Doctoral Student: Wen-Shan Cui
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Kathrin Dörfler, Professorship of Digital Fabrication, TU Munich
Advisor: Dr. Adrian Pöllinger
Digital fabrication in architecture is increasingly engaged with component-less structures, in which material is directly shaped through robotic processes. These approaches dissolve the conventional boundaries between design, material, and assembly, resulting in artifacts that fall outside the existent modes of documentation, monitoring, and repair. Preserving such born-digital architecture requires accessible fabrication data, transparent underlying workflows, and file structures. However, proprietary software formats, nonstandardized toolchains, and the obsolescence of digital infrastructure often render these processes opaque, proving repair to be difficult once deterioration occurs.
This research investigates strategies for the preservation of born-digital architecture by addressing both material and data integrity. Conservation methods are reconsidered for architectures whose identities are inseparable from their digital fabrication data and processes. Physical repair is particularly challenging for robotically fabricated objects, as machine- and toolpath-dependent processes resist disassembly or replication. Once degradation occurs, effective repair often requires reconstructing the original digital workflow, linking preservation to both material and data integrity.
Three case studies illustrate these challenges across different material systems, spanning documentation, monitoring, and upkeep, highlighting material- and process-specific preservation needs. The project contributes to the long-term accessibility of fabrication data and informs conservation strategies by integrating results into the Digital Construction Archive. By prioritizing repair over replacement, it supports social sustainability, reduces environmental impact, and safeguards both tangible and intangible heritage.
This research is part of the Digital Construction Archive and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The case studies are part of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication (DFAB).