Branch Museum of Design
2025-2026Dr. Ramtin Haghnazar
Yasaman Ashjazadeh, Design Research Ph.D. Candidate
Braden Perryman, M.F.A., Design Research Ph.D. Candidate
Project goal:
Create a public sculpture for the Branch Museum of Design in Richmond, VA.
The Technique:
Computer aided design in Rhino+Grasshopper
Digital fabrication using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Mill
Digital twin-integrated Augmented Reality (AR) assisted fabrication instructions
Project Summary:
This project aims to develop and validate an integrated digital design and assembly workflow for freeform lightweight metal structures. By combining parametric design, digital fabrication, and augmented reality–assisted construction within a unified digital twin, the research addresses the challenge of translating complex computational geometries into buildable assemblies. The workflow will be experimentally evaluated through motion capture–based analysis of untrained participants to assess assembly performance, efficiency, and safety, and will be demonstrated through a full-scale temporary installation at the Branch Museum of Design serving as both a research prototype and public exhibition. Primary outcomes include a documented digital workflow, the completed installation, and a peer-reviewed publication establishing a foundation for future research on freeform metal façade panels and building envelope systems.
Problem Statement:
This project is situated at the intersection of architectural research, computational design, digital fabrication, and immersive construction technologies. It draws on research in freeform geometry, ICAT SEAD Grant 2026 | 2 lightweight metal structural systems, and parametric modeling, while integrating fabrication-aware design workflows and augmented reality-assisted assembly methods. The work combines architectural exploration with engineering-informed fabrication logic and digital systems development, forming a cohesive Science, Engineering, Arts, and Design (SEAD) research framework.
Digitally fabricated freeform façade systems offer significant architectural, structural, and environmental potential, including rapid assembly and disassembly, material efficiency, and enhanced thermal and aesthetic performance. offer architectural and material advantages, but despite the strength-to-weight efficiency, recyclability, and digital fabrication compatibility of lightweight metal sheets, their practical realization remains limited by the lack of workflows capable of managing geometric complexity and assembly accuracy at scale[1].
The primary challenge this project addresses is the disconnect between digital design models and the physical assembly of complex freeform systems. Freeform structures often consist of many unique components that require precise placement, orientation, and sequencing during construction. Conventional construction documentation and assembly methods are insufficient to manage this level of complexity, leading to increased labor demands, higher error rates, and greater implementation risk. There is a clear need for an integrated digital workflow that links design, fabrication, and assembly through a shared digital representation [2].
This project explores the development of a digital design workflow centered on a digital twin that embeds geometric, material, fabrication, and assembly information within a unified system. AR is investigated as a tool for translating this digital twin into real-time assembly guidance, enabling accurate placement of unique components without reliance on traditional drawings or extensive prior expertise. By addressing assembly as a computational and spatial problem, the project advances new methods for constructing freeform systems with higher precision and accessibility. Beyond providing visual guidance, augmented reality establishes a continuous feedback loop between digital design intent, human action, and physical construction, allowing assembly to function as an adaptive process rather than a linear execution of predefined instructions. In this framework, the augmented human becomes an active mediator within the digital workflow, making human movement, decision-making, and spatial behavior integral components of the construction system.
References:
[1] “Design and digital fabrication of folded sandwich structures,” Autom. Constr., vol. 63, pp. 79– 87, Mar. 2016, doi: 10.1016/J.AUTCON.2015.12.002.
[2] J.-R. Fischer, “Optimizing Digital Organic Freeform Modelling for Fabrication by Using Parameterization With Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GRP): A Case Study,” presented at the eCAADe 2012 : Digital Physicality, Prague, Czech Republic, 2012, pp. 191–200. doi: 10.52842/conf.ecaade.2012.2.191.
Project Updates:
Funding has been secured.
Design and prototying is underway with the final installation planned for March of 2027.
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks to the Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology for their sponsorship of this project.