Juxtaposes of the complex geometries: Voxel Cloud

The “Voxel Cloud” project was part of the Bachelor thesis by Julian Edelmann at the University of Innsbruck.

The “Voxel Cloud” project is an experimental prototype investigating resolution and complexity in the context of deep and imprecise tectonics. The project juxtaposes the extravagance of complex geometries created by algorithms with human perception, calling into question the primary role of humans in this process by attempting to mix nature and technology.

According to Julian, “The end result as a house is not a proposal, but rather a speculation of how data and computation can generate an architecture that can be built by machine, and inhabited not just by humans, but also by micro to macro-organisms in a post-anthropocentric environment.”

The quantity of data and information in a system is characterized by its complexity. Data is free, but the material is limited, and there is no longer a discussion about whether “more is more” or “less is more” because architecture is both a material and an informational discipline.

The research applies a computational process in which digitized point cloud data is used as input for the design tool equipment. This three-dimensional dataset functions as a digital data-scape that may be supplemented with local and global features such as ambient conditions, structural stresses, digital manufacturing parameters, and material limitations.

This procedure converts the point cloud into a voxel cloud, with each voxel serving as a space for unique information and data at its exact position. Machines may then decode and build this data-scape, which is primarily concealed and invisible to humans.

There is no complete design, only a continuous adaptive developing process. Rather than segregating the production process and architectural use, the structure acts as an interface where fabrication robots, humans, and other creatures may interact, like in a theatrical play.

The voxel scaffold is a blank canvas for plants and animals to adapt and develop while directing water throughout the structure.