Robotic PETG Façade

Developed within the Robotic Approaches to Spatial 3D Printing seminar, this project investigates PETG as a material for robotically fabricated architectural façade systems. The seminar focused on Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF), using six-axis industrial robots to move beyond conventional horizontal layering toward non-planar printing, branching geometries and materially efficient architectural components.

The project translates these methods into a lightweight façade proposal composed of complex, translucent PETG surfaces. Toolpath orientation, material deposition and geometric variation were coordinated to produce differentiated surface depth, structural stiffness and changing levels of transparency across the envelope. PETG was used for its recyclability, affordability and suitability for large-format additive manufacturing, while the façade application examines how robotic fabrication can produce highly customized building components without conventional mass-production tooling. The resulting system combines material efficiency, geometric complexity and light transmission within a repeatable architectural assembly.