Looking Outwards 01 – Yugyeong Lee

TrussFab is an integrated system that allows one to fabricate sturdy, large-scale structures that are capable of carrying human weight. Created by Phd researcher, Robert Kovacs, with his team from the Human Computer Interaction Lab, TrussFab is interesting in that it is a 3D fabrication process that does not need specialized equipment nor specific engineering knowledge but rather easy and relatively quick to make. Also, TrussFab utilizes easily accessible material – plastic bottles -to act like beams that form triangular shapes to produce trusses as a whole. The Sketchup plugin that Trussfab uses takes an existing 3D model and automatically transforms it into a Trussfab structure while adjusting for structural stability. Architect named Oanh Lisa Nguyen Xuan constructed a pavilion through Trussfab that was 5m high out of 1268 plastic bottles. This Sketchup editor plugin designed by TrussFab create opportunities for other designers to easily fabricate large, structurally-sound forms with only the Sketchup plugin, 3D printer, and easily accessible materials in hand.

article: http://www.archdaily.com/873828/this-sketchup-plugin-can-design-structures-made-from-plastic-bottles-and-3d-printed-joints

Sketchup editor plugin designed by TrussFab

time-lapse of the process of assembly on site