Sponsored by Lumon Canada Inc.

Location: Laurentian Main campus, room C-204

1.5 ConEd Learning Hours

1.5 AIA LU

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Additive construction manufacturing (AC) is a disruptive construction technology that is redefining the way the architecture and engineering professions think about architecture, structures, and creativity in the built environment.

In addition to the advantages over traditional construction methods, AC’s applications are wide ranging, from resolving small-scale structural problems through typology optimization to providing housing relief for post-disaster recovery and building habitats in extreme and remote locations. 

While the industry of AC is still in its early stages, AC demonstrated the potential to incorporate in-situ resources, reduce material waste, and increase labour safety, while shrinking the supply chain. This makes AC an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional construction methods. The possibilities of AC are far-reaching and one of its key aspects is allowing members of the architecture profession to experiment, prototype, and create unique and even complex geometries that are otherwise challenging and costly to fabricate and build. More importantly, it paves the way for the architecture of the vernacular that respects the environment and speaks to native culture and local context, and reaffirms the identity of place. 

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about additive construction—the technology, the process, and how it compares to traditional construction methods.
2. Understand the advantages and opportunities, as well as limitations and challenges, of additive construction.
3. Gain insight into the possibilities offered by the wide-ranging applications of AC using real-life examples and case studies from current research and leading companies in the industry.
4. Understand the concept of in-situ resource utilization, typology optimization, rapid prototyping, and reverse-engineering as well as how AC can unlock creativity and the design for the vernacular while allowing for complex geometry and sensitive designs. 

Tara Bisharat, B.Arch, MS. Space Arch., OAA is a licensed architect and an Earth and Space Architect with experience in Germany and Canada. Tara’s project experience includes science and research centres, educational campuses, condominiums, and high-rise projects. With a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Science in Space Architecture, she has a passion for designing and engineering habitats for extreme and extraterrestrial environments. Tara's field of study and research is in additive construction, both for Earth and beyond, and her work focuses on systems engineering and mission planning for habitats that can be built in-situ using local materials and resources.

Tara's master thesis, “MAERAL, Scalable, Versatile & Intelligent Swarm Robotic Systems for Mars Surface Operations,” explored the use of swarm robotic systems to construct habitats on Mars, which could greatly reduce the time and cost of building structures on the planet's surface.

Tara is an active member of the Space Architecture Technical Committee at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a member of Space Architect.org, and a member of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI). She is the host of the podcast From the Outpost, a show that features conversations with experts on subjects related to architecture, science, and space.