Lenticular Column °*

BCL *
Recycled Plastic Robotic 3D Printing

DATE2023-2024

LOCATIONIthaca, NY

TYPEMaterial Research & Public Installation

FUNDINGMui Ho Center For Cities Grant

PRIMARY INVESTIGATORDavid Costanza

RESEARCH TEAMZekai Lin
Jonathan Wilmers

OVERVIEW
The Lenticular Column rises 10 feet tall and consists of two post-tensioned components joined by threaded rods. Its geometry follows structural logic, and a non-planar robotic printing workflow allows the 5-axis robot to create spatial curves. This technique transitions seamlessly from the planar base and capital to the saddle joint at the center. The research's significance lies in reframing plastics as necessary and irreplaceable, highlighting their material and mechanical properties as essential to building construction. The shift from single-use plastics to recyclable and bioplastics highlights plastics' qualities as waterproof, durable, affordable, and potentially sustainable materials. To develop and test the research, full-scale architectural components were produced.
The study focused on the development and workflow for printing a 10-foot-tall structural column. Industrial robotics was employed to increase the scale of the work, offering greater degrees of control and reducing the required labor for constructing unique, one-off structural plastic components. The research project successfully demonstrated the structural performance of recycled and renewable bioplastics in architecture through full-scale prototypes. It also developed a workflow for a non-standard automated fabrication process using robotics.

BCL

DCS