The research
During my time at RMIT and Studio Roland Snooks, I worked extensively on translating complex generative algorithms into physical structures using robotic fabrication.
The core problem in advanced computational design is always translation: how do you get a swarm-algorithm generated geometry into something a 6-axis robot arm can actually build, considering material constraints, gravity, and the physics of the polymer?
NGV Pavilion
This project involved robotic 3D printing of non-planar polycarbonate and concrete. Rather than printing layer-by-layer horizontally (which limits structural strength and introduces stair-stepping), we programmed the robot to print along non-planar toolpaths that followed the structural stress lines of the geometry.
FLOE Pavilion
The FLOE pavilion was an exploration in robotic polymer fabrication. We developed workflows to translate complex, multi-agent algorithmic structures into machine code.
Technical output
- C# / Grasshopper Tooling: Wrote custom scripts to generate non-planar robotic toolpaths.
- Agent-based systems: Simulated structural growth patterns and translated them directly into fabrication instructions.
- Material constraints: Calibrated robotic movements with the cooling/curing times of complex polymers to prevent structural collapse during the print phase.
The impact
These projects weren't just theoretical architecture—they proved that highly complex, generative designs could be materialized at scale without relying on traditional, expensive, subtractive manufacturing methods.
What I learned here about translating complex logic into physical execution heavily influences how I build software products today: there is no such thing as a pure digital design, it eventually hits the constraints of the real world.