Non-orthogonal structures have always accompanied human buildings (from prehistorical caves, nomad’s tents, igloos, and renaissance to modern vaults). Despite the huge enhancement given by the virtual prototyping design (CAE) in the last few decades, the construction process technologies have lagged behind.

Robotics and innovative manufacturing are nowadays quickly surfacing within the construction world thanks to the potentially limitless capabilities in fabricating complex shapes with high precision and speed. Indeed, the free form design FFD ratified the decline of Euclidean shapes in favor of new and complex shapes, readily available thanks to the use of computer simulations. Nonetheless, as pointed by Master Engineer Peter S Jörg Schlaich in 2006: “…as any new tool, (FFD) has its chances and risks. The risks are that too free and even incompetent or irresponsible use is made of this new tool, with aesthetics as the only driving force and without structural logics or responsibility towards use of materials, ease of manufacture and construction“. As such, new synergies and integration between robotics, architecture, structural engineering and material science are needed for advancements toward fully automatized design and fabrication of building constructions and architectures.

To address the scope and to provide a well-documented reference in this field, authors are welcome to submit their recent research results to this Research Topic. Suitable article themes include, but are not limited to, the following:

• theories, techniques, and methods of robotic fabrication,
• additive manufacturing,
• innovative, advanced manufacturing,
• augmented workers, minibuilders,
• 3D printed materials,
• automatized construction,
• collaborative design tools,
• embedded material properties design for innovative building systems,
• multi-material building components
• adaptive sensing and actuation,
• machine learning,
• human-machine interaction,
• large-scale fabrication,
• networked workflows
• modelling methods and technologies
• design-to-production (D2P) strategies
• augmented reality

Keywords: free-form design, robotic fabrication, robotic architecture, additive manufacturing

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.