*this project is in addition to the Accessory Dwelling Unit project

Following the ADU design, I was tasked with creating a manufacturing center that would research the development of additive manufacturing processes and systems. This center will also house the fabrication of the ADU I designed for the Des Moines redlined neighborhoods.

One element in the design of this building was the façade cladding. I wanted to explore how additive manufacturing compared to traditional methods of fabrication, more specifically prefabricated concrete. Throughout my research, I found a mixed use method that takes benefits from both methods. This was introduced and proven to succeed by Smart Slab – DFAB House. “Smart Slab is the first concrete slab fabricated with a 3D-printed formwork. It is a lightweight concrete slab, displaying three-dimensional geometric differentiation on multiple scales. It combines the excellent structural properties of concrete with the geometric freedom of 3D printing which allows for the creation of highly optimized building components with complex structural configuration out of concrete.” I found this interesting because it uses systems and components from both additive manufacturing and prefabrication. Using computation, they created precise forms that they could be pre-casted to create the most efficient and optimized concrete slab.