Structural Innovation Through Digital Means: Wooden Waves, Galaxia, Conifera, Sandwaves, Polibot, Silkworm

This folio presents a body of investigation into the possibilities of innovative built structures developed by manipulating digital technologies to generate new structural systems and tested using manual as well as digital construction methods. Research is generated through a range of projects, in different contexts, at various scales, using innovative building and structural design, and considering the tools generated to make the project as part of the research output. The work further tests new and emerging patterns of architectural practice, construction and procurement. Projects have moved towards a more environmentally-friendly parametrically generated approach e.g. through developing re-useable and compostable structures. Mamou-Mani developed this research through commissioned briefs by clients and self-initiated competition entries for large-scale permanent structures. Often, projects are inspired by patterns found in nature, and the research explores, develops, tests and expands upon these parametrically to suggest new structural models. Structures included are the installations for Buro Happold’s headquarters (2015): for fashion brand COS (2018) –one of the largest PLA (bioplastic made from fermented sugar) 3D-printed structures in the world to date; the largest sand-printed
installation to date; and the well-published 60 metre-wide, 20 metre-high Galaxia temporary temple building erected for
the 2018 Burning Man event in the USA, duly burned down after use. Innovative procurement and construction methods
involved working with volunteers and students as well as skilled construction teams, and formulating self-generated
projects that raise finance using crowd-funding platforms and ‘investment angels’, and considering the new architectures
these might generate. Software innovations include the Silkworm plugin that exports G-code from Grasshopper,
enabling one of the world’s largest 3D-printed pavilions. Iterative knowledge development from this research is shared
through the WeWantToLearn.net blog which has 1.6M viewers, as well hands-on exchange with volunteers, students and
skilled construction teams, as well as more conventional dissemination.