, Proceedings of the 24th International Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) 2019, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) in Hong Kong.
  • Loh, P and Leggett, D and Prohasky, D 2019b, ‘A Variable Shaping Form’, accessed from <https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2019148242&tab=PCTBIBLIO>.
  • Loh, P 2019, ‘Digital Material Practice: the agency of making’, PhD dessertation at RMIT University, accessed from <http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:162784>.
  • Yang, X, Loh, P & Leggett, D 2019, ‘Robotic variable fabric formwork’, Journal of Computational Design and Engineering, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 404–413, accessed from <https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2288430018300654>.
  • Loh, P and Leggett, D and Prohasky, D 2018, ‘PAM: Parametric Adjustable Mould’, in D Maxwell (ed), Proceedings of the 1st Annual Design Research Conference, Sydney, The University of Sydney, Sydney, pp. 723–733.
  • Loh, P and Leggett, D 2018, ‘Machining Aesthetics: Tool Making as Design Research’, in D Maxwell (ed), Proceedings of the 1st Annual Design Research Conference, Sydney, The University of Sydney, Sydney, pp. 517–529.
  • Loh, P 2018, ‘Making as Pedagogy: Engaging Technology in Design Teaching’, in N Llevot-Calvet & OB Cavero (eds), Advanced Learning and Teaching Environments, IntechOpen, Rijeka, accessed from <https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72202>.
  • Cheang, J and Loh, P 2018, ‘FOAM: Custom Single Task Construction Robot’, in S Kępczyńska-Walczak, A and Białkowski (ed), Computing for a better tomorrow, eCAADe (Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe) and Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology., Lodz, Poland, pp. 157–164.
  • Yang, X, Koh, S, Loh, P & Leggett, D 2017, ‘Robotic Variable Fabric Formwork’, in ARMAS P. Janssen P. Loh (ed), Protocols, Flows, and Glitches - Proceedings of the 22nd CAADRIA Conference, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), Hong Kong, pp. 873–882.
  • Loh, P, Burry, J & Wagenfeld, M 2016, ‘Reconsidering pye’s theory of making through digital craft practice: A theoretical framework towards continuous designing’, Craft Research, vol. 7, no. 2.
  • Loh, P, Burry, J & Wagenfeld, M 2016, ‘Workmanship of risk: Continuous designing in digital fabrication’, in CAADRIA 2016, 21st International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia - Living Systems and Micro-Utopias: Towards Continuous Designing, pp. 651–660.
  • Loh, P, Leggett, D & Cameron, T 2016, ‘Smart assembly in digital fabrication: Designing workflow’, CAADRIA 2016, 21st International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia - Living Systems and Micro-Utopias: Towards Continuous Designing, pp. 755–764.
  • Loh, P 2015, ‘Articulated timber ground, making pavilion as pedagogy’, in CAADRIA 2015 - 20th International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia: Emerging Experiences in the Past, Present and Future of Digital Architecture, pp. 23–32.