genetic design digitally-generates denmark's first fabrication lab

genetic design digitally-generates denmark’s first fabrication lab
all images courtesy of genetic design

the ‘fabhouse’ by genetic design was built upon the premise that it would be denmark’s first fabrication laboratory. but in order to do so, the studio’s founder, morten bülow, and his associates wanted to erect the structure using equipment that it would eventually house. as a base of the project, a CAD model was used to translate the initial concept into a detailed three-dimensional form that had been parametrically-derived. this was then used for research and analysis to generate the elements that would provide a manual for the construction process.

there were no traditional drawings, sections, or plans produced prior to building, as the complexity of the form had to be observed and understood in 3D at all times. instead, there was a laptop on the site with the computer model, where the workers could quickly access all the information they needed.

first picture after the completion

all of the digital objects were labelled with corresponding numbers and then were converted into physical components through a CNC router. in that way we moved a lot of the crafting and detailing into to the digital process (production). therefore the construction process is more comparable to assembling an IKEA product, rather than the traditional way of constructing a house. the load-bearing pieces have been milled form laminated wooden boards, while the frame structure is a grid made from of OSB.

the homemade CNC

the wood frame is made from cross laminated wood and OSB panels 

one of the objectives with the project was also to test new sustainable alternatives to traditional building materials. therefore, the house is insulated with seaweed and the interior cladding is formed from fiberboards shaped out of wastepaper. ‘we used 6 tons seaweed for insulation, more than 200 milled OSB sheets for the frame structure and facade cladding, 120 fiber sheets for interior cladding and 65 sheets of kerto-Q cross-laminated wood for the bearing structure,‘ says bülow. ‘to provide an additional source of electricity, ten solar panels were placed on a warehouse nearby, and since there is no sewer system, a biological cleaning system was placed below the house trough which the waste water filters before it oozes into the soil below.’

exterior 

due to a low budget, the architects were forced to take advantage of the evolution and accessibility of digital design and production tools. the CNC router is an open source homemade machine. by tweaking the design and modifying its features, they were able to maximize the number of elements produced. windows played a major role in the cost, as they could not be made in the same manner as the other details, meaning that the amount of area they occupied had to be kept as low as possible. as a result, solar studies were performed to place the fenestration strategically with the most amount of daylight.

entrance area 

‘the ‘fabhouse’ was never intended to be a house in traditional terms, but rather a 1:1 scale prototype. the shaping of the form was intentionally challenging the possibilities of 2D production and construction logics in order to show how far you can go with affordable software and machinery. it was a low budget project aiming to show that digital design, production and the accessibility of the tools have made complexity affordable and even easy to build.’ – genetic design

wood frame interior

the first student session after the opening 

the interior cladding made from re-used newspapers 

the toilet

the supporting structure 

the 3D model from which the information was passed to the CNC

project info:

architects: genetic design
location: næstved, denmark
architect in charge: morten bülow
team: marko vukovic, margarita issabel huszár, giota banioti, chrisa karakana, javier gonzález Rivero, Mohamad Ghamlouch and Andres Briceño.
area: 113 sqm
year: 2012
photography: margarita issabel huszár
engineering: nielsen & risager and vortica CED
client: næstved municipality and realdania

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.