Protoplasto

Prōtóplasto is an ultralight media installation exhibited at the innovation hub “Futurama” in Aargau, Switzerland. It is created with a novel constructive system pairing two new technologies: an innovative 3D printing method for polymers with very high build up rates which are similar to concrete extrusion, and 3D printed connections whose bespoke geometry enables support-free self-interlocking assembly of modular components. The word Prōtóplasto stems from the Greek word “πρωτόπλαστος” (prōtóplastos) meaning “the first formed”.
Prōtóplasto aims to introduce a new perspective on the use of plastics in architecture. The pavilion features a modular arrangement of mushroom columns covering an area of 65 square meters with a specific weight of only 3.8kg/m2. The exemplary structure leverages multiple digital fabrication technologies in order to achieve moldless and waste-free construction. Protoplasto is designed entirely with custom computational tools that establish design and fabrication relations of its subparts, allowing the designer to adapt its form to different settings and locations.
Research
Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich
Dr. Matthias Leschok, Dr. Marirena Kladeftira, Nik Efthekar, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Dillenburger
Support
The project was supported and sponsored by Halter AG (www.halter.ch/en), SAEKI Robotics AG (www.saeki.ch/), and Castioni Kunststoffe (www.castioni-k....
This research was supported by the NCCR Digital Fabrication, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (NCCR Digital Fabrication Agreement #51NF40-141853).
Website
dbt.arch.ethz....
Video
Girts Apskalns (www.girtsapska...)