Rethinking Building Elements: Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing
Concrete is the world’s second most-consumed resource, right behind water. And the demand is only increasing. Assistant Professor of Architecture Mania Aghaei Meibodi explains how computational design and 3D printing can enable sustainable building.
A recent study concluded that over the next 80 years, the world will need to build two billion new homes to meet the needs of a growing global population. The construction industry can’t do this sustainably using the same methods it’s used for the last 100 years. How can it do more with less? Assistant Professor of Architecture Mania Aghaei Meibodi believes one answer lies in combining computational design and 3D printing. She shares her recent work, including her new “smart” concrete slabs that use 80% less material, and explains how innovation occurs when modern technology meets ancient building processes.
About the speaker
Mania Aghaei Meibodi is an assistant professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. She is also the co-founder of the architectural design office Meonia. Her specialties are computational design and digital fabrication technology, including robots and CNC machinery.
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