Robotic Force Printing

Philip F. Yuan is Professor of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) at Tongji University, Visiting Professor at MIT, Council Member of Architects Sector, Virtual and Automated Construction Sector as well as Academic Committee of Computational Design Sector at Architectural Society of China; Director of Academic Committee of Shanghai Digital Fabrication Engineering Technology Center, Founder of Archi-Union Architects and Fab-Union Technology. His research mainly focuses on the field of performance-based architectural tectonics, the application of robotic fabrication equipment as well as developments of robotic fabrication technologies and is able to realise many of his research theories in architectural practices.

Philippe Block is Professor at the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zurich. Co-director of the Block Research Group (BRG). Director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) in Digital Fabrication. Founding partner of Ochsendorf DeJong & Block (ODB Engineering). Research at the BRG focuses on computational form finding, optimisation and construction of curved surface structures, specialising in unreinforced masonry vaults and concrete shells. Within the NCCR, BRG researchers develop innovative structurally informed bespoke prefabrication strategies and novel construction paradigms employing digital fabrication. With the BRG and ODB Engineering, Block applies his research into practice on the structural assessment of historic monuments in unreinforced masonry and the design and engineering of novel shell structures.