DFAB HOUSE: implications of a building-scale demonstrator for adoption of digital fabrication in AEC

Abstract

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry finds itself in an accelerating shift towards the use of more digital fabrication (DFAB) technologies. DFAB promises great advantages in AEC, but its adoption is so far lagging and there are few examples of building projects employing DFAB at scale. To facilitate DFAB adoption, we need to identify its challenges and opportunities of in the project context and understand its implications beyond project boundaries. To do this, this paper conducts a single case study on DFAB HOUSE, the first project to introduce several fundamentally new DFAB technologies to construct a fully functional building. Using Qualitative Content Analysis, we provide an overview of the challenges to consider and the strategies available to successfully adopt DFAB technologies in construction projects, establishing a socio-technical framework for DFAB adoption in AEC projects. We find that full-scale projects are an effective exploration method of DFAB in AEC, implementation at scale increases acceptance of DFAB in AEC, and projects are instrumental in establishing an emergent praxis of DFAB.

Keywords:

• Automation
• fabrication
• construction technology
• technology transfer
• technology management

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the reviewers and the interviewees for the rich insights they provided.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by an ETH Zurich Research Grant.