Abstract
Discards from construction and demolition account for a third of all waste in the EU. Architectural objects with visual flaws and low cultural value often become waste before reaching reuse stations. In contrast, broken heritage objects are often restored or reconstructed and, in this process, digital methods such as photogrammetry, custom generative adversarial networks (GANs) and 3D printing show promise. Hence, architectural discards are rarely reconstructed, and when they are, design potential is often overlooked. This research explores an alternative method for digitally and physically reconstructing broken architectural elements, focusing on artistic reinterpretation rather than historical accuracy. A “broken brick” is digitally reconstructed using off-the-shelf AI-assisted tools and physically reconstructed by 3D printing using a growth-based algorithm and custom toolpaths. The result proposes a method of architectural up-cycling that accounts for both volume and surface texture, transforming discards into a precious resource or challenging the view on waste objects.
Keywords
AI-assisted reconstruction; Filament 3D printing; Up-cycling; Architectural discards
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.774
Citation
Hedlund, K.(2025) Reconstruction of Architectural Objects Through AI-Informed Generation and Additive Manufacturing, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.774
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 8 - Circular/Sustainable Design
Reconstruction of Architectural Objects Through AI-Informed Generation and Additive Manufacturing
Discards from construction and demolition account for a third of all waste in the EU. Architectural objects with visual flaws and low cultural value often become waste before reaching reuse stations. In contrast, broken heritage objects are often restored or reconstructed and, in this process, digital methods such as photogrammetry, custom generative adversarial networks (GANs) and 3D printing show promise. Hence, architectural discards are rarely reconstructed, and when they are, design potential is often overlooked. This research explores an alternative method for digitally and physically reconstructing broken architectural elements, focusing on artistic reinterpretation rather than historical accuracy. A “broken brick” is digitally reconstructed using off-the-shelf AI-assisted tools and physically reconstructed by 3D printing using a growth-based algorithm and custom toolpaths. The result proposes a method of architectural up-cycling that accounts for both volume and surface texture, transforming discards into a precious resource or challenging the view on waste objects.