Digital manufacturing e Cultural Heritage. Interazione tra sistemi robotici automatizzati e contesti geometrici complessi a scala architettonica. Parte Seconda

The current advancement of the research within the construction sector is the missing link for bridging the gap between the digitisation of building processes and the fabrication of architectural components. The primary challenge of turning digital data into matter in the building design field must be overcome in order to demonstrate a possible transfer of benefits for new constructions, or interventions on existing buildings. When the first digital revolution came into play, the formal elaboration of architectural projects remained confined within the digital environment and represented through two and three-dimensional simulations. The transition to the second digital era theorised along the last decade as the second digital turn, has determined the development of automated tools. These tools are programmable to materialise the digital space with great flexibility, without the limitations imposed by standardised production methods. Digital manufacturing technologies (robotic arms, 3D printers, smart assembly or combined tools, to name a few) lay the foundations for the customisation of performative architecture, spanning the technological unit and the architectural organism. This ongoing cultural breakthrough, which falls into the definition of post-digital, aims to make the digital space tangible and perceivable. Research advancements on CAD/CAM interplay allow evaluating some successful experiments on the production of informed digital architectures. On-site automation is currently widely under study as the uncertainties of construction environments are still crucial features to be faced in order to change the previously known, and proven, building site settings. Given these premises, it is of particular interest to explore the advancement of scientific knowledge within the restoration field. This requires case-by-case design solutions based on unpredictable variables such as the lack of information about the buildings’ geometry, assembly materials, or possible structural instabilities. The present contribution aims at investigating the role of new digital technologies and manufacturing tools that could support the decision-making phases for innovative interventions on Cultural Heritage. In turn, knowledge of traditional construction systems and craft methods as a metaphorical boundary, in which the design outcome should be tailored, will be required.

Il presente contributo indaga le possibilità progettuali e realizzative definite dall’utilizzo di strumenti robotici per simulare una procedura di restauro on site attraverso additive manufacturing. A tale scopo si è deciso di ipotizzare un intervento di fabbricazione additiva, programmata attraverso algoritmi generativi, su una lacuna muraria riprodotta in laboratorio a seguito di una campagna di rilievo su un edificio storico in stato di degrado dovuto ad incuria e abbandono.