Beyond the Lab
Future Tendencies in Digital Fabrication

Fab labs are increasingly becoming a serious infrastructure within the design, new media art and architecture scene and education. Fast access to machines is possible, the knowledge for their operation
can be found at any time on Youtube and in forums. However, the development of new aesthetic and conceptual qualities beyond machine standards is rare.
In this project we dealt with the digital possibilities for designing and producing. In close cooperation with the BURG’s digital workshop we investigated existing possibilities within the rapid prototyping machine park and developed new, future fields of application for creative technologies. We linked contemporary digital production strategies with traditional crafts. Upholstering, marquetry, shoemaking and baking clash with experimental 3D printing, CNC milling, 3D scanning, laser cutting
and robotics.
It's all about new applications, social contexts, innovative aesthetics, special materials and innovative processes and connections between technologies and crafts. Now. In the future.

During the lecture-free time the students visited different crafts enterprises and investigated and documented the working process for at least one week. This experience with a craft was to be the basis
for their semester project. At the beginning of the semester our group went on a trip to Berlin. We visited PCH Innovations, a multi-disciplinary
innovation strategy and technology development studio and Fablab
Berlin. Most fascinating for everyone was the 3D-printing Kuka robot we saw there.
We completed the first day with a visit at Christian’s own studio The Constitute in Kreuzberg where we got to know each other over pizza and drinks.

For a one-week tutorial-workshop small teams of students were assigned tools from our university’s digital workshop such as a 3D scanner, a CNC mill, different types of 3D printers, a drawing bot
or a laser cutter. They studied the tools and created tutorial videos that are now available to all students at BURG.

In June the Fabmobil came to Halle for the Silbersalz Festival. The Fabmobil is a moving, art and digital laboratory by The Constitute equipped with digital and prototyping technology. The students
used its machines to work on their projects and explained their work
and the Fabmobil itself to visitors.

On our second trip to Berlin we attended the re:publica conference on digital culture. The students worked on-site at the Fabmobil and enjoyed visiting the various interesting talks. Several projects like the Robotic Nailart Studio and the creating of 3D-printed indicators for an old Schwalbe scooter were started.

The final project presentations and annual exhibition took place at the university’s digital workshop.

Students: Eunye Bak, He Di, Jonas Duteloff, Ferdinand Hintz, Michael Goß, Seokoh Hong, Hongki Keam, Katerina Krušková, Meiying Lu, Johann Post, Adéla Pribánová, Michael Schuchort, Max Stalter, Ruben Strahl