Synthesis of design production with integrated digital fabrication

Presented is a research project that demonstrates cross-scale design production with physical examples. Designers today have begun using rapid prototyping to materialize designs of a variety of materials from plastic to metal and ceramics. They also use CAD/CAM to materialize full-scale building components during construction with metal, stone, and a variety of woods. Dilemmas are found in the translation of a description that drives rapid prototyping tools and descriptions that drive CAD/CAM machinery for full-scale component manufacturing. This paper presents a method to produce designs with test results that drive varying types of digital fabrication devices across scales from one geometric file. Presented is an integration of machines, materials, and modeling resulting as a full-scale house and a redefinition of construction components, assembly and building shape. Final results demonstrate a relationship between design artifacts built by rapid prototyping and full-scale CNC construction.