How can we build housing for 7 billion people? Based on the fact that the way architects are building today gives only answer to 1% of the population needs, some architects and offices are investigating and developing prototype projects in order to answer this question. The social questions and the technological innovations of each time have always influenced and implemented new methods in the architectural construction systems: (1) the machines and the new materials of the Industrial Revolution (2) the World Wars of the 20th century with the consequent standardization and prefabrication systems; and (3) the Information and communications technology (ICT) and digital fabrication of the 21st century. Digital fabrication appeared as an answer to the new architectural challenges at the end of the 20th century. New digital tools as well as new software enabled a huge progress in the construction of audacious projects and more complex constructing systems in large scale. However, with the global economic crisis of the last years and the shrink of the construction sector in Europe and USA new possibilities were opened for the use of these new tools in order to answer the present social questions specifically in housing. In 21st century, the digital fabrication associated to an information-based-society introduced new process of thinking and building using fewer resources in a sustainable way. Thus, the use of new digital tools allows architects to develop new architectural construction systems with more sustainable materials and easy assembling systems. This can be demonstrated by three important projects: (1) MOMA – Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling (2008); (2) WikiHouse, Alastair Parvin and Nick Ierodiaconon (2013); and (3) 3D Print House Canal, DUS Architects (2014). The objective of this work is to demonstrate the direct relation between the tools used in each time and the social answer that architecture can give to provide housing for a large amount of population.

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This talk is associated with the following record:

• The social aspect of digital fabrication

This publication is an output of the following project(s):

• Priority Intervention Neighbourhoods and Zones Intervention Neighbourhoods