Publication / Research
Learning from Failure
Hybrid Fabrication of a Gridshell Canopy Structure Using Timber Battens and 3D Printers
- Year
- 2025
- Classification
- Publication / Research
- Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Silesian University of Technology
- Authors
- Gökalp Kalfa
- Mauricio Morales-Beltran
- Elif Kir
- Ece Hepmutlu
- Ecenur Kizilörenli
This co-authored study explores how hands-on construction and digital fabrication can enrich architectural education. Developed at Yaşar University, the project combines timber battens with 3D-printed connections to construct a free-form gridshell canopy.
An iterative design-build process connects computational modelling, fabrication and assembly. Failures between prototypes become opportunities to revise the structure and understand the behaviour of its connections. The study discusses both the possibilities and limitations of hybrid fabrication for temporary structures and practical architectural learning.
Publication details
Published in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environment, Volume 18, Issue 1 (2025), pages 143–160. Published online: 10 May 2025.
Authors: Gökalp Kalfa, Mauricio Morales-Beltran, Elif Kir, Ece Hepmutlu and Ecenur Kizilörenli.
Article and figures © 2025 the authors, published by Silesian University of Technology. Figures reproduced from the original publication under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.