Resilient Society, Resilient Design

Digital Fabrication Technologies and the Concept of Place

Abstract

Big cities in developing countries face many obstacles related to the built environment when confronted by socioeconomic inequalities, which is reflected by the uneven access to basic living infrastructure, such as sanitation and housing. In the light of new approaches to traditional materials and building techniques, this article aims to investigate the use of digital fabrication tools in the production of lightweight precast systems for the social production of habitat in Brazil.

To develop a clear assessment of the possibilities created by these technological alternatives, two academic applied researches are considered as case studies: a modular sidewalk for rain water drainage and a precast building system for housing. The main goal here is to discuss the role of high-tech solutions —such as digital fabrication tools and lightweight precast systems— in promoting urban community-driven upgrading initiatives in precarious settlements, accompanied by local economic development.