Martin Bechthold

Inflatable structures offer remarkable versatility due to their compact storage and rapid deployment, making them ideal for lightweight, quickly assembled, and deployable applications. These structures are typically made from membranes that are nearly inextensible yet highly flexible. Upon inflation, the membranes avoid energy-intensive stretching and instead deform primarily through bending, which results in the formation of localized surface crumples. While previous studies have largely focused on understanding the mechanics of crumple formation, here we take a different approach: we investigate how these surface crumples - traditionally viewed as a failure mode - can be harnessed to enable functionality. Specifically, we show how they can be used to design reconfigurable structures across scales and to develop advanced impact-mitigation systems.

The education of architects has long reflected broader developments in society, technology, and the environment. Recent decades have witnessed the curricular adoption of digital fabrication, then o...

Abstract Carbon emissions from construction contribute significantly to global emissions. Advancements are needed to lower the carbon footprint of existing materials, but at the same time we need to find more radical alternative methods and materials. Extrusion 3D printing of natural materials offers a promising sustainable alternative for contemporary construction. However, the nonlinear material behavior inherent in that process presents significant challenges for producing accurate architectural components. The material is wet during and immediately after printing, then deforms, dries, and shrinks at inconsistent rates that make accurate final forms extremely challenging to achieve. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for predicting the toolpath geometries on a layer-by-layer basis using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Tested in the context of clay lattice printing, an unorthodox extrusion scenario characterized by a large feature space and high material uncertainty, our proposed method demonstrates the ability to evaluate and calibrate the toolpath geometry of clay lattices with sufficient accuracy for manufacturing. The work presents an important step toward next-generation solutions for paste-based 3D printing.

Extrusion 3D-printing of biopolymers and natural fiber-based biocomposites enables the fabrication of complex structures, ranging from implants' scaffolds to eco-friendly structural materials. However, conventional polymer extrusion requires high energy consumption to reduce viscosity, and natural fiber reinforcement often requires harsh chemical treatments to improve adhesion. We address these challenges by introducing a sustainable framework to fabricate natural biocomposites using Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as the matrix. Through bioink optimization and process refinement, we produced lightweight, multifunctional materials with hierarchical architectures. Infrared spectroscopy analysis reveals that hydrogen bonding plays a critical role in the binding and reinforcement of Chlorella cells by hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). As water content decreases, the hydrogen bonding network evolves from water-mediated interactions to direct hydrogen bonds between HEC and Chlorella, enhancing the mechanical properties. A controlled dehydration process maintains continuous microalgae morphology, preventing cracking. The resulting biocomposites exhibit a bending stiffness of 1.6 GPa and isotropic heat transfer and thermal conductivity of 0.10 W/mK at room temperature, demonstrating effective thermal insulation. These characteristics make Chlorella biocomposites promising candidates for applications requiring both structural performance and thermal insulation, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional materials in response to growing environmental demands.

Adv.Mater. Technol. 2023, 8, 2201109 https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202201109 In the original version of this article, the acknowledgements are incorrect due to the misspell of a funding agency. The correct acknowledgements are as follows: The authors thank ETH Zürich for the financial support of this research project. Dr. Stefan Gstöhl (Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland) was also acknowledged for kindly providing the pressure sensor used in selected printing experiments. The authors also thank ASCER Tile of Spain as well as the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities for their support of the research. Open access funding provided by Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich. The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused.